Welding Tips and Tricks

Just wondering where the best place is to buy expanded stainless steel?

And what is the best rod to weld it with? It will probably be 304 or 316 stainless.

Thanks for any info

Trapperdude464 wrote:Just wondering where the best place is to buy expanded stainless steel?

And what is the best rod to weld it with? It will probably be 304 or 316 stainless.

Thanks for any info

Hey trapperdude, we have members all around the world, it would be helpful to know your location as far as providing purchasing info. However here is an online source https://www.onlinemetals.com/merchant.c ... &top_cat=1

If you're welding the 300 series stainless then 308L (for 304sst) or 316L (for 316sst) would be correct. You can use either filler and be okay unless you are welding to a specific code or specification.

The expanded steel is to make a cooking grate for a smoker and I'm in little birch,wv

Hey trapperdude! I have built lots of smokers and I have never used stainless for anything. I don't think its necessary. Expanded SS is a special order item around here and EXPENSIVE! I usually use regular mild steel and I use SS grill toppers for the cooking surface. Basically its a grating you set on top of your cooking surface and what is nice is you can lift it off with the food on it and put it on a table or whatever for carving. I also cook right on the regular expanded after I have brushed it off with a grill brush. The grease from the food seals the metal and prevents rust and also you are not using high temps to smoke so the grease doesn't get burned off. Just a suggestion. If you do find and use stainless, post up some pics, I always love to see other guys smoker designs.

I will thank you. I see what you mean about ss it would be 450$$ for the piece I really need. Its gonna be made out of a 330 gallon propane tank if you could post some pics of your I would appreciate it. I too like other peoples smokers this will be my 2 nd one unfournatly I don't have pics of the first. Ironically they got burnt in a fire

I am not able to load any pics...I keep getting an error message that the board upload quota has been reached...huh..But anyway, SS is not really necessary and I don't see it in other grills very often except commercial/restaurant grills where health codes mandate it. I was at Bass Pro the other day looking at some of their smokers and they didn't have stainless...chrome plated steel....but no stainless. If you look on the welding projets thread, I think I have pics of some of my smokers on there. I'll ask Steve about the upload problem. If you have any ??s look me up. Have fun!

OK thanks nail pounder!! And I do have a question?

Would it be better to build the fire box our of the end that I cut off or would it be better to just build an actual box out steel plate?

This tank is much bigger than the last one, which I did build the fire box out of steel plate for more wood room I am just curious this is only my second smoker?

I build my fireboxes out of plate, usually 1/4". Very important to build a box bigger than you think you need. I have an offset that I built and the firebox is almost big enough but I skimped and now I have to cut my wood in smaller pieces to get it good and hot. I made a smoker out of a 500 gallon propane tank and it has a freakin monster box on it and I have used it at -25 in the winter and it gets hot enough. A tip for you is to weld a piece of angle inside on the roof of your firebox so it won't distort and bulge when it gets hot. I also weld one inside the door so it won't warp. Damn, I wish I could show you some pics. You got me wanting to start another smoker now

Lol thanks nail pounder I did get around to seeing your post where you rebuilt your old grill.

I was thinking of taking some flat bar and welding it on the inside around the edges so when I closed the doors it would seal really good and hopefully keep most of smoke inside so I get more smoke in the chamber. My smoke stack I wanting to experiment with.

I wanna cut a hole out in the middle of the end round to put a piece of 2 inch coming out about 12" and then having it 90 to go straight up and down I'm wanting this because I believe it's quite different from what I've seen people do so far.

I like different lol

Trapper...what style of smoker are you building..reverse flow..offset, reverseT...? As far as exhaust goes, the straighter the better. You need a good draft and too many bends will hinder that. Also, don't worry about getting a super seal around your doors...you want it to leak and take in air to thin the smoke, too much smoke is worse than not enough. That thread of me rebuilding my grill was just to show people you can make a grill last a long time. Go back and find a thread called OFFSET PIG SMOKER. Thats the one with the dubious firebox, but its cool and it works good. Its been rented out for the whole summer.

It's an offset I'm also thinking of putting a 28" L x 28" W x 28" T is the firebox dimensions.

And I saw your pig smoker wow!! So would I be better off to go with a regular on the top smoke stack instead?

I would recommend a top exhaust but I make the tube long enough to be right above the top rack...that way you hold in heat and smoke, still get a good draft and by not sealing your doors really tight, you get fresh air drawn in to thin your smoke. I have seen alot of badly designed smokers and they still work good and I am not saying that my designs are the best but I am from the school of thought that says if its worth doing, its worth doing right. I am going to PM you my e-mail address so I can send you some pics of a couple of my builds. It might give you some ideas.

Thanks nail pounder I look forward to it