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If you are a traditional barbecue connoisseur like me, then this is your grill.
Don’t you love that smooth smoky flavor charcoal lends to all your grilled foods?
To make sure you have a grill that can handle the heavy season of barbecue parties
and get-togethers you’re planning, let’s talk a little bit about pulling this
project together.
This is a do-it-yourself welding project that won’t cost a fortune to build.
And, with the right equipment this project requires only one person with little
to no welding experience. A great start for the metal working hobbyist.
If you’ve never welded before, just practice for an hour or so on scrap metal.
To get started, I walked down to my workshop, eyed my trusty Lincoln Electric®
AC-225 stick welder, saw my tool box and smiled as the light bulb flashed above
my head. A large Texas grill, just like the one’s you see on TV was what I needed
for a season of fun filled barbecues. It wouldn’t require much – just an empty
liquid barrel (be sure it has not contained any flammable or harmful chemicals),
some pieces of angle iron, a grill of some sort, and maybe a couple of added touches!
You can see from the list of materials, tools you’ll need and the all important
safety equipment below – the trouble of where and how to get started on this great
project has been done for you. So what do you say – let’s get started!
- Strips of angle iron
- Lincoln Electric® Fleetweld®
35 (E6011) stick electrode
- Pair of 7” wheels with
bolts (Lawn Mower Wheels)
- A liquid barrel – IMPORTANT!
The barrel must be a liquid barrel that is sealed on both sides, but make
sure it has not contained any FLAMMABLE SUBSTANCES. You can pick one up from
a number of places and certain manufacturers may be willing to give you one
for free.
- 1" x 4" cedar board for
shelving.
- 3 3” butt hinges
- A handle – 1" strip
of steel and a 1” wood dowel
Once home, I prepared my tools. To complete this project the way I wanted,
I knew just what I needed, although there are a number of variations that I could
have used. See below
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Measure out the angle iron, keeping in mind that the BBQ should sit
about waist level. Placing each piece into your table clamp [see photo],
and cut through the angle iron with a jig saw. It should cut fairly easily.
Some of the cuts will need to be at 45° angles so that they fit properly against
opposing pieces. At this stage, you may want to form the metal strip for the handle
and cut the cedar planks to size for the side shelves.
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With all the pieces laid out, it’s time to start welding. Ventilation is
important so make sure you have the garage door or the windows open before you begin.
If you have a portable fan, turn that on too. Place the pieces that will make one-half
the BBQ on the floor and measure the angles and diagonals to ensure that the entire piece
is square. Place the Fleetweld® stick in the electrode holder and attach the ground clamp
to the work piece to complete the weld circuit. Set the amperage to 90 (an appropriate
setting for the type of electrode being used), and make a small tack weld to each of the
joints [see photo – notice the proper gear; a full-face welding helmet and the right gloves].
Repeat these steps for the back half of the frame.
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With the two halves welded, it is time to weld them together with the three cross
pieces [as in the photo]. In order to stand each half up independently, use a C-clamp with
a scrap piece of angle iron as a temporary kickstand for each half.
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Important – remember to repeat the measuring stage. Squaring off everything is
vital to ensure that you have a proper fit and that your BBQ will provide many seasons
of cooking pleasure. Measure the diagonals, vertical and horizontal line between ends
to be sure they are equal. Attach the ground clamp to the frame and make tack welds to
attach the crossbars to the front and rear frame.
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After all the tack welds are complete, remove the temporary kickstands and measure
the angles to be sure that they are square. Using tack welds allows you to easily separate
the pieces if the it out of square. Once you are sure the frame is square, weld over each joint,
completing the welds.
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With the frame complete, let’s move on to the barrel. Again, make sure that the liquid
barrel you’ve selected has not contained any flammable or chemical materials. The lid of the BBQ
should be a quarter section of the barrel. So, lay the barrel horizontally in the frame. Find the
center of the barrel with your measuring tape and mark off two chalk lines, intersecting in
the center of the circle. It should look like a cross hair at each end of the barrel, or a pie
sliced into four even pieces.
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Stand the barrel up in a vertical position, on a level surface. Use a chalk line to make
a mark down the length of the cross hair [see photo]. This will create a single segment from the
barrel.
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Once again, place the barrel in the frame. Using the jig saw, cut along the chalk line.
This will be the uppermost seam where the hinges will be placed.
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After completing the first cut, attach the hinges. It is much easier to attach the hinges
before making the second cut.
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After the hinges are attached, complete the remaining cuts with the jig saw, using chalk
lines as your guide. After completing the final cut, you will have a working lid that is properly
fitted. Remember that the edges are still rough, so be careful handling the barrel. Using a metal
file, dull the edges to prevent unintended injury to yourself or others.
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A flip hatch on one end of the BBQ will allow for easy removal of ash buildup. Be sure to
place the hatch on the opposite end of where the handle will go. This will make it easier to dump
the ash. You can use the Harris® Port-a-Torch, it’s easy to operate and slices through metal like
butter. It comes as a complete kit with everything you need. Put on your brazing goggles, rotate
the valves (acetylene at 4, oxygen at 40) and make the first cut [see photo]. Again, you may want
to attach the hinge before making the remainder of the cuts for the door.
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With the barrel complete, let’s move back to the frame and add some of the final touches.
First, set the frame on its side and chalk off a point at the bottom leg opposite of where the
handle will go. This is where you place the wheels. Drill a pilot hole and then drill a full ½”
hole in the two legs. Once this is complete, slide the bolts through the holes, slide on the wheels,
and secure a nut to the opposite side to hold it in place.
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Remember the cedar shelving? Well now it’s time to work on the frame for the shelving.
After all, this is where you will be doing your BBQ prep-work. Lay the pieces on the ground and
measure the same as in Step 2, making sure your measurements are square, then tack weld the shelf
frame together.
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 Now it’s time to weld the shelf frame to the main BBQ. But wait! You will need something
to hold it in place. Similar to the handy tip used in Step 3, use a piece of scrap angle iron and
your C-clamp and secure the shelf frame to the upper area of the main frame [see photo]. This creates
a temporary shelf, allowing you to weld one side to the main frame. Repeat on opposite side.
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IMPORTANT: make sure that the shelf is level. You may have to use a wedge to prop it in
place from underneath. Here’s another handy tip – a stick electrode doubles as a great wedge because
it can be adjusted by bending it.
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During this step you will find out why a liquid barrel works best for this project. A liquid
barrel is capped on both ends. This added bonus provides a threaded hole for our chimney. By attaching
a standard 2” elbow pipe and screwing the whole piece into the opening, you have a simple, but very
effective chimney.
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As for the handle, this gets attached just above the lower horizontal seam. First screw the
metal strip you made earlier in Step 1 into the barrel lid. As a second step, put the dowel between
the two ends of the strip and secure it with a screw at each end. Wood is a great choice of
material for a handle, because it is only a moderate conductor of heat and will not be too hot
to the touch.
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You will need two pieces for the grill. Consider using some expanded
stainless steel cut to size, or you can pick up a grill grate or rack from
your local home improvement store. Or you can use the grill off an old BBQ.
One word of caution - be sure the grill is not painted. Use a smaller piece
to set in low to hold the charcoal and allow the ash to fall through. Use a
larger piece that will sit up higher and will act as the cooking surface.
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As a final step, paint the entire BBQ (not the grill surfaces or cedar shelving) with
high temperature paint. It will provide a great finish and insurance against rust and weather
damage. When the paint is dry, place the cedar boards into the shelving frame and the grates
inside and presto!
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Now you’re ready for some serious BBQ.
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Safety Equipment:
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Fabrication tools:
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- Long sleeve cotton shirt
– don’t wear polyester!
- Safety glasses
- Welding helmet or face
shield
- Welding gloves
- Brazing goggles
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- Lincoln Electric® AC-225
Stick Welder
- Jig Saw or Sabre Saw
- Harris® Port-a-Torch (oxy-acetylene
cutter)
- C-clamps
- Measuring tape
- Combination square
- Hammer
- 4” grinder
- Framing / Carpenter Square
- Chipping Hammer
- Wire Brush
- A small fan to move fumes
out of the garage.
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Related Articles and Information:
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Arc Welding Safety
Arc Welding Fundamentals
How to Strike and Establish
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Creating High Quality Stick Welds:
A User's Guide
Learn more about the AC-225 stick welder.
View Lincoln®'s stick electrode product line for mild and low alloy steel.
This
project has been published to show how individuals used their ingenuity
for their own needs, convenience and enjoyment. Only limited details are
available and the projects have NOT been engineered by the Lincoln Electric
Company. Therefore, when you use the ideas for projects of your own, you
must develop your own details and plans and the safety and performance
of your work is your responsibility.
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