The Texas BBQ Forum

A lot of folks don't put handles on the upper racks, just grab the angle iron from the bottom and pull them out. But you need them on the lower racks for sure.

Ya I guess that would work but I guess I would rather have them than not

Today some of my odd and end pieces got cut on the water jet. This little piece of plate might not look like much but some scribbles, but this is the most important part of the pit. About 4 years ago my little girl was diagnosed with a very rare form of pediatric leukemia (3 yrs old when diagnosed). After battling for 2 hard years, she lost her battle just a few days after her 5th birthday. That little girl was my BBQ buddy, she loved my ribs just as much as she loved to follow me around and watch me cook. Her name was Rorie, and these plates are her signature that I had cut out so they can always be on the pit. I needed a brace from the exhaust stack to the end plate because of weight and size so these will run vertically between the stack. I had 2 cut out so no matter what side of the pit you are on it will read correctly, and I plan on putting something colorful between the 2 pieces so you can see it pretty clearly.

Looking good!


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Thanks man

Kinda cruddy picture but the big metal cutout that is going on the backside of the pit just got cut out, and is in the powder coat booth right now. Its a pig on a tray with an apple in his mouth. (yes Joslin is my last name)

Piggy got powder coated. its called super silver (basically just metal flake) and then clear powder coated. these are a little bit better pictures that shoy how big this thing actually is (almost 5' long, and 2' tall)

Well yesterday we got 2 of the end plates fit (1 for the cook chamber, and 1 for the firebox). We got our football shaped cutouts cut, and later today we are hoping to get the firebox hung. I got pictures of the football shape layed out but I didn't get pictures of it after it was cut.


We also started making the deflector plate from the firebox to the cook chamber

So yesterday was very productive, we made a ton of progress. We started out my setting the deflector plate before we closed the end of the pit up.



We thought it would be beneficial to brace the end plate since it would have about 500 lbs. hanging off the end. If you look you see we made a brace to stiffen the end plate up so there is no flex with all the weight. Also we welded the deflector plate and some triangular pieces to make sure its air tight and no heat is escaping and it is forced down the lower portion of the pit under the tuning plates.


After we got the deflector plate welded up we moved on to the firebox. We got the firebox set where it needed to be, welded it to the cook chamber, welded the end plate to the firebox, and welded the support gussets on the top and bottom of the pit.



My buddy that has been lending a hand also took some action shots. I still don't have a good picture of one of us standing next to this thing because it is much taller than me and Im 6 ft tall. standing next to it really puts the size into perspective.

What is that pit looking like now?

What do you mean? You replied to my thread on the same day I posted current pictures

Well its been raining for about a week solid here in Houston so once this rain lets up we will make some more progress.......Hopefully sooner rather than later

Picked up the piece that will hang on the back side of the pit. this thing is massive and heavy.

You don't really get a good idea of this cooker's size in pics until you fit a full-grown man in the firebox

Any close-up pics of you second rack? What did you use for the channel rails? Thanks for any info.