Anyone built a smoker from a tank (water, propane, etc)?

[Joel_BC]

Just wondering if anyone here at SS has built a smoker, using an old propane tank, a cylindrical water tank, or something similar.

If so, how did you go about it?

 

[piecemaker]

Not sure how they did it but last year my DS and DSIL made a smoker out of one of those tool boxs that goes across the back of a pick up truck. Dont remember what they used as a fire box. Will see if I can get him to send me some pix of it

 

[Joel_BC]

Not sure how they did it but last year my DS and DSIL made a smoker out of one of those tool boxs that goes across the back of a pick up truck. Dont remember what they used as a fire box. Will see if I can get him to send me some pix of it

Interesting. I guess pretty well and "box" of roughly that size can be made to do the trick.

I do know a lot of guys use old tanks.

 

[sufficientforme]

Go to instructables.com I was just there searching for the same thing and came across many lessons in doing so with food grade barrels. I found some really cool BBQ's at jerrysbbqbarrels.com and was searching for detailed instructions. I really want one of these!

 

[Joel_BC]

Go to instructables.com I was just there searching for the same thing and came across many lessons in doing so with food grade barrels. I found some really cool BBQ's at jerrysbbqbarrels.com and was searching for detailed instructions. I really want one of these!

Yeah, well the first designs I saw were working with propane tanks. The tanks are good and durable for the purpose, but you have to do a lot of prep with a decomissioned propane tank before it's safe to cut it - whether you're cutting with a cutting torch or an angle grinder with a zip wheel (due to the sparks). Otherwise you can get fire/explosion.

I'll check out the instructables.com entries. Thanks.

 

[Joel_BC]

Go to instructables.com

I noticed the ones featured on there that are made from large clay planter pots! Clever and kinda nice looking, I suppose.

The ones made from a 55 gallon drum seem pretty big, if you're going to be smoking food for just a small household. Not sure. Maybe I'll feel better about that idea after I mull it over for a while.

 

[Marianne]

I always wanted to try a cardboard box smoker. Cheap, disposable, won't take up storage space. Looks kind of cheesy, though.

 

[Joel_BC]

With allthe DIYers here on SS, I'm surprised the voice of experience hasn't piped up.

 

[ScottSD]

I have a co-worker that built a smoker out of an old fuel-oil tank and it works really well. He can put a large hog in it.

For the firebox, he used an old 55 gallon barrel, but this is not lasting very long.

Because of this, I found a fuel oil tank on craiglist for free, and am planning on building my own. For the box, I think I will just go to the scrap iron place and get sheets of steel and make my own box--and put a hinged bottom on it so I can dump the ashes into a wheel barrel.

 

[Joel_BC]

Because of this, I found a fuel oil tank on craiglist for free, and am planning on building my own. For the box, I think I will just go to the scrap iron place and get sheets of steel and make my own box--and put a hinged bottom on it so I can dump the ashes into a wheel barrel.

Thanks for replying, Scott.

Do you have a design you're following? Has it been published on the internet?

Also, how thick would you estimate the sheet metal is on the old fuel-oil tank?