Let's Talk BBQ

Outdoor Cooking Equipment => Grills & Smokers => Homebuilt & Modified Cookers => Topic started by: Wingman on June 09, 2014, 09:36:34 AM

Title: Another fabrication involving a General... or, it was time something was done
Post by: Wingman on June 09, 2014, 09:36:34 AM: I’ve had my MAK 1-Star for a little over a year now and it was always my intention to make my own bottom shelf because I am so cheap and it’s easy to say, “I can make that.” But you know how intentions can go. Anyway, I finally said enough is enough with the storing of the pellet buckets under the grill on the deck and built the darn thing. I while back my kid was throwing out an old steel bed frame so I grabbed it thinking good raw materials for a future project. So my cost in the thing is for the expanded steel and paint which is supposed to be a hammered finish look which hides imperfections. Oh yeah, needed a lot of that. Total cost was about $30. I wanted the shelf to be the depth of the grill and low enough to put plastic pellet buckets on without worrying about heat issues. I’m posting it here because it might give others ideas. Thanks for looking.

Dean

(http://www.deansmiley.com/Files/MAK/shelf_installed.jpg)

(http://www.deansmiley.com/Files/MAK/shelf.jpg)

(http://www.deansmiley.com/Files/MAK/shelf_pellets.jpg)
Title: Re: Another fabrication involving a General... or, it was time something was done
Post by: sliding_billy on June 09, 2014, 09:47:34 AM: Excellent job. I would never know that it wasn't a factory job.
Title: Re: Another fabrication involving a General... or, it was time something was done
Post by: squirtthecat on June 09, 2014, 09:52:35 AM: Nice!
Title: Re: Another fabrication involving a General... or, it was time something was done
Post by: Las Vegan Cajun on June 09, 2014, 10:21:55 AM: Looks like a professional installation, you should start an after market business for these things. ;)
Title: Re: Another fabrication involving a General... or, it was time something was done
Post by: drholly on June 09, 2014, 02:05:59 PM: Quote from: Las Vegan Cajun on June 09, 2014, 10:21:55 AM
Looks like a professional installation, you should start an after market business for these things. ;)

X2!
Title: Re: Another fabrication involving a General... or, it was time something was done
Post by: Smokerjunky on June 09, 2014, 02:14:25 PM: PERFECTION!!!!!!! I really like the mesh shelf as opposed to a solid that will collect "Stuff". Great workmanship!
Title: Re: Another fabrication involving a General... or, it was time something was done
Post by: tnjimbob on June 09, 2014, 03:32:34 PM: That looks awesome! Many pellet grills only have a bottom shelf as an extra cost option, and frankly they need a bottom shelf for stability, as well as storage. Great job!
Title: Re: Another fabrication involving a General... or, it was time something was done
Post by: ACW3 on June 09, 2014, 03:46:14 PM: Dean,
That is a great job of adding the bottom shelf. Well thought out and implemented.

Art
Title: Re: Another fabrication involving a General... or, it was time something was done
Post by: Wingman on June 09, 2014, 04:04:17 PM: Thanks for the complements, guys. But trust me, I'm no welder.

Quote from: tnjimbob on June 09, 2014, 03:32:34 PM
That looks awesome! Many pellet grills only have a bottom shelf as an extra cost option, and frankly they need a bottom shelf for stability, as well as storage. Great job!

I agree, with this exception. The MAK 1 legs are so rigid that no extra support is needed on this cooker. This shelf just rests on the legs. It will lift right out like the OEM one.
Title: Another fabrication involving a General... or, it was time something was done
Post by: Pappymn on June 09, 2014, 04:12:37 PM: Come up with a nice front shelf next please. I'm too cheap to buy it.
Title: Re: Another fabrication involving a General... or, it was time something was done
Post by: squirtthecat on June 09, 2014, 04:23:33 PM: Did you add those extensions that the wheels are screwed into? My MAK #0 doesn't have those..
Title: Re: Another fabrication involving a General... or, it was time something was done
Post by: HighOnSmoke on June 09, 2014, 06:29:43 PM: Awesome mod!
Title: Re: Another fabrication involving a General... or, it was time something was done
Post by: Wingman on June 09, 2014, 07:05:13 PM: Quote from: squirtthecat on June 09, 2014, 04:23:33 PM
Did you add those extensions that the wheels are screwed into? My MAK #0 doesn't have those..

Yep. I did a writeup on another forum and since I don't know if I can post a link, I will just do a cut and paste.

When I was looking for a pellet grill I went to a dealer who had a 1 Star and a 2 Star side by side. One of the first things I noticed was the difference in cooking heights between the two with the 1 Star being 32” and the 2 Star being 35” which felt like the right height for me. The problem was that I really wanted the 1 Star, so that’s what I purchased with the intention of increasing its cooking height.
So this is how I made the 1 Star taller. I had a local machine shop make risers (spacers) that were 2 inches in diameter and 2.5” long with 3/8-16 holes in each end. I made 4 studs from bolts and screwed them into one end with Loctite. I was going to make them 3” long so the height would be the same as the 2 Star but my gasser is 34” tall so I split the difference. The risers make my cooking height 34.5”. The whole thing cost $60.

(http://www.deansmiley.com/Files/MAK/ready%20to%20install.jpg)
Title: Re: Another fabrication involving a General... or, it was time something was done
Post by: spuds on June 09, 2014, 07:59:52 PM: Quote from: Smokerjunky on June 09, 2014, 02:14:25 PM
PERFECTION!!!!!!! I really like the mesh shelf as opposed to a solid that will collect "Stuff". Great workmanship!
x2
Title: Re: Another fabrication involving a General... or, it was time something was done
Post by: CDN Smoker on June 09, 2014, 10:59:48 PM: All looks very well made ;D
Title: Re: Another fabrication involving a General... or, it was time something was done
Post by: Saber 4 on June 09, 2014, 11:04:39 PM: Excellent fabrication job.
Title: Re: Another fabrication involving a General... or, it was time something was done
Post by: muebe on June 09, 2014, 11:23:54 PM: Great mod!

Shelf looks great!
Title: Re: Another fabrication involving a General... or, it was time something was done
Post by: pz on June 10, 2014, 02:15:17 AM: Very nice, wingman - looks like it came that way from the factory, or at least, it should have