Atcheson Topeka and the Santa Fe

[stoneaxe]

Funny how we both like working with scrap....almost everything I've done lately is with recycled wood. I love taking stuff that's discarded and making something worthwhile out of it.

[jrandy]

Did you two have a close family member who was a 'scrapper' or DIY'er?

I saw this, is it about what you are aiming for?
https://www.texasmonthly.com/food/smoked-brisket/

I would fail the second discipline for not drinking enough and the third discipline trying to multitask...

[PonoBill]

Nope. My dad like to do woodwork, but did it infrequently. Our grandfather, who died before we were born, was a master carpenter. My uncles were, as far as I know, mechanically untalented and prone to buy instead of build.

Yes, AT&SF will be a Franklin-style barbeque with an offset firebox. But I have no plans to tend it for eight hours, it will be automated. And it will include a cold smoke section for doing Salmon.

[TallDude]

And it will include a cold smoke section for doing Salmon.

That's what I'm talking about. When I read this a funny childhood memory came back to me. We used to drive our Cortez motorhome up the north for summer trips. We new we were in Oregon when we saw the 'Smoked Salmon' for sale on the roadside. My brother and I would yell at our dad to stop. He always did because he's an even bigger Salmon lover than us. Sitting in the back of our motorhome, watching all the trees go by, smelling the pine trees and eating smoked Salmon. Great times

[PonoBill]

Firebox and cold smoker. The cold smoker will be the longer end. I think this is either a 200 or 250 gallon propane tank. I bought both the big guy and this one for 85 bucks. I'm tempted to turn the longer one into a Minion. Gotta love that plasma torch.

[Weasels wake]

I have no plans to tend it for eight hours, it will be automated.

Boy, after seeing what you're doing to Fritz, I can believe that, you'll probably turn over the cooking to Alexa.  It will be interesting to see how she does. 
"She" now I'm doing it, people referring to Alexa with a human pronoun, yikes.

[stoneaxe]

Bill forgets..... …...Dad maintained and improved the old family house we lived in in Allston. He didn't have much $ to work with and the house was owned by my aunt but he did a lot of DIY work to keep the house in decent shape.

Bill also left before Dad built the house our parents retired into....it was actually a pre-fab shell but he did all the finish work, plumbing, and most of the wiring.  Dad was into laminate though...which was the in thing in the 70's. Lot's of built ins...if you stood still too long he was running a trim router around you. It wasn't until he retired and had a decent shop that he could do anything. Bill didn't see much of it. He did do nice work and built a lot of furniture too. He also forgets our Mom...who did very well making do and stretching stuff out with 5 kids when $ was tight.....sewing clothes, knitting, crocheting, reupholstering furniture....Mom could be looking at you carrying on a conversation while a complicated irish cable knit sweater came magically out of her hands.... . My wife still has a beautiful cowl hooded one she made her 35 years ago.

[Tom]

Never mind, I can't post the picture

[SlatchJim]

AT&SF: Ahrs, Thermometer and Smoking Flesh... Every acronym needs a basis in reality.

Bill, while my inner Tim Allen appreciates the over-engineering involved in this project, Is there any way I can turn a backyard Weber BBQ into a smoker without getting my PE?

[PonoBill]

In a word, no. But you can buy some simple separate firebox smokers. The guy next door to my shop has smoked a lot of meat with a two hundred buck Dynaglow. Of course, he's paying close attention to my construction efforts and has offered his help whenever I need something heavy lifted (it's a big concrete company, he's got a lot of gear)