# homemade Smoker



## Joel (Mar 3, 2005)

Michael, you have way too much time on your hands! Post the pictures when you get it done please.


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## MichaelW (Jun 1, 2005)

putting the brackets on to hold the bellows was easy. I'm using some copper rivets. Freebies. The smoke spout seems to be the crux. I made a cardboard one for a "pattern" but its still difficult. Looks like time-vs.-savings will pan out to about minumum wage if that. 

Luckily as Joel says I have plenty of time on my hands. Usually about 40hrs a week. The only problem with it is I can't leave this building. Teh-hee-hee


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## MichaelW (Jun 1, 2005)

Smoker is done. Sorry my digital camera is in the shop. They're telling us up to 6 months. Those waranties are a rip off. I'll get around to posting photos when I get my 35mm developed. Its not much to look at anyway, but..
It works great! At first I was discouraged because the amount of smoke produced was WAY to much. I was thinking I'd just put it up until the Africanized invasion. But a smoker insert saved the day! The top sits on like an upside down funnel sitting on a can so smoke leaks out the side too but thats OK. I like some smoke in the air to get the flying bees.

It took just under 3 hrs. Probably could whip another one out in less than one hour. Its that darn research and development that slows you down.


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## Sundance (Sep 9, 2004)




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## Dick Allen (Sep 4, 2004)

What did you use for bellows?


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## MichaelW (Jun 1, 2005)

The bellows was 2 pieces of 3/4 inch wood cut larger then a standard bellows. Hinged at the bottom with two old springs attached at the top. I then duct taped it up!







Duct tape worked well to repair my old bellows so I'm hoping it will hold up. I reversed some tape on the interior so that it would not stick together when smoking. For the air to come out, I drilled a hole and put a piece of metal pipe in it, just like a standard bellows. Cut the end of the pipe in 4 slices, fold them out, again use our friend DUCT TAPE to make a seal! Hammer the pipe in until it rests up against the "flairing" slices.

Using some material for the bellows would be good, then maybe seal it with duct tape. I was impatient at this point so I skipped the material. There is an art to rigging things up.


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## Dick Allen (Sep 4, 2004)

A real scavenger! I'm impressed! Keep up the good work!


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## George Fergusson (May 19, 2005)

I was going to build a smoker one of these days- For the bellows I was going to use Naugahide- it's flexible, durable, and waterproof. I know the Naugas are an endangered species but that doesn't stop car manufacturers from upolstering cars with the stuff.

Curing Naugahide is tedious. It's a lot simpler to take a razor knife and cut out a section from the back seat of your car, or, someone else's car.

George-


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## NW IN Beekeeper (Jun 29, 2005)

Flavored coffee cans - Hazlenut or French Vanilla is good, are really nice (Nice Rounded edges). Sand off the label and it's a good as retail. 

Ravioli cans with pull tops are a great insert cans (also have nice rounded edges). Just pull the label and their shinny finished. Insert can should be hung for ventilation - screws or wired.

1" copper pipe through a hole drilled in the outer coffe can makes a great bellows port. 

Have not figured a great method for designing the top cover to be removable/refillable (maybe some stainless steel flashing with a little hinge or snap springs?

The naugahide is great idea for bellows material as is old bean-bag material, or soft-sided luggage (my garbage day is Tueday in town amazing what you can find in an evening!)


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## MichaelW (Jun 1, 2005)

The cone/cover is the most difficult part. To get it done and have it be functional, don't worry about a good seal around the can, it works well without it. To make it look nice and fancy you need to be a "smithy". I used copper split rivits to attach all my tin pieces. They worked great. 

I saw a mini-smoker on the internet that used a can like an old prince albert can, where the lid is removeable and seals. The guy attached a piece of copper pipe on the lid for the smoke to come out. Finding a large can like this would be the way to go. Looked nice too.


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## crazydude (May 29, 2005)

cant wait to see some pics!


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## Les Evans (Aug 25, 2005)

Hi Michael,
Any pictures yet?

Does anybody know any good sites that show how to make a smoker? 

Thanks


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## power napper (Apr 2, 2005)

Couple years ago I could not for the life of me find my smoker (now I have two) and needed one quickly. Found a gallon coffee can with plastic lid, punched or drilled two holes into the plastic lid and inserted two pieces of plastic hose, one to blow into the other to guide where the smoke goes. Lit a fire, stuffed with dry white pine needles and replaced the lid with the hoses, finished my task. Wish I had taken pictures.


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## MichaelW (Jun 1, 2005)

Finally, my camera has been repaired and here are some pics!

http://web.utk.edu/~wu4you/My%204%20Acres/beekeeping/extraction.htm#smoker


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## Sundance (Sep 9, 2004)

Wild MW, simply wild.


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## notaclue (Jun 30, 2005)

COOOOOLLL!!!


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## MichaelW (Jun 1, 2005)

Back by popular demand, home made smoker pics

http://my4acres.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=69&Itemid=87


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## berkshire bee (Jan 28, 2007)

*homemade smoker forum?*

http://s182.photobucket.com/albums/x222/berkshirebee/homemade bee smoker/

I've posted this in the past but thought you might like to see it
I used 2 cans, one that fit inside the other. The copper pipe that acts as the air intake holds the inside can off the bottom for air flow. I made the bellows out of some thin plywood and scrap leather. I wasn't too creative with the spout. Just a copper elbow and a couple of short pcs. I've used it for the last 4 years (on 8 hives last year) and it serves the purpose and never fails to be a conversation starter

here's a link to more photos if I did it right
http://s182.photobucket.com/albums/x222/berkshirebee/homemade bee smoker/


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## magnet-man (Jul 10, 2004)

*Best homemade smoker I have seen.*

I must say that is the best smoker I have seen. I really like the the printing on the can, it gives it a very old timers look. :applause: You have inspired me to try my hand a making a smoker.  Fist thing to do is to find a cool printed can!


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