We used some repurposed diamond plate to weld this intake box – somewhat of a manifold – to marry the smoke chamber to the new firebox – in this case – a repurposed 20lb propane can.
We were very pleased with the way the corners came together. The amperage was just right – and the corners laid in without much undercut or sagging – or excessive deposition. The fit-up was a little loose around the firebox – so some intentional buildup was required there. Flux core .045 was used for the buildup.
The corners were done with .030 wire and a 25-75 gas blend. In the end – we came up with “Franken-smoker” – which is half smoker – half jet stove by design.
You can feed it full length logs without the need to constantly open the chamber – and can rev up the conductive heat to finish full size roaster chickens in under 2 hours – or turn it back and run it low and slow – to put out very gently smoked shoulders.
Here it is – almost fully trimmed. The Frankensmoker. All repurposed or up-cycled parts. We start it with competition coal and then use wood to complete the session.