Mike Stavlund
TVWBB Member
Thanks to the fine folks around here, I did a few mods shortly after getting my used WSM. Most notably, the Genie garage door handle mod to the middle section (I added four instead of just two) and the threaded lamp rod grommet mod for running thermo wires into the unit. Running the wires into the side of the smoker worked a lot better than through the lid, but still left me with the problem of where to put the electronic sending unit for my thermometers. So I started thinking about some kind of shelf.
The biggest hindrance was materials-- I am too cheap to go out and buy some plywood or other sheet good, and I didn't have any scraps that were big enough. My idea was to put 3/8" dowels vertically into the garage door handles (a nice snug fit), then use a piece of plywood to pass the dowels through. The trick being finding something thick enough to get a good purchase on the dowels while not being too heavy overall. And I was thinking that weather resistance would be nice, too.
About a month ago, I was at the lumberyard buying some PVC trim for a project. I asked about some scraps of 5/4 stock (1 inch actual thickness), and the dude was nice enough to give me a nice-sized chunk of the stuff (really nice, since this stuff is really expensive). Way more than I needed for my project, and then I remembered the WSM shelf project kicking around in the back of my head.
I took some luan plywood to make a template. Just laid the plywood out, then traced the arc of the middle section of the smoker on it. I free-handed a more elliptical arc beyond that so that my shelf would be wide enough without being too terribly heavy. Then cut it out with a saber saw. I tweaked the shape a little, and marked out the hole placement with a pencil passed through the handles from beneath. Once I liked the shape, I traced it onto my PVC and started cutting.
I left a good half-inch of airspace between the shelf and the cooker, though I'm still a little concerned about the shelf getting hot. It has stayed cool at temps up to 290, though, so we might be good. I'll keep an eye on it.
I'm not presenting this as some masterpiece, but as an idea-starter for anyone else who might be interested in improving on it. In retrospect, I think the whole thing is too heavy, and might be better built out of thinner material. Plywood would be lighter, and a 3/4" piece would be plenty thick. And I was even thinking that I could have just used my luan template with blocks of scrap plywood attached to give it more purchase on the dowels. A couple of coats of polyurethane or lacquer would give it enough protection for several seasons.
The biggest hindrance was materials-- I am too cheap to go out and buy some plywood or other sheet good, and I didn't have any scraps that were big enough. My idea was to put 3/8" dowels vertically into the garage door handles (a nice snug fit), then use a piece of plywood to pass the dowels through. The trick being finding something thick enough to get a good purchase on the dowels while not being too heavy overall. And I was thinking that weather resistance would be nice, too.
About a month ago, I was at the lumberyard buying some PVC trim for a project. I asked about some scraps of 5/4 stock (1 inch actual thickness), and the dude was nice enough to give me a nice-sized chunk of the stuff (really nice, since this stuff is really expensive). Way more than I needed for my project, and then I remembered the WSM shelf project kicking around in the back of my head.
I took some luan plywood to make a template. Just laid the plywood out, then traced the arc of the middle section of the smoker on it. I free-handed a more elliptical arc beyond that so that my shelf would be wide enough without being too terribly heavy. Then cut it out with a saber saw. I tweaked the shape a little, and marked out the hole placement with a pencil passed through the handles from beneath. Once I liked the shape, I traced it onto my PVC and started cutting.
I left a good half-inch of airspace between the shelf and the cooker, though I'm still a little concerned about the shelf getting hot. It has stayed cool at temps up to 290, though, so we might be good. I'll keep an eye on it.
I'm not presenting this as some masterpiece, but as an idea-starter for anyone else who might be interested in improving on it. In retrospect, I think the whole thing is too heavy, and might be better built out of thinner material. Plywood would be lighter, and a 3/4" piece would be plenty thick. And I was even thinking that I could have just used my luan template with blocks of scrap plywood attached to give it more purchase on the dowels. A couple of coats of polyurethane or lacquer would give it enough protection for several seasons.
