Trailer Trash BBQ Pit

[JonBoy]

I've always wanted to do a pit project to learn some basic metal working skills. Bought a tank off of fullsizeaggie about 6 weeks ago for a big bbq pit build to have out at my property. I spent a month gathering the other basic materials for the firebox and ends. Now its go time. My coworkers dubbed the pit "trailer trash"...I thought it was appropriate

Based on the size of the main body I used this website to size the rest of the pit: http://www.feldoncentral.com/bbqcalculator.html

Here's the basic design I drafted up in Google Sketchup


Got the doors cut in the main smoke chamber and the firebox. The firebox is big enough to double as a grill in case I wanted to cook something quickly or cook some sides as the main chamber is smoking.


Welded some supports on the back of the doors to prevent any major spring when I parted them off. Here's the doors parted.


Spent Sunday marking my plate for the ends




Next step is to torch cut the ends out, start welding skirts to the doors, and getting my hinges fabricated so I can get the doors mounted. Stay tuned!

[EliteDriver]

Awesome!! You'll love that bad boy!

[rcm719]

I love these pit build threads, one day when I have the time I will make one

[texan16]

Looks like you got it figured out, should be a sweet pit .

[JonBoy]

Got most of the pipe ends cutout today but ran out of gas (literally) so I'll finish those up tomorrow. In the meantime I welded the skirt to the firebox door and did a test fit. Fits PERFECT!



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[fullsizeaggie]

Glad you are putting it to use.

[rockyraider]

How did you cut the doors out? Looks good

[arbed6]

This is amazing. I need to forward this to my son. Thanks.

[JonBoy]

Originally Posted by rockyraider

How did you cut the doors out? Looks good

Angle grinder, about $12 in cutoff wheels and half a day worth of labor. The key was taking my time marking the doors and then working slowly but I got cuts with that angle grinder and look like they were water jetted

[Palmetto]

That's gonna be a big pit!

I have never done the doors like that. Is it easier than putting your hinges on before cutting it out? I would think it would be harder trying to refit it, but maybe not......

Keep up the good work.

[Voodoo]

Cool !!

[Mexico]

Looking good in!

[dope hunter]

Looks good!

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[Texas Grown]

Good looking start . What's the OD on the body?

[GIL HUNTS]

That's going to be a nice bbq pit.

[JonBoy]

Originally Posted by Texas Grown

Good looking start . What's the OD on the body?

The main chamber is 30" O.D., 29 1/2" I.D.

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[JonBoy]

Originally Posted by Palmetto

That's gonna be a big pit!

I have never done the doors like that. Is it easier than putting your hinges on before cutting it out? I would think it would be harder trying to refit it, but maybe not......

Keep up the good work.

Thanks!
I did a lot of online research before doing the doors and theres a lot of folks who do exactly what you're saying. I decided to try it this way so that I could get the skirts welded on easier. The backing on the doors prevented them from warping/springing when I parted them out. The doors fit back perfectly in their respective holes...the hardest part will be resetting the gap of the lower kerf with the door in place when I mount the hinges to the door because gravity wants to make the doors close that gap but I've read a few tricks on how to do that :-)

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[deerwatcher51]

Looking good.

[RR 314]

Looks good. However, CHANGE PLANS. :-) Make it reverse flow--not too late and calculations are the same.

[Hotrodd]

Lookin good!

[JonBoy]

Originally Posted by RR 314

Looks good. However, CHANGE PLANS. :-) Make it reverse flow--not too late and calculations are the same.

Thought about that I think I'm going to stick with offset for a while. I've read it's not too bad to retrofit later if I wanted to make it reverse flow...just adding baffle plates, another hole and relocating the chimney

[CoolArrow]

That's gonna be nice.

[JonBoy]

Got the doors skirted and rounds cut this evening. Now I have to start working on the grating mounts on the inside before I start working on welding the ends.



Picture from the inside to see how flush they sit...this thing is going to be sealed up nice. Forgive the steel cable running along the bottom...just trying to keep other people honest



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[Radar]

That is a big ol pit. Looks good so far. I noticed the cable and lock on it and looked on your avatar. Your in San Antone and I understand the reason for the lock.

[BTLowry]

Take a couple of big dudes to tote that off

Do the bars come out after doors are all fit back up and in place?

[JonBoy]

Originally Posted by BTLowry

Take a couple of big dudes to tote that off

Do the bars come out after doors are all fit back up and in place?

That's the plan. Now that the skirts are on, once I get the hinges placed I should be able to take the backers off without it springing any further

[dpg481]

Nice progress! Keep up the good work sir.

[JonBoy]

Got the grate mounts and removable grates done. Now that the insides are pretty much finished time to start working on the outside.

Next step will be cut out and tack my lid hinges so I can get the doors mounted

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[Texas Grown]

Looking good! You going to put a loading door with vents on the end of the firebox? Or just access via the grate door?

[JonBoy]

Originally Posted by Texas Grown

Looking good! You going to put a loading door with vents on the end of the firebox? Or just access via the grate door?

Thanks! It'll have a side loading door. I put the grate door on the firebox so that it can double as a grill if I just want to cook on it without having to worry about the big smoke chamber.

[Graysonhogs]

gonna be great.

[Mesquite Archer]

Looks good, do you plan to mount it on a small trailer?

[JonBoy]

Originally Posted by Mesquite Archer

Looks good, do you plan to mount it on a small trailer?

No I'm building a stand for it and it'll be residing out at my property...I just don't trust my welding skills enough to put it on something that's going to go down the road at 70mph

[JonBoy]

Interface plates are on and got the chimney and smoke chamber end piece on. Everything is tacked right now...I'll dp the finish welding once I know nothing has to move. Working lid hinges right now

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[RiverRat00]

That's some nice trailer trash work your doing..

[Pullersboy]

Cool build!

[Hotrodd]

Looking good!

[JonBoy]

And here are the hinges mocked up. Ran out of time to weld them on but it was good progress today.

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[navajo76]

looks great

[highspeed]

I like the design of those hinges. Looking good!

[JonBoy]

Just got back from a week of work travel so I didnt have a lot of time to do much other than finish welding on the hinges.


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[Pullersboy]

Nice.... keep it coming. Looking forward to the final product!

[JonBoy]

All sealed up...just need some handles and a couple of hinges for the chimney and firebox side door (tacked for now) and then I finish the stand.

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[Texas Grown]

I like that coil spring idea for the doors. Were they a bugger to get tensioned? Or did you use the pivot bolt to tension them with, then lock or weld it in place after twisting it up?

[JonBoy]

Originally Posted by Texas Grown

I like that coil spring idea for the doors. Were they a bugger to get tensioned? Or did you use the pivot bolt to tension them with, then lock or weld it in place after twisting it up?

They were arguably the biggest pain about this project...I tensioned by turning the bolt with socket wrench and vice grips. Took about 1 to 1 1/2 full turns before they started lifting the doors. Hardest part was getting clearance between socket and bolt to weld bolt in place but the doors lift MUCH easier and I dont have huge counter weights hanging in free space. Coil springs were from a late 50s Ford hood hinge

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[Texas Grown]

Ford made some good products back then.

[JonBoy]

Home stretch...starting to see light at the end of this tunnel.

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[Texas Grown]

For a moment, I thought you had a home made skate board under the main body.
Then I realized what you were doing with the casters . I've built some pretty big tanks in my time, in the past. And have used lots of different types and sizes of rollers, rotatory rollers, and giros.

[JonBoy]

Originally Posted by Texas Grown

For a moment, I thought you had a home made skate board under the main body.
Then I realized what you were doing with the casters . I've built some pretty big tanks in my time, in the past. And have used lots of different types and sizes of rollers, rotatory rollers, and giros.

Yeah I had to make due with what I had Moving that thing around to work on various sections has been no small feat

[MasonCo.]

Are you going to add a dampner to the stack? How are you going to control air flow at the firebox also?