Another Deflector Idea

[DDave]

I didn't want to hijack SmokinLee's deflector thread so I thought I'd start a new one.

I saw this on another forum. PM'ed the guy about making me one but have not heard from him since before Thanksgiving. I'm thinking it might be something I'll ask aczeller to make if I can work out what I think the dimensions should be.



I'm thinking 1/8" plate. It would sit on the lower set of bolts in my UDS so about 21" in diameter should do it

I would just need to figure out what size the circles should be. I could calculate it by the picture, I just don't want to take the time right now.

Dave

[aczeller]

remember... the thicker the metal is, the more of a heat-sink it will be. in all honesty, 16 gauge would probably be more than ample to handle the heat and turbulence-inducing requirements.

i can do it out of 1/8" plate... just letting you know my take on the situation.

in all honesty (and i have not tried this myself, so take this as you will), why not go cheap and just use one of these?



my wife picked up an aluminum one from the grocery store a couple years ago and it works great... like i said, i didn't use it for a deflector plate, but i don't see why it wouldn't work.

Later,
Andy

[SmokinLee]

That design looks pretty cool Dave. I just put the thought out there/here, thinking caps were placed and a determination was made .............almost




QUOTE=DDave;171269]I didn't want to hijack SmokinLee's deflector thread so I thought I'd start a new one.

I saw this on another forum. PM'ed the guy about making me one but have not heard from him since before Thanksgiving. I'm thinking it might be something I'll ask aczeller to make if I can work out what I think the dimensions should be.



I'm thinking 1/8" plate. It would sit on the lower set of bolts in my UDS so about 21" in diameter should do it

I would just need to figure out what size the circles should be. I could calculate it by the picture, I just don't want to take the time right now.

Dave[/QUOTE]

[DDave]

That design looks pretty cool Dave.

I can't take credit for it. A poster named Buford over at The Q Joint came up with it as far as I know.

in all honesty (and i have not tried this myself, so take this as you will), why not go cheap and just use one of these?

Well where is the fun in that?

The heat is more concentrated in the center of the UDS. My charcoal basket is 13.5" in diameter so I want something that will even out the heat across the drum and block the updraft of air from the basket that causes the temp to spike when the lid is lifted.

Dave

[aczeller]

gotcha... that makes more sense now. I'm glad you justified the cost of a custom plate. lol

Later,
Andy

[DDave]

I'm glad you justified the cost of a custom plate. lol

To you maybe, to my wife, we'll see.

Dave

[aczeller]

let her knwo that sooner or later, it will be purchased, whether she likes it or not... with steel prices where they currently are, now would be the time to get it. lol

Later,
Andy

[rbranstner]

What if you took the pizza pan like aczeller said and take it to someone with a plazma cutter to cut out the pattern like in the origionally posted. Would the pan be cheaper than buying the metal piece like in the origional post? I have never priced out metal or labor on that kind of stuff so I know no idea what prices are like. Just a thought.

[aczeller]

the labor is what kills you... a 4'x8' piece of 16 gauge steel costs me about $40-$50. the pizza tray that my wife bought is aluminum (kinda hesitant to use aluminum directly over white-hot coals... long story), cost about $15 or so... it all depends on your situation.

for me, i can always justify the cost of making something myself since I don't have to pay myself labor, plus, i usually have a bunch of usable scrap material left over for other projects. but if you don't have a welder or cutter, it is hard to justify the cost of a full sheet of steel when you will never use the left-overs.

as far as plasma-cutting the pizza plate, you can do it, but the holes won't act like you want them to... they will still let direct heat and smoke directly through them, and since it's aluminum, it won't do too much to block the heat after about a half hour or so.

Later,
Andy

[Richtee]

, and since it's aluminum, it won't do too much to block the heat after about a half hour or so.

Especially since it'll be a puddle in the bottom of your smoker...

[aczeller]

Especially since it'll be a puddle in the bottom of your smoker...

exactly... lol

[Mikey]

Especially since it'll be a puddle in the bottom of your smoker...

Aluminum melts at 1220 degrees, so unless it's laying in the charcoal basket, and you have one helluva blaze going, you've got nothing to worry about.

[Richtee]

I distinctly remember a post with an aluminum block involved with an electric element... puddle.

And I have melted thin gauge aluminum many times OVER coals. Sheet aluminum WILL melt in close proximity to a coal basket. Plate..maybe not.

[Kingudaroad]

I have one of these that I set right on top of my charcoal basket. Evened things right out in my UDS. Aluminum, cheap, no melty yet.
http://www.missionrs.com/18914P.html



I started out using it for cold smoking. It has lasted 2 years and counting.

[Richtee]

Huh. I have had NO luck with Al and close heat.

I have had luck making an Mg/Al alloy for pyro purposes over a lump bed.

(No more, guys in dark glasses...)