My new project, I am building a smoker!

[kgoings]

I know I know


But I am building a smoker, and I am super excited. The Whats in your smoker? thread inspired me...damn that stuff looks good! I did a little searching around and found some plans to make an Upright Drum Smoker. I got my 55 gallon drum this past weekend and I have been spending my free time sanding this thing (I should have gotten one that didn't have paint on the INSIDE too) but I am pretty much done sanding, down to raw steel now. Next will be to paint the outside, season the inside, and add my air regulation and racks...and I should be pretty close to done! I will post some pics of where I am at right now...I didn't think to take any of the drum before I started.

WooHoo we gonna have some BRISKET!

Awesome much sure to post some pics.

[T.G]

Cool.

The design is a bit different than some of the other UDS (ugly drum smokers) I've seen, curious to hear how it works out.

[wayner123]

I too am in the process of building my UDS. I got an unlined one, but I still ain't taking any chances. I am grinding out the inside and outside. Already done a good burn and got a lot of the outside paint off. Hopefully I will be done this weekend.

[tuxpuff]

Sweeeeeet! Can't wait to see your new smoker!

[kgoings]

Originally Posted by T.G

Cool.

The design is a bit different than some of the other UDS (ugly drum smokers) I've seen, curious to hear how it works out.

lol I thought it was upright...cause you see the barrels laying on the sides for alot of them... ugly drum smoker!

[J0eybb]

Are you going to add a door to add coals and wood?

[kgoings]

Originally Posted by J0eybb

Are you going to add a door to add coals and wood?

I dont think so, most of the stuff I have read says that a chimney of charcoal should do you good enough for even 15+ hours. If I were to add a door, how would I seal it?

[kgoings]

Originally Posted by wayner123

I too am in the process of building my UDS. I got an unlined one, but I still ain't taking any chances. I am grinding out the inside and outside. Already done a good burn and got a lot of the outside paint off. Hopefully I will be done this weekend.

wayner did you use some plans online? care to share?

[kgoings]

Originally Posted by T.G

Cool.

The design is a bit different than some of the other UDS (ugly drum smokers) I've seen, curious to hear how it works out.

TG I am currently at the point where I could go either way...do you know of some 'proven' plans? please link

[T.G]

Originally Posted by kgoings

lol I thought it was upright...cause you see the barrels laying on the sides for alot of them... ugly drum smoker!

I've always known them as Ugly Drum Smokers, mainly because of their looks. The one you linked to is too purty to be an U(gly)DS.

I've seen a lot of neat designs too, some that use rather interesting smoke stack venting that is very different than the type of venting in the one you linked to. A few other differences too, but not significant IMO.

[tuxpuff]

This looks like a good info thread...also pointing to a 376 page thread all about UDS (that should keep you busy!)

http://bbq-4-u.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=13707&

[T.G]

Originally Posted by J0eybb

Are you going to add a door to add coals and wood?

Originally Posted by kgoings

I dont think so, most of the stuff I have read says that a chimney of charcoal should do you good enough for even 15+ hours. If I were to add a door, how would I seal it?

Using the minion method, yep. 14 or so hours is what I hear too. There are easy ways to seal a door though, overlapping plates, high temprature gasket and compression latches (dogs).

There was one UDS I saw somewhere that had a modified Weber Smokey Joe as the coal basket and the guy who was operating it was claiming he could get a 20-22 hour cook on k-briqs.

[wayner123]

Originally Posted by kgoings

wayner did you use some plans online? care to share?

PM sent.

[kgoings]

Here is my current state of affairs, I still have to sand the lid, and do some fine sanding on the drum...it looks okay but I am kinda a perfectionist.

[wayner123]

Wow, that looks pretty. What did it look like before? And what did you use to sand it down with?

[kgoings]

Originally Posted by wayner123

Wow, that looks pretty. What did it look like before? And what did you use to sand it down with?

It was a veggie oil barrel, it was completely black on the outside, and painted tan on the inside (might not have been paint might have been some other kinda liner)

1st I got 4 bundles of firewood from the local grocery store. An burned it really hot and really big...once the fire started burning good I just threw in a whole bundle and then when it would go down I would put in more wood...that thing was shooting flames about as high as my roof. (my wife says I am a pyro )

2nd I used 60 grit sand paper on a hand held sander, it was curved on oneside and flat on the other. I used the curved side for the inside and it worked like a champ...the inside was easier to sand than the outside. I would hit each section twice with the 60 grit..the fire had burned off quite a bit of the paint in the bottom two sections.

3rd after I did two go arounds with the 60 grit I did one go round with 220, that really cleaned up anything the 60 left behind.

Last I did the bottom with my orbital sander, it was a breeze...I tried the sander on the rest and it just didn't work too swell. I imagine if you had a belt sander it would rule on the outside!

[wayner123]

I have done the big burn. Not quite that high of flames but still coming out the barrel a foot or so. I only got about 60% (from the bottom up) of the paint off the outside. I was thinking of going at it with a knotted wire cup and my angle grinder. I have used wire wheels before but not the knotted ones or the cup. I hope it doesn't gouge it too bad.

[kgoings]

Originally Posted by wayner123

I have done the big burn. Not quite that high of flames but still coming out the barrel a foot or so. I only got about 60% (from the bottom up) of the paint off the outside. I was thinking of going at it with a knotted wire cup and my angle grinder. I have used wire wheels before but not the knotted ones or the cup. I hope it doesn't gouge it too bad.

I flexible sanding disk should do great, I tried my wire brush and it scraped it up pretty bad...but nothing a once over with the 220 grit wouldn't fix.

[T.G]

Originally Posted by wayner123

I have done the big burn. Not quite that high of flames but still coming out the barrel a foot or so. I only got about 60% (from the bottom up) of the paint off the outside. I was thinking of going at it with a knotted wire cup and my angle grinder. I have used wire wheels before but not the knotted ones or the cup. I hope it doesn't gouge it too bad.

I'd be careful with the knotted/braided wire cups on something as thin as a drum.

Many years ago, out on one of the ships, I built a grill from a 42gal oil barrel, I used a standard straight-wire cup wheel to clean some spots where I needed to weld, and it was fine as long as I didn't bear down hard. I sneezed at one point and jammed the angle grinder into the barrel and it tore up the surface. Had I been using a knotted/braided cup, it probably would have gouged right through the barrel.