$1.25 adjustable rack rails...


 
E

Earl P (BamZipPow)

TVWBB Member
**Title should be $2 adjustable rack rails...**

Didn't want to drill a bunch of holes into my pot, so I found some support rails in the plumbing section of Home Depot that would work perfectly. They are Hyco 5/8" x 18" bars, SKU 739236266002, at $0.87 each.

Since these are 18" long, I carefully cut them in half so all the holes would line up when they are attached to the pot in the same holes. I bent about 1/2" on the ends so they would be able to hold the bottom rack. I used the original Smokey Joe rack on the bottom and the Weber charcoal rack up on top. The bottom rack is a very snug fit with the rails installed. If I turn my pot upside down, the rack will not fall out. I haven't cooked anything in the smoker with this new adjustable setup yet. I'll have to find out how much adjustment that I really need and then cut off the remaining part. I figure it should give me a good 5" of adjustment fer the bottom rail from the diffuser. I think the holes are approximately 1" apart. ;)





My diffuser on the bottom is a cast aluminum lid which I can unbolt and install a bigger one if I need it. I rolled the bottom of my pot inwards to catch any drippings that might drip down the inside edge of the pot and to keep if from running into the fire base. I've found that it keeps the fire base cleaner that way. ;)

I'll be smoking 2 pork shoulders this weekend and see how well it holds up.
 
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George Curtis said:
interesting that you have enough room for those rails. I like the idea though. gotta go look again.
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I don't know whats different but my racks are really tight against the pot also and I don't think there is room for the rails. Can't look right now because the minis in storage as we're moving in two weeks. But if I can I'll do what you did as thats something I was looking to do, sure beats drilling a bunch of holes and keeping them plugged up when not in use.
 
I didn't use the 28qt tamale pot with the plastic handles and glass lid...I ended up gitting the 32qt tamale pot with the flat metal lid and bare handles. Maybe that's the difference? ;)

If plumber's strap will hold yer racks, you could try that. ;)
 
I tried the Weber charcoal grate on the bottom and it fits loose enough where it will fall out if I turn the pot over. You might want just git the charcoal grates for both racks if yer setup is that tight. ;)
 
George Curtis said:
is that what you are using in the chicken pic ? I looked at the straps today and they are on the thin side.
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Yes, these are the same straps in the chicken picture that I started this thread with. I did put the charcoal grate as the bottom rack instead of the original Smokey Joe rack. ;)

I don't think I would want to try the plumber's strap as I'm not sure the plumber's strap would hold up over time.
 
George Curtis said:
the straps seem strong enough as long as you don't overload the grate.
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Plumber's tape/hanger strap is a thin metal strap that you can easily bend with yer fingers. As it would be okay to hold the grate by folding it over the grate and tying the loop together, I think over time the corrosive effect of the soot mixed with the fat/acids of cooked meat would weaken the standard galvanized steel straps that you would find in the hardware store.

After doing an internet search, I've found that it does come in stainless steel 304, 10' worth. $15 plus shipping. ;)
http://www.suremarineservice.com/3051t23.aspx
3051t23stainlessplumberstape.1.jpg
 
ok, I might have confused things. I saw some straight metal for hanging ducts and not the coiled strap material.
the stuff I saw was thin but more than strong enough to hold the grate and meat on.
 
Just a quick follow up to my thread. Rails are holding up quite nicely but I haven't made any adjustments since I installed them. The thickness of the rails are 14 gauge steel.
33982.JPG
 
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