Water Heater Smoker

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Does anyone know of some good projects, with pics maybe, of something I can do with the tank from a water heater?  I'm thinking smoker, but I'd be willing to do a regular BBQ (I have 9 kids and that's about the size I'd need), or maybe a forge (using the burner from the gas water heater)? Or something else?  The wife is getting impatient, and I know there's something good in there!!Thanks!Hobart 125Words mean things
Reply:the options are nearly endless with a hot water heater tank. whether it can be a pit depends on the wall thickness. i normally never go with anything thinner than 3/16 - 1/4" as the heat will warp the metal. if its thick enough, i would gander over to thesmokering.com and loot at their Cookers section, its where i go to get a lot of pit building idea's.I break things for a living...
Reply:ive started a smoker with a water heater Attached Images
Reply:my dad and i made a bbq pit about 10 years ago out of a water heat and think its the perfect thickness. it hasnt warped at all and its still in use.
Reply:This just brought back memories!! Back in the mid to late 80's I remember my dad building smokers & grills out of water heater tanks. He made and sold a lot of them.BSSServices1997 F250 4X4 Powerstroke w/ Bobcat 225NT & tools1992 F450 SuperDuty 7.3IDI w/ Bobcat 225NT & more tools!
Reply:How about a waste oil burner to heat your shop?http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel_...arth/me11.htmlI make rainwater collection barrels out of the electric ones, just cut off the top and the elements and put a ball valve in the bottom. A 1/2" hardware cloth top keeps out the leaves.
Reply:Ok, this rocks... a couple of my kids keep bugging me to take them out so they can help take it apart... now I just need to decide on a project to do... my wife would like a smoker... I'll check that site.. thanks!Hobart 125Words mean things
Reply:have fun getting the foam off Attached ImagesLast edited by ed mac; 12-16-2009 at 09:46 AM.
Reply:Are those tanks not galvanized?  If so it is no good for a smoker.
Reply:Originally Posted by burnandreturnAre those tanks not galvanized?  If so it is no good for a smoker.
Reply:Just googled it out of curiosity, it is a very thin layer of glass that is actually bonded right to the steel tank. I have one outside that I was practicing laying beads on with my stick welder, It only damaged the glass when I penetrated nearly all the way through.
Reply:A forge would not work with the water heater burner, not even close to getting hot enough.
Reply:Originally Posted by Bob WarnerA forge would not work with the water heater burner, not even close to getting hot enough.
Reply:All right, so the burner isn't going to be hot enough for a forge.AND.. there's some funky blue stuff that may or may not kill me if I smoke a Turkey in it.And the foam is a PITR to get off.Am I wasting my time?  is the only benefit that my kids and I get to dismantle something together?Hobart 125Words mean things
Reply:you could use the gas burner to make a natural gas fire pit.  that way, you all can sit around the fire pit and eat.
Reply:He said he would use it for a forge burner, it won't get hot enough to do that job. Therefore I told him it would not get hot enough,Had the burner been capable of doing the job he wanted, I would have suggested options and safety information if I knew of any.
Reply:Originally Posted by dapapaAll right, so the burner isn't going to be hot enough for a forge.AND.. there's some funky blue stuff that may or may not kill me if I smoke a Turkey in it.And the foam is a PITR to get off.Am I wasting my time?  is the only benefit that my kids and I get to dismantle something together?
Reply:looking goo.... i like it nice and simple
Reply:Beautiful!  Now, can you take some pics of it open?  Show me the inside.Bob- I did want to know whether or not the burner would be appropriate for a forge.  Thanks for the info.  Better to know now than after I put a bunch of work into it.Hobart 125Words mean things
Reply:Well? How do you like it?
Reply:UHHHH ooooohhhh.....You used those tires.  Save your self the aggravation and fill them with that green goo right off the bat or you will need to keep an air compressor nearby.  I have had several sets of those and they always go flat....To make matters worse they come off the rim when they go flat if you look at them wrong.  Getting them to reseat is nothing short of a nigthmare.I guess what I am recommending is that you change those out to a hard rubber type or something else.Esab Migmaster 250Lincoln SA 200Lincoln Ranger 8Smith Oxy Fuel setupEverlast PowerPlasma 80Everlast Power iMIG 160Everlast Power iMIG 205 Everlast Power iMIG 140EEverlast PowerARC 300Everlast PowerARC 140STEverlast PowerTIG 255EXT
Reply:Aw man. My parents just threw out a water heater tank. They asked if I had a use for it. Now that it's gone I do. I made a still out of one in the past for some one that wanted to make ethanol. They never got it registered, so it's setting on a shelf collecting dust.
Reply:i like it............but does'nt it have to have a stack , to act as a siphon for the smoke.via; smokeralso , maybe a little high temp. paint from wal-mart's like $8 bucks        thermal arc 252i  -  millermatic 350P -   miller XMT, cp300ts, 30a 22a feeders, buttload of other millers, handfull of lincolns, couple of esabs  -   Hypertherm 1250 G3