BBQ Pit building

admin

Hey guys it's me again and this time I am starting on a BBQ pit made out of a 250 gallon propane tank. I will be updating every chance I get and I will also make a video when I'm done. Here are some pics haven't done much yet. Most of my day was spent flushing any residual propane out. Attached ImagesMiller AEAD 200 LE
Reply:How are you going to cut the tank?Dont forget that water alone will not remove all the residual propane in the tank, a small portion will permeate the interior of the tank and still have minimal residue.I break things for a living...
Reply:Don't think about cutting it too much because when it nukes on you, ya won't feel much.  LOL for real though I've looked into this extensively.  The tank won't explode. It could however flash burn.  So ware protective equipment and keep your face and body parts away from any potential vents.  Keep your face back from what ever your are cutting with and body away from any holes you cut.  If you fill the tank with water you have effectively displaced the propane.  However it is still possible there is propane left in the tank but the danger is super minimal.  I have been told if you are really concerned with it to fill the tank have a buddy or rig a water hose so water is constantly flowing into the tank.  Cut with a torch from top to bottom.  My understanding is the torch will not go out because you are providing the oxygen.  How true this is I don't know but I'm not even bothering.  I'm cutting mine with a grinder as I don't have a torch right now.  My brother in law and I are going to start building pits for extra cash.  We found a source of used tanks.Last edited by Zapzoo; 10-18-2012 at 08:13 PM.
Reply:smokin_dodge I have already cut into it and I wasn't really worried about an explosion since there are two large holes in it allowing it to vent. I also filled it halfway up with water while I was cutting on it just in case it did want to flash over.Miller AEAD 200 LE
Reply:Cool keep us posted with picks!
Reply:Its been suggested in another thread to turn the tank so that the propane flows out. Propane is heavier than air. Its also been suggested to stand on your head if you get Argon in your lungs (hard to breathe) . The Argon is heavier and flows out of your lungs.  It sounded like good old life saving advice from a Weldor to me.
Reply:whooohooooo. im liking it. i have a reverse smoker i started and never finished due to lack of time. seems like my projects always come last. ill be watching. keep the pics comming, Joe
Reply:Since you already cut into it you are ready for the rest of the work.  I HATE the look of a smoker made from propane tanks so I cut the ends off and welded flat plate on the ends. It looked like rolled steel. Then you can take the rounded ends and turn them up and make hamburger grills out of them. I did this on one and everyone liked it. Smoker on one side of the trailer and grills on the other.Cutting the round ends off gets away from the REDNECK image you get around my area from propane tank smokers.Good luck and I am looking forward to the build.
Reply:I got the door cut out today and tomorrow I will be making my hinges. I decided to go with internal hinges that way it will have a clean look on the outside. I will post more pics tomorrow.Miller AEAD 200 LE
Reply:Ok guys I need a little help. I want my hinges to be internal, but I'm having a little trouble coming up with a design that would work. If you have any suggestions that would be great.Miller AEAD 200 LE
Reply:Hi,We always used dry ice (CO2) Break it into pieces small enough to put in tank and as it melts the CO2 floods the tank.Jeff
Reply:Sorry I haven't updated recently. I'm a little busy right now so it will probly be next week before I get to start on it again, but I am going to get my hinges cut at my local machine shop and I will upload a picture of those when I get them.Miller AEAD 200 LE
Reply:Good news. My metal came in today and I got the door trimmed and tomorrow I will be building the racks and hopefully the burners for it. My hinges still aren't finished, but I got a cook out planned in 2 weeks so I hope I can finish it.Miller AEAD 200 LE
Reply:How are you getting along with your little welding trailer? Have you had to make any changes to it since you started using it, or did you set it up right for your needs the first time around?
Reply:Bistineau. My trailer still looks pretty much the same I haven't used it much since school started back.Miller AEAD 200 LE
Reply:Here are some more pics. I cut a circle out and filled the hole on top. Attached ImagesMiller AEAD 200 LE
Reply:I cut the door out and welded on some temperary hinges. As you can see I like to keep my work space very clean. I also built a fire inside of it to get rid of that terrible smell. Attached ImagesMiller AEAD 200 LE
Reply:Finally I got the rack frame made and trimmed the door. Next thing is to build my burners. Attached ImagesMiller AEAD 200 LE
Reply:coming along nicely. Keep the pics rollin.There are no problems. There are only solutions. It's your duty to determine the right one.Hobart Handler 210Airco 225 Amp MSM Stinger
Reply:Could we get a closer picture of the hinges?  Looks good.Miller BobcatHarris cutting outfitMiller spectrum 625 plasmaVariety of shopmade tools
Reply:jw3 Those are just tempary door hinges. My other hinges are still in the design process and I will post a pic as soon as I get them made.Miller AEAD 200 LE
Reply:Nice, can't wait to see the end result.
Reply:Keep the pics coming!  What do you mean burners?  Are you going gas?
Reply:Zapzoo. Yes I am going with propane.Miller AEAD 200 LE
Reply:Sorry I haven't posted in a while. I finally finished one burner. I had a lot of trial and error, but finally got it burning right. I also got the grill rack finished, but my camera broke so no pics of it yet. Attached ImagesMiller AEAD 200 LESorry I haven't updated recently. I have a lot of stuff going on right now and I'm not sure when I will be able to finish it. I can say that I tried it out last Friday and I think it needs bigger burners because it didn't get very hot.Miller AEAD 200 LE
Reply:can you post how you built the burner? I need to make one for my DBS to get my fires more even.There are no problems. There are only solutions. It's your duty to determine the right one.Hobart Handler 210Airco 225 Amp MSM Stinger
Reply:Could you give the existing burner more pressure instead of building a new one?  Looks like you have plenty of holes in your burner,  might just need bigger flames for more heat.More is never enough.
Reply:Thorshammer. I drilled 1/16" holes (I stepped them up to 5/64" for more heat) every 1" but it has trouble lighting its self up completely so I would suggest drilling them every 1/2-3/4" instead. My pipe was 85" long and I used a 1/16" jet to inject the propane. You will probably haft to experiment with the air intake holes because they differ on both of my pipes. I will post detailed pictures when I get a new camera.Miller AEAD 200 LE
Reply:I worked on the grill/smoker more. I have installed one smoke stack and will be adding another because it doesn't have enough ventilation. I have also mounted it on a trailer and built a table to go with it. I will hopefully start building the smoke box sometime this month or when I get the money. I still don't have a camera so no pics yet, sorry.Miller AEAD 200 LE
Reply:http://www.thesmokering.com/forum/You might want to check out this forum. Lots of resources for smoker and grill builders You might also consider a split door so you don't loose too much heat when opening.I built a 250- gallon reverse flow this summer and have a 500 gal tank I want to convert this winter.  These run on wood.Dan
Reply:Originally Posted by Miller AEAD200LEOk guys I need a little help. I want my hinges to be internal, but I'm having a little trouble coming up with a design that would work. If you have any suggestions that would be great.