Pig rotisserie rig


 
Instead of using a spit rod, I would recomend a basket type of spit. That is what I have. I have a top and bottom of U-Shaped brackets that bolt together. I put the pig in the bottom, put the top on, and tighten it up.

You could attach it to the motor using two sprockets and a chain. If getting the 6 RPM model, you still need to slow it down some anyways, or the meat will be tumbled. Mine I turn by hand every 1/2 hr. My neighbour has one that turns at 4 turns/hr on a motor.
 
If I were going to make something like this for home use (particularly, if I planned to use it several times per year) I would:

Find a local welder

Use heavy, (about 1-inch) square or hexagonal rod stock for the actual spit, and find some square or hex tube-stock that will fit over it, to make the fittings. This way, when you make fittings for the spit, you can "lock" them, so that they will not rotate loose.

Make collars that are round on the outside, that will fit into semi-circular "rests" in the cradle part of your rotiss. Set them up with set-screws (thumbscrews or eyelets) that lock them in place once they're slid onto the spit.

Make a few Cross-Bars that will slide onto the spit (at least three - one for each end, and one that can support a sliding counter-weight, if needed). The end cross-bars can be secured to the pig carcass, in order to keep it from rotating on the spit (sort-of like BIG chicken-tongs on a regular spit, but make sure they're SOLID). A sliding counter-weight should allow you to nearly balance the rotation, and make adjustments. You will probably want one or more relatively heavy weights that can slide towards or away from the spit, at a variety of angles, in order to compensate for the mass of the pig carcass being off-center.

Otherwise, if this is a once or twice per year affair - I saw a link to a site (Cuban Style?) where some guys used metal poles and "butterflied" the pig carcass down the inside of the backbone, and secured it with metal poles and chain-link fencing. Then, they made a fire pit with about three courses of CMU (concrete blocks), set the bound pig across it, and flipped it every half-hour or so.
 
Here's the link to the site Ron is talking about. I've seen this method used on lots of different sites and it seems to work great. I'm planning on trying it this summer.
 
My cousin and I actually built one of these. We got a 70 pound hog done in 6 hours. Check out the website below, we modeled ours after the largest one they build. It's a 2 foot by 6 foot plywood box, we lined the inside with aluminum roof material that's not treated with anti-corrosive agents or galvanized. We made the lid from a stainless steel sheet. Whats nice about this is that the coal sits on top, we placed a grate on top of it grilled other meats. We had the metal, and bought the plywood and other accessories, it cost us less then $100 bucks. Google "Caja China" "China Box" or "Cajun Microwave".

http://www.lacajachina.com/

Here is link to design plans and to the site, this box has an opening from the front where most have the opening from the top.

http://www.babalublog.com/archives/CAJACHINA.html

http://www.babalublog.com/archives/001162.html

or you just google "caja china plans"
 

 

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