Robert McGee
TVWBB Gold Member
I LOVE my Medium Vortex for the Performer and have done a number of cooks. It took a couple or three cooks before I was "up to speed" (like any other new tool) but I am a big fan.
However, on occasion, there are times where it would be nice to have a bit extra capacity. It doesn't occur often enough to warrant paying another $40+ dollars for my Jumbo Joe or my second Performer. What's a feller to do? Well, how about a home-made Mini-Vortex for the Jumbo Joe. I started looking around the web to see what items I could use. I have no access to metal working tools to actually copy a Vortex, and a metal fabrication shop would probably be more expensive that the original.
I found a stainless steel doggy bowl at Walmart and decided to try that for the basis.
Here is the label so you know exactly what I bought:
I had a friend with an air powered "nibbler" and he removed the bottom from the Stainless Steel bowl. I left the rim on the bowl to stiffen as it is quite thin. You can remove the bottom with a pair of aviation snips after drilling a pilot hole, a metal cutting jig saw or ...
Here it is on the initial "burn out":
The results are probably not as good as an original Vortex. The dimensions are a bit less than optimum (small end 6", large end 7.5" and 3" tall). Tony UK had one made that was 5" small end, large end 8 1/4", 3 7/16" tall) that would probably be optimum. However, it does work and pretty dern well. I suggest you load it up (you can get 35 to 40 Kingsford Briqs if you let them peek up above the top a bit).
You can check out my first efforts in the grilling section of this forum.
Keep on smokin',
Dale53
P.S. I forgot to mention - the doggy bowl cost $2.87! rdm
However, on occasion, there are times where it would be nice to have a bit extra capacity. It doesn't occur often enough to warrant paying another $40+ dollars for my Jumbo Joe or my second Performer. What's a feller to do? Well, how about a home-made Mini-Vortex for the Jumbo Joe. I started looking around the web to see what items I could use. I have no access to metal working tools to actually copy a Vortex, and a metal fabrication shop would probably be more expensive that the original.
I found a stainless steel doggy bowl at Walmart and decided to try that for the basis.
Here is the label so you know exactly what I bought:
I had a friend with an air powered "nibbler" and he removed the bottom from the Stainless Steel bowl. I left the rim on the bowl to stiffen as it is quite thin. You can remove the bottom with a pair of aviation snips after drilling a pilot hole, a metal cutting jig saw or ...
Here it is on the initial "burn out":
The results are probably not as good as an original Vortex. The dimensions are a bit less than optimum (small end 6", large end 7.5" and 3" tall). Tony UK had one made that was 5" small end, large end 8 1/4", 3 7/16" tall) that would probably be optimum. However, it does work and pretty dern well. I suggest you load it up (you can get 35 to 40 Kingsford Briqs if you let them peek up above the top a bit).
You can check out my first efforts in the grilling section of this forum.
Keep on smokin',
Dale53
P.S. I forgot to mention - the doggy bowl cost $2.87! rdm
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