okay... my mom says she wants a smoker/charcoal grill made up for christmas... i'd like to get it for thanksgiving if at all possible. i know how i want to make it, but i don't know where to get a drum. i woudl just use one from the local scrap yard, but if it used to hold chlorine, i hear it leaves a bit of a funky after-taste. does anyone know where i can get my hands on a new drum, or one that has not been used to hold dangerous/not-so-tasty chemicals?thanks!Later,Andy
Reply:Someone made a Propane tank smoker only a couple of days ago on here, they used an old large propane tank, http://www.bestcontainers.com/steel-...npt-bungs.html
Reply:yea... i saw that... that's where i got the idea. i jsut don't ahve anyplace around my city that i can get one that they are jsutthrowing away, and everything at the "parts re-aquisition facility" (scrap yard) is either bent, punctured, or i jsut don't trust it to be safe for food. thanks for the link too... i have a feeling that this is going to be cheaper than i thought... and a whole lot easier.thanks again!later,Andy
Reply:I assume you are talking about a 55 gallon drum. Feed/farm supply stores might have something. We have a company that sell clean new and used drums - perhaps you have a drum vendor.55 gallon drum make huge grills. Depending on jow much it will be used you might want to do something smaller Water heater are readily available. Remember to chip the interior coating off the were you weld.
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kay... i'm finding plenty of places now that have the 55 gallon drums. sorry to bother you guys with that.. i guess i just wasn't concentrating hard enough. thanks again though...now that i found the prices for the drums, does nayone know where i can find some pipe, 18" diameter, not more than 10 gauge? the biggest stuff that i can find is 12", or else it's about 1/2" WT for pipelines. even if i coudl find someone to roll it, then i can weld the halves together, that woudl be an option, but i'm sjtu trying to compare prices right now. i have a feeling that the drum will be cheaper, but i wanted to look at all my options. i'm thinking about 36/48" long... BIG family gatherings... and 18" diameter. slap on a couple 18" circles on the sides and i have a home-made barrel. i'd liek to stay areound 10-16 ga if at all possible... i'm just trying to make a grill... not a pipeline.thanks guys!later,Andy
Reply:Originally Posted by tapwelderRemember to chip the interior coating off the were you weld.
Reply:Hey Andy,Who says you have to have a cylinder? Cylinders and pipe pieces are certainly viable, if you have access to cheap/scrap drums or pipe pieces.You have a welder and a grinder, so make the grill or smoker in any shape or size you need or want! That said, about $60 for a new steel 55 gal drum for the grill body/shell doesn't sound all that bad.
Reply:Also, the local mall ( landfill ) can be used as a parts supplier. Well, *sometimes* it can.
Reply:Andy you are to far from me cause I can get the 55 gal drums from the place I work food plant. They have had food grade letchiten in them. And for you cost is free. Check any food processing plants in your area they discard them daily.Miller Thunderbolt 225Millermatic 130 XPLincoln HD 100 Forney C-5bt Arc welderPlasma Cutter Gianteach Cut40ACent Machinery Bandsaw Cent Machinery 16Speed Drill PressChicago Electric 130amp tig/90 ArcHobart 190 Mig spoolgun ready
Reply:i never thought of that.... i figured food plants woudl re-use their drums. we have a few meat packing plants around my house, plus there's a blue bunny ice cream plant and a pepsi bottling plant right next to each other about 3 miles from my house.thanks for all the input.later,Andy.
Reply:Food grade does not mean not dangerous, non flammable, or non deadly. It just means that the material is OK to use for food grade equipment or in food processing.
Reply:Originally Posted by h2oboyFood grade does not mean not dangerous, non flammable, or non deadly. It just means that the material is OK to use for food grade equipment or in food processing.
Reply:I have never seen 18" pipe with the wall thickness you are talking about, but I have welded tons of it in 18". It is all over the place in the oilfield in fact many an old fire tube has been turned into a smoker or grill. Propane tanks I won't touch. The 18" makes great barbeques and smokers. Holds the heat better than barrels and thin stuff do, takes forever to burn out. My brother-in-law uses the one my dad and I built 35 years ago and nothing on it has been replaced except the exp metal the grates were made of. Funny thing is I gave him an even bigger and much nicer one that I designed and dad built for me because I had no time to work on it. He was new to retirement and was terribly bored. Bro in law still prefers the old one.The difference between art and craft is the quality of the workmanship. I am an artist.
