I like grilling, smoking meat and metalwork. Here are various attempts at each.
Smokehouse
I’ve got a good friend in British Columbia. He was the inspiration for my smokehouse. I don’t have it anymore. It’s now a shed on a local farm.
Trailer Hitch Smoker (Tailgate Special)
I’m happy with how this smoker turned out but I will never make another one out of a tank. This tank was galvanized. I assume they are all galvanized. The zinc coating is a nightmare. It is difficult to cut with a torch and very difficult to weld. You are also not supposed to breath the white smoke.
There were a few places that I ground it down enough to get through the zinc and the wedling was a joy but for most of it I dealt with lots of splatter and got a staggered puddled weld. I’m a lousy welder but it looks much worse than normal. It would be much easier to start with 14″ steel pipe. You also wouldn’t have to deal with the curves on each end. The curves actually add a fair amount of work. For example, you have to taper the grill mesh you cook on.
Little Juan
This is my favorite smoker. The inspiration was at a BBQ place in Austin, Texas called the Iron Works. They had a little smoker like this. I originally tried to purchase one but couldn’t find anyone who made them. I keep it on my desk at work. I’ve done a few trial smokes to season it and give it a good smell.
Painted with 1,200 degree paint.
The Big Juan
This smoker is still very much under construction. I need to finish it so I can paint it.
Supreme Smoker (Portable, True Smoker, Grill)
This smoker is not finished. I’m building it because I wanted to improve on the “Portable Juan”. Welding the galvanized was rough so I used real pipe. I also discovered the fillet grinding wheel. I’ve added the smoker box for true smoking. I’m making the hitch extendable so I can open my tailgate. I’m adding a gas grill hookup that can be detached.
