Santa Maria Christmas
Posted: Sat Jan 31, 2015 12:50 pm
A good many moons ago now, having moved back to S.Texas from Dallas to be closer to my aging folks, I was gifted a shop I helped build and Wrecklessville was born. Just a small 20' x 20' shop with a stick welder, an oxy / acet rig, a grinder or two and that was about it. With a little help from friends, some other accessories came about. One bit of assistance came from a family friend(s) that was also my kiddos boss. One day the kiddo approached me about building them a smoker / grill as a thank you for kindness and help they had shown him as well. For sure, it was on. One of the first smokers out of Wrecklessville...
Further acts of kindness went back and forth, A full on gooseneck built onto his dump trailer, other projects, etc. With a lull in the shop, Christmas time approaching and the coin of favors due back on my side, it was time for another build. While the original smoker / grill works great, more time was spent as a grill by the better half which required firing up the FB just for some steaks. So...Santa Maria time. Hoarding scraps from previous smoker builds (plate, some angle, bar stock, etc) just for this, only a few items were needed to be store bought. I started of by framing up a 1 1'/2" square tube frame. A perimeter frame for the grill box with one additional cross member in the middle to keep all things square and true for years to come, added the legs and lower shelf. Fully welded interior and exterior on the grill box, the outside welds ground for one piece appearance. 2 water jet created dampers were installed on both sides for good cross flow. 1/8" x 2" x 1" c-channel was then used for uprights which also house the cooking grate guides which keep the grill relatively level. C-channel was then also used to tie them together. With some wings / tabs added to the horiz. channel, 5/8" bar stock was run between them. Choosing to go with a straight cable pull such as my previous SM's rather than the wind around the bar stock method, my bud tool and die maker bud Jimbo once again performed his magic by cross boring thru some store bought pulleys for a nice entrance and exit out of the pulleys for the SS strand that will rise and lower the grates. A 1/4" set screw on the exterior flat of the pulley clamps the strand in place nicely rather than a somewhat unsightly lead crimp. He also fabbed up 2 blocks which attach to the grate guides to allow for the strand to run down the middle of the blocks and again set / clamped by a 1/4" set screw. A 3/4 #9 ex metal cook grate was then attached / welded to the guides. For raising / lowering the cook grate, a ratchet gear was swiped from an old beater come along / fence puller I had. The gear was then welded to a stock collar with set screw with 4 more stopping the slide of the crank shaft (bar stock). A wreckless fabbed spring latch was fabbed to lock in the ratchet gear. Still a few days left before Christmas day delivery was needed, I decided to add a small roof. Per another favor from a friend, I commissioned a waterjet name banner, added a prep tray on one side, a spice rack on the front that also houses the "Wreckless Built" tag, and a shelf for a cutting board (still to be built the new owner) on the other side. Last, added tool hooks to all shelves and four in the top roof corners. Sent it to sand blast and paint and delivered it Christmas eve.
Further acts of kindness went back and forth, A full on gooseneck built onto his dump trailer, other projects, etc. With a lull in the shop, Christmas time approaching and the coin of favors due back on my side, it was time for another build. While the original smoker / grill works great, more time was spent as a grill by the better half which required firing up the FB just for some steaks. So...Santa Maria time. Hoarding scraps from previous smoker builds (plate, some angle, bar stock, etc) just for this, only a few items were needed to be store bought. I started of by framing up a 1 1'/2" square tube frame. A perimeter frame for the grill box with one additional cross member in the middle to keep all things square and true for years to come, added the legs and lower shelf. Fully welded interior and exterior on the grill box, the outside welds ground for one piece appearance. 2 water jet created dampers were installed on both sides for good cross flow. 1/8" x 2" x 1" c-channel was then used for uprights which also house the cooking grate guides which keep the grill relatively level. C-channel was then also used to tie them together. With some wings / tabs added to the horiz. channel, 5/8" bar stock was run between them. Choosing to go with a straight cable pull such as my previous SM's rather than the wind around the bar stock method, my bud tool and die maker bud Jimbo once again performed his magic by cross boring thru some store bought pulleys for a nice entrance and exit out of the pulleys for the SS strand that will rise and lower the grates. A 1/4" set screw on the exterior flat of the pulley clamps the strand in place nicely rather than a somewhat unsightly lead crimp. He also fabbed up 2 blocks which attach to the grate guides to allow for the strand to run down the middle of the blocks and again set / clamped by a 1/4" set screw. A 3/4 #9 ex metal cook grate was then attached / welded to the guides. For raising / lowering the cook grate, a ratchet gear was swiped from an old beater come along / fence puller I had. The gear was then welded to a stock collar with set screw with 4 more stopping the slide of the crank shaft (bar stock). A wreckless fabbed spring latch was fabbed to lock in the ratchet gear. Still a few days left before Christmas day delivery was needed, I decided to add a small roof. Per another favor from a friend, I commissioned a waterjet name banner, added a prep tray on one side, a spice rack on the front that also houses the "Wreckless Built" tag, and a shelf for a cutting board (still to be built the new owner) on the other side. Last, added tool hooks to all shelves and four in the top roof corners. Sent it to sand blast and paint and delivered it Christmas eve.
