MOD MONTH-JJ Midi build

[Poorfolks]

 This is tough for me because I started it in spring  worked on it a week then stopped due  home remodeling and gardening, next thing ya know its sept.
Also yual have to put up with my bad spelling,poor composistion skills, warped sense of humor and typing with 1 finger(not the middle one). Also my camera broke so some build pics are not there but I just bought a new camera so i'll have most pics. This is probably going to be a bit boring at first but I hope it will come out ok.
Oh,I'm still working on It and hope to have it done in two weeks'
  Bought the JJ to use it as a dedicated smoker because I can't be spending $325 or more on one and I think I can build a nice one for $125-$150 (including the JJ).Also there is no way I'm spending $100+ on a steamer pot.
I want this to be a versatile, good looking, strong ,inexpensive smoker. Oh good looking to me means NO ugly bolts or nuts protruding into the cook chamber also no unnessary bolt heads on the outside either.
First thing I did was to build a remote.


The remote and hardware costs $3.29
There are 2 reasons why I didn't want to bend the tab because there is a chance that I would screw up the daisy wheel.
Wacked the head off the lag bolt to shorten it and threaded it, also cut the other end to shorten it.

Bent my own piece of scrap alum and mounted it.

Remote installed. The heat sink bolt in preloaded onto the ash dish and is necessary because I don't want to cook my cock or my finger.

That's as far as I got now its Sept and I'm continuing on it.(some build pics not available as camera broke).
This project is reminding me of the days when I was a youngster playing baseball, I either struck out or hit home runs.

Bought a 14''x25' roll on Alum flashing and use a 1''x1/16 alum bar at the bottom because I thought it would be easier to bend. Also have '69 cook grate I cut up for the bottom(mistake?). I noticed that the new cook grate has less metal and is only .135 for the horizontals and the ring and handles are .160.
The old grate is .180-.190 everywhere and 3.5oz heavier.
Used a3/4x1/8 alum bar for the top ring and made brackets 1/16 alum for handles.

These are the only fasteners that can be seen on the outside when the extension is used.

Flashing picture showing aluminum rivets @bottom and handles installed.

Top Aluminum ring and fastener detail. Note nothing protruding into the chamber over 1/8 inch.


Inside view of the '69 grate and ring install. BTW when installing the lower or upper grate they don't just drop or fall in, you must start them in at a angle and push them down which is a good thing. Nice, tighter than hillaireies NRA-ILA donations.





Another view of the fastener and grate to ring detail. Ring is 3'' down.


Outside seam shot  no ugly fasteners shown. Actually you can only see a maximum of 2 fasteners at any angle of the extension and sometimes only 1 which the SS acorn nuts are not bad looking. You can barely see a rivet in this shot.

Next thing I did was to disassemble the daisy wheel, enlarge 2 holes ,remove  the stops ,fix the ash dish so it can't move and put index marks on it for wfo, 1/2 and 1/4 openings. The reason for opening the holes is  when ''full open'' 2 holes were not fully open.

Flip phone pics ,sorry camera was broke.



The  enlarged holes and stops removed.


Reinstalled with the bolt/nut backwards (opposite of weber's JJ assembly) and index marks put on. Note the dish is fixed with aluminum wire so it doesn't move when changing air flow rates. (The heat sink is preloaded to the dish).

This is a WIP and not finished yet but so far it's lookin Purdy (good).

Stay tuned as I hope to at least get it 99% done. Also I'm not sure if I'm going to use the snake,weber baskets or a center basket or ?whatever as a fuel set up.
How it looks so far with only 2 fasteners showing in front view.

Questions, comments ,suggestions, ataboys or flame aways are always welcome.
More stuff going on with this wip.

[56MPG]

Terrific write up - very entertaining, not to mention inspiring. I like the index to show when you're half cocked. I never know when I'm half cocked.

[Poorfolks]

Half cocked is the first blue mark closest to the wfo red line. Oh If your really half cocked you can put the cock left or right of the wfo red line. Handy(no pun) for lefties or rightys, Coooool huh?

[JDD]

Nice job, looks good.

[Hell Fire Grill]

ataboy!

[Vwbuggin64]

Sweet looking mod. Looks like Ill be doing yet another project in the near future

[Poorfolks]

So far I have $92.99 on this project which includes the JJ ,flashing , aluminum rivets+backers, aluminum bars,remote,and ss hardware. That doesn't include the hinged grate which will be used without or with the extension. So I still have $ more mods.
Oh I forgot to show some of the tools and consumables I'm using in this project. Sorry a lot of them are not in pic because the table isn't big enough.


Working on a MTS system for ash control. Bought the fork at walmart for$.88 ,spatula @doller store.

Bent the fork slightly to go through the daisy wheel hole but the shaft of the fork is not centered on the fork part so it keeps hitting the edge of the bowl so it won't go in
No problem I just bend it the other way. Big fail, cheap crap fork broke off. $.88 down the drain.
Ground down the end of the shaft a little, cut a piece from the spatula and put a $.11 push nut on the end of it.


The bowl full of ''ashes'' grate removed to show plugged holes.

Shaft with rubber on it entering the ash hole.

1st wipe through the ash hole.

2nd wipe.

After 20 wipes the ash holes and bowl are pretty clean


Since no one asked the reason why I removed the stops on the daisy wheel and installed the bolt upside down I did it so there would be no restrictions to the rubber entering the ash hole, cleaning the bowl and protecting the rubber from being ripped. Also the cock can swing to the left or to the right depending on mood or which way the wind blows.

Not sure if this 20TS system is going to work perfect the rubber may melt or burn but I can cut quite a few more rubbers out of the spatula.
Stay tuned more coming up.

[TD]

Nice metalwork! How thick was the aluminum flashing? Looks like the body is about 1/16" thick compared to the 1/8" top grate ring? Would you use 1/8" bar for the bottom ring if you were to make another? Is the body one layer of flashing thick? Seam overlap? How did you get it to bend so perfectly round? I think this technique would make a nice extension ring for a 22" kettle to make a rotisserie or extra smoking room. Does it seem to be sturdy enough. Aluminum is light so I wouldnt care if the body was 1/8" inch thick. Any info you have time to share will be appreciated.

[1buckie]

@Poorfolks

Attaboy!!!!

My brother from another mother!!!

Yer cock (even if half-cocked) ROCKS!!!

Small plastic toys SHOULD be part of the BBQ setup....partial to pterodactyls here....



And, dollar store Betty Crocker utensils....the mark of a true professional.....




With the extra consumables that didn't make the pic.......

....did you just start a 'beer garden' a'la @Hell Fire Grill  ?




Grate mods!!!!!


....the scraper is just about how my mind works also.....

[Poorfolks]

  Good eye! The body is around .075 to .078,or 5.2mm where it counts at the top ring. Most aluminum flashing I have seen is .0084 or .0092 and the stuff I got is .010. Yeah I was very care full in doing this but using 1/8 stock for the bottom would cover up any mistakes and give a full coverage to the bottom grate.
WOW you just gave me a idea
I was going to buy a CB roti ring for the 22'' kettle but this thing is so tough and cool why buy one when its so easy to make one?? If you look closely in the overhead view you can see a kink in the 1/16 strap in the 9 o'clock position.
This is a really easy build with excellent results. These rolls come rolled and taped up and are 6 or 7 inches in dia, to my memory.If you look in the materials used pic you can see the electrical tape and string I used to get the size I wanted.
I tied the string off(slip knot) to around 54'' and put it over the roll. Cut the tape and the roll unwound some. I then helped unwind the roll till it was tight on the string.
Then I took a grate and with trial and opening up more string got to get the grate to barely get in, with a little force. Remember you want this tight and if you over unwind it could be a pita to reduce the diameter.
I used electrical tape in 2 spots 3'' from the top and 3'' from the bottom to hold it together.
Bending the 1/8 stock was a slow and steady process by hand. The curve came out perfect because I was using a 6ft strap which I need around 56'' and the'' straight parts'' where my hands grip it were cut off.
When doing this to a 22'' this is a problem when you need 69 or 70 inches of stock. You can try to find a 8 footer or  bend a 56'' and a 13'' and make sure that the spits go through the big C strap centered with a 10'' on the short side and the 13'' as a filler to complete the circle.
Do not worry if the flashing is .008, .009 or whatever on a 22'' go with a 50 foot roll cooool huh?
Instead of spending $17 on a 25 footer spend $35 on a 50 footer for the 22''.
Oh did I say this was strong? I can't remember.


2 pieces of 2x4 I cut and a cement block.



Check it out.

[Poorfolks]

Buckie you just got a thank you

[Poorfolks]

 Still workin on this contraption. Not sure if the 20TS system will hold up or work and I'm way to old to start using rubbers. So I want this to be versatile and use it in many ways so another ash hole control is born.
Since I don't have any projections in my chamber or any nuts I decided to use this.

Used this to open it up.

Red marks are at the ground out spots where the center grate rod goes so it sits flat. The can is at maximum height.

Inside view.

Installed view, I guess I didn't center the can enough for this pic but you get the idea. This thing(bowl) can load up pretty high with NO ashes going to plug up the ash holes.

Wow I think the snake or basket method won't come close to filling up the bowl with this thing in it.

[kettlebb]

I like drinking PBR. Did Weber make a PBR kettle?


Sent from my iPhone using Weber Kettle Club mobile app

[Poorfolks]

It's weird that you mentioned that because I cut out a PBR 24oz can and was going to mount it on the front but thought It would be too tacky looking with the fasteners showing. I got something else in the works.

[Poorfolks]

 Here is one weber basket I have used on the 22'' with heat shields.

This view shows the hole for the bail so the baskets can go all the way out.

I 'm thinking that I want to do real long cooks so I need a drip pan/heat defuser.
Since we're all done canning tomatoes I'm using this canning pot.

Big fail pot is 1/4'' too high,BUT look what I found inside.
I'm using that jar lifter for sure. Wait till she finds out that will be strike 1.