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  • Home built insulated cabinet smokers

    Hi everyone,

    I have had several requests for info on my small home built cabinets, so to answer them all I thought I would put together some info and post.

    I modeled them after a backwoods smoker http://www.backwoods-smoker.com/. My Insurance guy was a rep for them and talked about insulated smokers a lot...trouble was that I couldn't part with that kind of money for one when I knew I could make one for way less. I had never seen inside a backwoods smoker when I built mine, but have since had a chance to peek inside one. I do not have a cad drawing for one, as I kind of built my first one as a prototype off of an idea that I had. Here is a graphic of how they are structured:



    The theory is that the heat from the firebox rises to the top and then "reverses flow" across the meat to the smoke stack exit at the bottom of the smoking chamber (just above the water pan). When I built mine I didn't know about the raceway so I just have an open space on the side and thought that the heated air would immediately go to the top and then reverse flow...it works just the same, but I need to keep food away from the edge about an inch or two. I built mine out of a 4' X 10' sheet of 10 gauge steel...I made the dimensions so that I only used one sheet. It is about the size of a bar refrigerator, and with the cart it probably weighs 325 lbs. Here are some pics of the build.......I have built two of these so far (more to come) and the only thing I changed from rev 1 to rev 2 was the gasket design. On the second one, I turned the channel around so that I used a rope gasket instead of a tape gasket. This made it a little bit more forgiving in terms of the doors being absolutely on the same plane to seal properly.

    Some of these pics are from build one and some are from build 2...so if you see any discrepancies I did streamline the process for the second one. I started with a basic rectangle shape...I already have the angle iron shelf supports welded in.



    I added the back with the chimney holes drilled out. Then I added angle to the corners and welded it in. I also welded the rear edges just to be sure there was no way for smoke, humidity, water, or grease to get between the walls and into the insulation.


    I added the channel to separate the walls, and then welded in some nails to ensure that the insulation stayed in place. Then I put insulation in between the walls.






    Then I tacked on the outer skin and welded all around it...here you can see the chimney will be enclosed in the back wall.


    For the rear, I put in a pass through for a thermo cable. The back has 2" of insulation to accomodate the chimney inside the outer skin.


    Next I put framing on the front for the doors. I used gate valves for the air intake...I didn't have the ability to cut a slide as I didn't have a plasma cutter at this point. I did have welder and could put in a pipe nipple, weld around that and then thread on a gate valve...they work great, and I think they look pretty cool too.







    Here I am lighting the first fire of my smoking career...I didn't even have a chimney to start it, so I had to use my mapp gas torch. I was so hopeful that my design would actually work.


    Here it is with a food service steam table water pan in it...I have since built a receiver for a disposable aluminum pan so I don't have to clean it up from smoke to smoke...I just throw the pan away and get a new one. You can see the original design was a tape gasket. This pressed on the edges of the smoker which had to be perfectly flat and on the same plane to seal properly. I messed around with this more than I can tell you, so I changed the design for build #2.


    Here is the first one after I got it painted


    For the second one (which I gave to my brother) I pimped out the cart a bit by adding a rebar basket...I'm over 6'1" and 235 lbs and I could stand in that basket...I thought it looked pretty good too. It fit with the "industrial" smoker look. I have trailer jacks on one end so I can always level the water pan so it doesn't drain out one end of the pan.


    For the second build I also added a basket for the firepan. Here it is shown with a detachable handle to move it around while it is hot.




    Here is inside the second build after a seasoning fire and before the paint.


    I liked the color scheme of the first one, so my brother got the same thing.


    When my brother came out to visit and pick up his new smoker, we put them to the test and both cooked some great food…side by side. I was really proud to give him such a great gift.
    Last edited by DDave; 09-17-2017, 11:43 AM.
    BBQ Eng.

    The "Cow Girls" were adopted from the shelter, and found on petfinder.com.
    Adopt a homeless pet - http://www.petfinder.com
    I built the Iron Maiden - Iron Maiden Smoker Build

    Over 5000 unreadable posts...Photobucket can kiss my ass...they will never get a dime. I will not pay a ransom.


  • #2
    Okay, great so far :-)

    So any idea what the smoker WITHOUT trailer weighs ?
    Also could you use thinner gauge steel - that looks pretty heavy duty stuff you used. I'm going to want mine to be man portable - admittedly I'm the man, so anything in the 200lb range is fine, I don't envisage having to carry them very far.

    Also do you have actual dimensions ?

    And what did you use for insulation - presumably something with a decent heat rating ?

    And finally (for now lol) any pics of food you've cooked in it ?
    Made In England - Fine Tuned By The USA
    Just call me 'One Grind'



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    • #3
      Thanks for the great post. Those are beautiful smokers and you are a pretty talented fella.

      Comment


      • #4
        WOW those are cool nice job


        Happyness is a full smoker

        Comment


        • #5
          Very well thought out, I like the vertical reverse flow concept. It's something I thought about for mine but couldn't quite envision it in my ap.
          Very cool indeed.

          JT
          JT

          Comment


          • #6
            First off, the cabinets are beautiful if nothing else. I mean ya get an A+ alone on the paint. As for the engineering of it...??? Ya definitely get an A in the beginning for not knowing the raceway part, but ya came back with that concept so ya get the bonus bump to A+. The trailers, excellent job here as well, very nice. Welds look great, far better than mine. So, now ya found a side job, building reverse flow cabinet smokers.

            Whats on the next drawing board?
            sigpic










            Comment


            • #7
              Great looking rigs! Fantastic workmanship and finish. Also a great photo essay on the build. If I'm looking at them and the schematic right, they are a triple wall design, at least most of it. Is that right?
              sigpic

              Beef. It's whats for dinner.

              Comment


              • #8
                Originally posted by curious aardvark View Post
                Okay, great so far :-)

                So any idea what the smoker WITHOUT trailer weighs ?
                Without the cart it probably weighs in at 250-275 lbs. The sheet I cut it from weighed 225 lbs and laid it out so I had very little scrap. Add the framing, weld wire, insulation, valves, chimney, and latches, and that will tip the scales at 250-275.


                Originally posted by curious aardvark View Post
                Also could you use thinner gauge steel - that looks pretty heavy duty stuff you used. I'm going to want mine to be man portable - admittedly I'm the man, so anything in the 200lb range is fine, I don't envisage having to carry them very far.
                Absolutely! I used 10 gauge because that is what I could get...I got it for scrap price with my "friends in High Places" discount! I think backwoods and stumps use way thinner material (16 or 18 gauge??). If you used thinner material that would definitely knock the weight down.

                Originally posted by curious aardvark View Post
                Also do you have actual dimensions ?
                20" Wide X 31" Tall X 17 Deep for Outside dimensions. I have a cut sheet that I worked from when I laid out the dimensions and could email that to you if you would like.

                Originally posted by curious aardvark View Post
                And what did you use for insulation - presumably something with a decent heat rating ?
                I used ceramic wool insulation...they use it in Kilns and Ovens, and it is rated at over 2000°. I got it from Ebay, but have since found out that I could order it directly from the supplier at the same Ebay price. I do that so I don't have to jerk around with Ebay.

                Here is the supplier: http://hightempinc.net/

                Data Sheet: http://www.thermalceramics.com/pdfs-...s/1114-105.pdf

                Originally posted by curious aardvark View Post
                And finally (for now lol) any pics of food you've cooked in it ?
                Oh Yeah...I have use the heck out of it. It is efficient and incredibly stable. I have smoked in really cold temps with a high wind, and it has no effect on it.

                Cherry Wood Smoked Chicken Legs.......




                Calzone Fattie.....



                Carnival Corn Dog Fattie.....


                Buffalo Chicken Wing Fattie.....


                Waffle and pork chop....


                Chicken and Ribs.....





                Smoked Peppers....

                Last edited by DDave; 09-17-2017, 11:44 AM.
                BBQ Eng.

                The "Cow Girls" were adopted from the shelter, and found on petfinder.com.
                Adopt a homeless pet - http://www.petfinder.com
                I built the Iron Maiden - Iron Maiden Smoker Build

                Over 5000 unreadable posts...Photobucket can kiss my ass...they will never get a dime. I will not pay a ransom.

                Comment


                • #9
                  Wow Great looking Units and Great Looking food!! Have you posted the recipes for the legs and fatties??

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Awesome..... I think you should go into part time custom production
                    sigpic

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      So, when can I pick mine up? Man, that's a nice build... times 2!


                      Drinks well with others



                      ~ P4 ~

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                      • #12
                        Hey bud was there any particular reason to enclose the smoke stack to the inside of your smoker? Just curious if it was for cosmetics or a function like keeping the heat down or up. Points here for ya as well !
                        Jerod
                        GOT-Q-4-U bbq team
                        sigpic

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Sweet looking smoker, but that basket on the back looks a bit whimpy.


                          LOL, just kidding. Awesome job, man I can't wait till mines done.
                          https://youtu.be/ZcqprrIlbcIli

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                          • #14
                            I Never get tired of this thread Dana....The food is just worthy too..............

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                            • #15
                              Originally posted by ALX View Post
                              I Never get tired of this thread Dana....The food is just worthy too..............
                              What he said! You're an engineer that can actually move it off the paper to the front drive.

                              Inspiring!

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