How to Make a Smoker Grill

To build a smoker grill you will need an inexpensive wire feed welder and salvage materials for the frame. Pipes and rebar work fine for a homemade smoker grill. Wire feed welders can be found at most hardware and home improvement stores. You can usually become proficient enough for light welding with about an hour’s practice.

First design your smoker grill on paper. Decide where the doors will go, where the vents will be, how the frame will fit together and where and how the grills will be mounted in the grill. Make sure you have the proper materials to complete your plans. Any type of sheet metal will work for a grill, including a barrel, as long as it is not galvanized metal. If you do not want to do the sheet metal work yourself, have a local shop do it for you. Make sure to get enough sheet metal to build the smoke chamber and the fire box.

Lay out the pieces for the frame. Weld them together to build the frame. Cut the hole where you want the lid to be. A piano hinge can be fitted to hinge the door to the grill. Sheet metal screws or pop rivets can be used to attach the hinge. Wooden handles are good for grills because they do not get too hot to touch. You can attach them to the lid of your grill with bolts. Use spacers between the handle and the grill. Brass spacers look and work nicely.

Chimney pipe is perfect for your smoke chimney. The lids of a soup can make good dampers for a homemade grill. Water pipe can be used to connect the fire box to the smoke chamber. Once the fire box is attached you can paint the exterior of the grill. When the paint has thoroughly dried, build a good, hot fire in the fire box. This will burn off any sediment left on the sheet metal or in the barrel. Do not try to cook on it just yet.

After the fire is burning nicely, check for any gaps or leaks that need to be sealed. After the fire has cooled, coat the interior of the grill with cooking oil. This will seal the exterior and protect the grill. It also helps to prevent rust. For the grills, stainless steel grills from an old unit can be cleaned and used. When the stainless steel grills are in place, you are ready to use your new homemade grill.