This project came about out of necessity, first, then out of pure joy. I tried to smoke a 5lb pork shoulder in my Smokey Joe last month, but the lid wouldn’t fit. I was tempted to drop $200-$300 on a WSM, but why get another grill when the one you have can be “accessorized” to do the job?
I went the easy route, so here’s my bare-bones build for someone who just wants to smoke ASAP, for the lowest cost possible. I call it my WSM Poor Man’s Benz Build. You’ll see why.
Purchases:
32qt Tamale pot (aluminum) -$16.99 at the Gardena Supermarket (corner of Vermont and Gardena in Gardena, CA)
1/4″x 3/4″ long stainless steel bolts (3)
1/4″, stainless steel lock washers (6)
1/4″, stainless steel nuts (3)
(nuts/bolts ~$2 at Home Depot)
Additional Weber 7431 grill grate: $7.50 on Amazon
Grill thermometer: $10 on Amazon
Foil pie/cake pan: $1
Tools I used:
Power drill
Jigsaw with a metal cutting blade
1/4” metal cutting drill bit
Anything to sand off the sharp edges. (I used a stone sander bit for my power drill and steel/metal scrub)
Painter’s tape (masking tape will work, too)
Black marker
String
Measuring tape
After reading through the many sample builds in this forum, here are the steps I followed. And thank you all for your help!
1. I followed the advice of some to use three screws (not four) to hold the top grate. I marked 3 dots around the side, each being exactly 4” from the top of the pot. It’s OK if the dots are not equally spaced from each other, as any three spots will form a flat plane. It’s just more important that they are the exact same distance from the top in order for the grill to be perfectly level.
2. I marked another hole in the middle of the pot for the thermometer. Put this further down the pot so that the thermometer rod doesn’t get in the way when inserting/removing the top grill.
3. I marked the bottom of the pot, and taped where I would need to cut. I wanted maximum airflow, while still retaining the ability to keep a water/drip pan at the bottom. For this purpose, I’ve found that the 3-point star is your friend: 3 lines are all you need to form a flat surface for the pan.
4. Using a metal drill bit, drill holes in the marked areas, and make starter holes in the bottom. Then use the jigsaw to cut out the larger areas. Tip: start your cutting in the center, while you still have more rigidity there. If you start at the sides, you’ll lose tension by the time you get to the middle and the metal will start flapping up and down.
It doesn’t look perfect, but at least I still have all my fingers!
5. Brush off sharp edges using sander tools.
(Goo gone helped me scrape off some paint on top of old smokey...)
As you can see, I opted to skip out on the charcoal circle. I figured the charcoal area was so small anyway that I'd want to use the whole space for it. Also, I didn't make a bottom vent cover for ashes. I might actually want to drill some holes on the side, a la Smokey Joe Gold style. I'll let you know how my current set up works once I try it out.
6. I bought a spray can of black paint, but I think I’ll keep it like this. I kinda like the silver/black look.
7. Total cost: $40 give or take a few depending on how many tools you already have.
Can’t wait to try this out with a larger pork shoulder! Or two!
Chang
I went the easy route, so here’s my bare-bones build for someone who just wants to smoke ASAP, for the lowest cost possible. I call it my WSM Poor Man’s Benz Build. You’ll see why.
Purchases:
32qt Tamale pot (aluminum) -$16.99 at the Gardena Supermarket (corner of Vermont and Gardena in Gardena, CA)
1/4″x 3/4″ long stainless steel bolts (3)
1/4″, stainless steel lock washers (6)
1/4″, stainless steel nuts (3)
(nuts/bolts ~$2 at Home Depot)
Additional Weber 7431 grill grate: $7.50 on Amazon
Grill thermometer: $10 on Amazon
Foil pie/cake pan: $1
Tools I used:
Power drill
Jigsaw with a metal cutting blade
1/4” metal cutting drill bit
Anything to sand off the sharp edges. (I used a stone sander bit for my power drill and steel/metal scrub)
Painter’s tape (masking tape will work, too)
Black marker
String
Measuring tape
After reading through the many sample builds in this forum, here are the steps I followed. And thank you all for your help!
1. I followed the advice of some to use three screws (not four) to hold the top grate. I marked 3 dots around the side, each being exactly 4” from the top of the pot. It’s OK if the dots are not equally spaced from each other, as any three spots will form a flat plane. It’s just more important that they are the exact same distance from the top in order for the grill to be perfectly level.
2. I marked another hole in the middle of the pot for the thermometer. Put this further down the pot so that the thermometer rod doesn’t get in the way when inserting/removing the top grill.
3. I marked the bottom of the pot, and taped where I would need to cut. I wanted maximum airflow, while still retaining the ability to keep a water/drip pan at the bottom. For this purpose, I’ve found that the 3-point star is your friend: 3 lines are all you need to form a flat surface for the pan.
4. Using a metal drill bit, drill holes in the marked areas, and make starter holes in the bottom. Then use the jigsaw to cut out the larger areas. Tip: start your cutting in the center, while you still have more rigidity there. If you start at the sides, you’ll lose tension by the time you get to the middle and the metal will start flapping up and down.
It doesn’t look perfect, but at least I still have all my fingers!
5. Brush off sharp edges using sander tools.
(Goo gone helped me scrape off some paint on top of old smokey...)
As you can see, I opted to skip out on the charcoal circle. I figured the charcoal area was so small anyway that I'd want to use the whole space for it. Also, I didn't make a bottom vent cover for ashes. I might actually want to drill some holes on the side, a la Smokey Joe Gold style. I'll let you know how my current set up works once I try it out.
6. I bought a spray can of black paint, but I think I’ll keep it like this. I kinda like the silver/black look.
7. Total cost: $40 give or take a few depending on how many tools you already have.
Can’t wait to try this out with a larger pork shoulder! Or two!
Chang
). Then carefully put holes in the bottom (now top) of the can around the rim. You can look at the pictures to see what I am talking about, if you can find them. I just spent a considerable amount of time trying to find a picture of the mod and can't find it. Maybe someone else can chime in with a link. 
