Door question?

[Jim_K]

I'm going to work on my tanks this weekend and get my doors and slot for my fire box cut out. I have seen doors cut around the 1-O-clock to 3 O clock position and 12-O-clock to 3-O-clock position. whats your thoughts?

The main horizontal smoking chamber will be a 250 gal tank its roughly 30" x 7' 4".
My plans is to have a slide out bottom grate for whole pigs. I'm going to go with 2 doors with a middle section 4"-6" that also hinges so I will have total access when needed.

I also will have a vertical tank that will be my small smoke chamber/ hold chamber. I assume that I will need to cut at least 1/4 of the tank for a door for access?

[JamesB]

My vote would be for the doors at 1 o'clock to 4 o'clock. Figuring that the bottom grate would be at about 4 o'clock and would be able to slide in/out...

As for the vertical, since your using another tank, round I assume... Would the grates in it be round or square? Square would be able to pull in/out, but you'd loose some surface area. Either way, the doors on it would need to be big enough to get the grates in and out as well as wide enough for food pans or what ever else your going to be using it for.

[Jim_K]

Thanks JamesB
This will be a reverse flow design, from what I have read my Reverse flow plate should be around 8"-9" off the bottom of the tank. That leaves me with 6"-7" space above that to put my first grate at dead center of the tank.
looks like I will be going around the 3 O-clock position or a tad lower for a slide out grate.
From what I have seen on the Langs the doors are a little lower than 12 so I might drop mine down 6" from top center to leave out the valve openings for my doors.

[JamesB]

Sounds like a plan... Keep us updated!

[junior]

How are you planning on cleaning your tanks before you paint them? I just started a 250 propane tank also and am looking for ideas. Also, if you turn the tank upside down, you'll have drains in the bottom allready in place, and the top of your pit will be a smooth surface!