Ok so over the winter I buit a UDS(Ugly Drum Smoker) and have gotten the smoking bug. the UDS is great but has it limits. I want to build a side fire box rig. Nothing big, just using a 55 gallon drum or a 100 gallon propane tank. I have the design I want, but finding a food safe 55 gallon barrel is proving very hard without driving 3 or 4 hours (one way) to get it. However I can get 55 gallon drums that contained some type of motor oil, hydrolic(sp) fluid, or gas/diesel fuel. I also don't think it would be to hard to get a 100 gallon propane tank either....... but how do I clean either of those so that they are 1. safe to cut/weld on? 2. safe to cook food on. there seems to be great debate on how to prep the barrel or tank before you cut, and lets assume that the barrel does not have a removable lid. the general assumption is that after you get a big enough hole(one end chopped off, or openings for the lids cut), you can just put a bunch of wood and do a burn out or two of the barrel or tank, and this will burn out any unwanted residue left in the tank making it ready to smoke. I know these are popular to turn into smokers, but what does the beeb and its wealth of knowledge recommend? I have various air tools, jig saw, saber saw, and grinders/cutoff wheels, but no torches to cut with.
Drums are too thin IMO. Get the propane tank. Get a horizontal tank. Fill it with soapy water and let it sit for a few days and the smell will be gone and it will be safe to work on. Use a plasma cutter for the doors and use the cutouts trimmed with flat bar and the doors are done. I used a compressor tank for the fire box
