The Texas BBQ Forum

Fabbed up a crude, but hopefully functional fresh air control for the firebox...


Extended the passage to the smoke chamber because I miscalculated how much it needed to extend past the firebox...

Chasdev wrote:Here's one of Franklin's newer smokers..(too bad it took a fire disaster for me to be able to grab the picture).

That's Bethesda. Franklin talked about it a little on his PBS series back in 2015 (long before the fire). Thanks for sharing the photos. It looks like he hadn't installed the smokestacks yet in the PBS video. If you have Amazon Prime that entire series is free to watch right now.

It's a rotisserie Franklin built for ribs. He commented about how most big rotisseries use gas or electricity for heat, and that goes against his "organic" principles I guess, so he built a wood-only firebox for it. He also basically apologized for not having developed a way to use steam to power the rotisserie yet, and instead has to use an electric motor. I never heard any more about it, so I wonder how much he actually likes the rear firebox on that thing.

With the exception if some handles and possibly a fire grate inside, the firebox is done.





Just about time for final assembly...

Finished boxing off the open ends of the square tubing and started adding the beginnings of the firebox support...

Quick mock-up for measurement purposes. So far, the components are lining up like they are supposed to.

Burned it in this morning with excellent results. It came up to temperature quickly and easily held 300° for over an hour without much effort on my part with old charcoal and some less than ideal oak. I can't wait to see what it does with better quality fuel.

Here some pictures to update the journey...

Congratulations. I love the saddles you built to set the tanks in and the rubber tires

Thanks.

Since the metal in air tanks isn't nearly as stout as say a propane tank, my plan was to attempt to keep the stress on the tanks as low as possible. The wheels came about after it dawned on me just how heavy the final product would be. I still plan on removing the base from the big tank and adding a true handle to move it around with, but I haven't decided just how I want to do that.

Hi folks, im planning to build my own smoker. would very much appreciate any input / critics on this design, especially on the slope on the bottom plate of the cookchamber, i know its not mainstream.

thanks