I haven't used water since my first couple of cooks. I get a very nice smoke ring. I don't think water serves any purpose other than temp stabilization.

I finally got around to building a Piedmont Water Pan, and took a slightly different approach than most folk here.
First I calculated the circumference of the Brinkmann pan so I could make sure the bolts were evenly spaced (yes, I can be a bit of a perfectionist. BTW, following the circumference of the pan, a bolt every 15.3 inches keeps 3 bolts evenly spaced). I drilled 1/4" holes in one pan only. Using some 3/4" or 1" long 1/4" hardware I had laying around, I placed a nut on the bolt and then a flat washer and inserted through the hole from the top. On the bottom side of the lip, I placed a flat washer on and then another nut. Measuring the amount of bolt sticking out from the top of the pan, I adjusted until there was 5/8". I then tightened the nut on the bottom side of the pan while holding the nut on the top side of the pan. This essentially leaves a "stud" sticking out of the upper rim of the pan that the second pan rests on. No need to undo any hardware to seperate the pans.
I need to try and get pics posted so it's easier to understand.

quote:

Originally posted by Clark "Harbormaster" Hodgson:
I finally got around to building a Piedmont Water Pan, and took a slightly different approach than most folk here.

Yours is a more elegant version of the way I did mine. My top pan is my WSM pan. I attached my bolts to the bottom pan, much the same as you did, but from the bottom up. I then put a nut on each bolt, set the top pan on (with the bolts sticking up through holes I drilled in the flange of the top pan), and adjusted the nuts to give me the correct clearance between the pans. I didn't have 1/4 inch hardware, so I used smaller (maybe 10-32); I'm not sure the top pan would sit securely on such small bolts. But after reading your description, I may get the 1/4 inch hardware and redo the pan your way.

Pretty much what i did as well. Put 4 holes in the bottom pan. Then got 4 bolts and put 2 nuts all the way on each of them. Then put the bolt in the holes and used another nut to secure it. So the top of the bolts and 2 nuts act as the spacer.