question about drum for UDS

[SmokeyBear]

I've been keeping my eyes open for some metal drums to build a UDS. As luck would have it, four just fell into my lap, sort of.

About 20 years or so ago, my father brought home four metal drums that had been used to store some sort of chemical product. We burned and scrubbed them until my father felt safe storing horse feed in them. The horses didn't die after eating the food stored in the drums. My father recently started using an old freezer to store the horse feed, and the drums are no longer being used. They are stacked in the barn. We still have the lids and the rings to fasten the lids to the drums.

They have a little surface rust on them, but they appear to be very well intact. Anybody here think they would be a problem to use for UDSs? I think I could use a wire wheel on a dremel or hand sand them and then paint them with some high temp paint after doing a burn in them.

 

[SmokeWatcher]

Sounds perfect! Don't forget to show us pics when you build them.

 

[Norcoredneck]

Ship one to me and I will test it out and get back to you :twisted:. Send me an e-mail address in a PM and i will send you my info. You can look it over, but remember there are 1000's of ways to build a UDS.

 

[SmokeyBear]

Ship one to me and I will test it out and get back to you :twisted:. Send me an e-mail address in a PM and i will send you my info. You can look it over, but remember there are 1000's of ways to build a UDS.

You sent me the info a while back (thanks again!!).

Shipping from the right coast to the left coast on one of these things would probably be pretty steep.

 

[SmokeyBear]

I may have trouble getting access to welding equipment. I'm trying to figure out ways to do it without having to weld anything.

 

[Single Fin Smoker]

Ask Keale how he did his. I don't think he did any welding.

Ask Norco how he did mine. Its entirely welded.

 

[leanza]

How is it Fin, you always get the good stuff?

 

[Norcoredneck]

I may have trouble getting access to welding equipment. I'm trying to figure out ways to do it without having to weld anything.

All that info is in the UDS thread, shouldn't be hard to find. Only 39 pages long :twisted:. Try a search for conduit nuts.

 

[JamesB]

I built my first one 7 years ago without any welding... I'm sure I will build my next one the same way... it can be done.

James.

 

[Single Fin Smoker]

I agree, it can be done.........as long as Norco is willing to work for beer, and isn't on jury duty....

 

[swamprb]

Page 15 of the Ugly Drum Smoker thread gives a step by step description on a no weld UDS build.(shameless plug mod) It takes a couple hours to complete if you have all the parts ready.