Saturday Night Special 130 

I already have the shirt, came today in the mail. Looks great! Bought one for a customer of mine who is a retired machinist. I noticed his lathe and Bridgeport, so I asked if he watched RU-vid and he said Abom was his favorite!

Adam, many years ago when I was cooking all day like you are, I built a burn pan, it was just sheet metal, 5 foot square with about 4 inch sides. I was cooking with mesquite, oak and cherry. I would build a fire in the pan and move the coals to the pit as needed to increase temp. Much easier to control the temp. like that. open the lid, put in some coals that were past flaming and smoking, close the pit. very little heat loss. Keep the great videos coming. I am a shade tree machinist, hobby lathe in the garage. I pick up lots of pointers from you guru's

Every video I watch has the great feel of a PBS program. It's perfect. Nice work .

Adam, as you have probably already discovered, the insides of infernal combustion engines are mostly hollow. There is about 1/2" or less of steel or aluminum and then the water jacket space. If you try to counterbore that intake manifold you are almost certainly going to go into the water jacket on every one of the bores. Cutting out the web between the intake ports on the 4-bbl adapter plate is probably the only safe way to go.

Hi Adam, we used to smoke fish, cold smoking not hot as you are doing, and we used saw dust, about a cereal bowls worth, lit with a blow torch I think. We used to sweep up before sawing or planing Oak, and then sweep up when the Oak was done. The smoker was built of wood, about 18 inches by 24 inches by 72 inches tall. We used to get Hickory chips to put on charcoal in ordinary BBQs so I think you are on the right track, small pieces of the smoke wood on the hot coals. You will enjoy finding what works best for you I'm sure :-) All the best and thanks.

Adam, great photos of your work fabricating the hydraulic rod clevis and especially the set-up for the cutting the split. Love hearing about your BBQ experiments and improvements. Keep up your interesting and instructive videos. Regards, Paul

I would love watching you make a smoker. machining and BBQ, 2 hobby's combined, cant be better then that. GREAT SNS!

I can appreciate that bandsaw slitting saw, that is how I usually have to do it since I don't have any slitting saws. I love the flavor from sugar maple smoke. Since my farm is from the old ways I actually have a smoke house for smoking and curing meat. I think the key to using wood is to get the fire going then starve it for air so it just smolders and smokes. If you are getting a lot of dark smoke with the air down then your wood maybe too dry. I thought I was smoked this afternoon when I was working in the barn/shop on the loft when it took a direct lightning strike, made me jump!!

Hi Adam, I'm the one who sent you the cork seals. I have a video of them being cut on my channel Great SNS as always. Thanks

Adam, you hit the nail on the head about cooking with wood. From what I've seen over the years the 'pros' use small wood chips (not sawdust ) and they soak them in water beforehand and they use one of those throw-away aluminum trays to hold the chips over the coals. I'm thinking that might help with the acrid smoke that you talked about when you first got started. Of course, based on past experience, cooking with charcoal can get a bit tricky as well, but once the coals ash-over the temperature is a little more stable for smoking. I love a good pulled pork sandwich but I'm a bit of a dufus with the smoking element so I leave the cooking to the oven instead.

Hey Adam, if you look on your larger pistol grip air nozzle, it has a smaller "hook" on it further forward on the nozzle itself, you could probably use that to hang it on your new tray.

Adam, one trick to keep the wood from over smoking is to make sure it is dry. I live in Florida as well and our 9 month rainy season always leaves any wood stored outside wet. If you split the wood with the grain (small axe) into thin strips and store under your porch it will help. It will also help control the heat during cooking.

Abom, i love how you stand to your fans (and how they stand to you). greetings from a fan without racecar from Germany, love your channel, carry on!

Hey Adam.. I hope this reaches you in time. That intake has EGR chamber around the factory port holes.. that is what is hollow when you drilled.. if you counter bore the new intake ports you only have about .250" before you hit the open pocket....

I have that Edge Tool Tray and I perforated the bottom with holes so it's easy to clean out chips and to serve as hanger for my drawbar wrench and air pistol.

Speaking of barbeque... Some butcher shops do what is called "Infusion Marinating" here, maybe other names in other places, but the idea is that the meat and marinade is placed into a vacuum chamber, and then they pull all the air out.; This helps physically tenderize the meat, and also lets the marinade gets further inside the meat that way. Our local butcher shop does that with Tri-Tip. I've done it in my vacuum chamber with ribs as well, and just the vacuum for a few hours makes the ribs less tough.

Pecan wood is great, nice smoke.

Adam, Building a smoker sounds like an awesome project for the channel. Lots of little extra details you can add just for the fun of it.

he seems like a real nice and honest guy

My dog does the same thing, especially in the snow after our first powder. Just goes nuts.

Awesome episode! Great variety in this one.

If you put the wood on top of the fire box to pre heat before putting it on the the fire . it helps it light faster and burn cleaner

More great stuff....I swear the production quality just keeps going up! I too would love to see a smoker project.

Adam, those could be water/cooling jackets that you tapped into on that manifold. Not sure if you cut those intake runners yet, but you may want to check that out before you cut them. Not sure runners would work to get the fuel into the cylinders efficiently, could cause all sorts of problems with fuel/air mixture. On another note, smoker build sounds like a great idea, you should build two and raffle one off to help support channel, know there would be a ton of people that would be in on idea of owning a Abom smoker.

really nice Adam,let's see that smoker build

I can almost smell it. Thanks for your videos.

70kirkster makes some great smokers and with your mad skills I am sure you would make a killer pit.

Those tie-rod ends are a LITTLE big for the race car Adam! :-) Hydraulic ram eye's are huge! Bet they can support a few tonnes. Good Job Adam. Almost time to hit the hay and you fire up the BBQ. Dammit!!!

Haha, spot on on the automotive stuff! I was a car mechanic for 15 years before I got to my senses and quit...

best smoker ive ever run across was made out of a huge boiler that was salvaged out of an old hotel that was built back in the 1880's. this thing was 10ft long n 6ft in diameter with a 3ft 6in step down smoker box. it had thermometers ever 3ft mounted onto the counter weighted lids (3 of them) it was made from 1/2in rolled steel n just 3 sticks of wood would last 6 hours n keep it at 200 degrees from end to end. the most I ever smoked on it was 17 full sized briskets, 8 racks of ribs n I hung 35 pounds of sausage from the hooks that were welded to the under sides of the lids n there was still about a 3rd of the room left in it. god I miss that smoker. I used a combo of misquite n pecan woods...2 misquite n 1 pecan n the meat turned out perfect. for a rub I used olive oil, black pepper, salt n lemon juice. (fresh squeezed lemon juice not that bottled crap)lemon on first to open the pores on the meat, then olive oil, then the salt n fresh cracked black pepper. we sold out every weekend we were open n never had a single complaint.

The bandsaw slitting trick is genius. I'll have to remember that one

Some people think it's a cheat, but I like using a computer for the smoker. Using a fan to adjust the intake air based on the ambient temp in the smoker will easily overcome the variability in the wood burn. It's like CNC smoking!

There is a wee hook on the pistol grip air nozzle that would hook on the tray.

Hey, I just got a shirt with a big dude on the back holding a wrench. Looks great! The front pocket looks sharp too.

If you make the smoker big enough you could smoke at least a six pack of steers on that rotary welding table rotisserie........ Also, an eyebolt in that t-slot on the front of the table would make an abom hose hanger...The shelf seems a little light duty for the airhose, plus that little hook on the bottom of the pistol grip will smash the calipers right in the face if you drill the hole where you mentioned.

Hello Adam, great video as always. If you have not bored the holes I would suggest you let them know what you found. If my perception is correct they also assumed that whole tower was solid before they asked you to machine the bores for the adapter plate. IF, and only if I'm correct they will appreciate it and might change the way they go about this. There is a high possibility that ALL except those two port holes is hollow, this means that as soon as you hit the shallow depth at which you drilled through you will make ugly useless holes that will ruin this intake. Might be better off milling the whole top off and welding in a new thicker top to mount the adapter to, or maybe just cut the new top to match the adapter pattern. Just my two cents since I was a mechanic for over 30 years and I know the turbulence created by those holes could cause starvation of one or more cylinders.

If you drill a hole large enough for your air nosel handle to fit through near the end of your caliper the handle should hold on the Edge rest.

Adam, I learned the hard way also on how to keep the heat consistent using charcoal and just wood for a bit of flavor/smoke. Try the Kingston brown bag charcoal. Totally different taste than the blue bag and I think it cooks a bit hotter. Try a chimeny starter also - they work and I have not used anything else to start charcoal in 20+ years. Another modification to your grill to make the heat and smoke consistent from right to left is to extend the chimney below the level of the meat with an aluminum flex line. There are a couple RU-vid videos on it. The videos will explain it better than I can, and it works.

Nice SNS Adam. Thanks for your videos. Please post some follow up on that manifold when they put it on the Rat Rod. I have my doubts that they will get it to flow and be able to tune it to run very easily.

really nice combo, machine work and smoking bbq-ing man , it's a man's world..

Abom I am over in Baldwin County.I think I hear rain hitting your roof lol. We might have to build boats if it doesn't stop soon. Three days straight here.

You may want to try a smoke technique where you smoke it for 2 to 3 hours in the smoker then put it in you oven for the remainder of the time where you can get accurate temperature control without needing to tend the fire. After a couple of smoke hours the roast is not going to absorb much more smoke. I do ribs this way after, smoking for a couple of hours I put them in my oven at 220 or what ever, wrapped in Al foil to keep them moist for the balance of the cooking time. I do open the foil up for the last 30 to 40 minutes to dry out the bark. Craig

The issue you were having with the real oak is that it isn't seasoned right yet. It all needs to be split and stacked at least two years before it will be dry enough use in the bbq

That is all water jacket around the two barrel openings.

Nice projects but Dang, now I gotta start considering s smoker/BBQ'er/Grill machine too. Those pork roasts look awesome...

great video. I owe you some pictures of the charcoal baskets will get them to you this week. also I got another modification you need for your smoker. I will send it to you.

Drilling the hole will work great for that air gun, Keep up the great work Adam

I know - 2016.. Why not take a Lifting EYE and drill in the thread for a T nut and bolt and hang in the eye. Pecan, Cherry are wonderful. Oak is a bit harsh. Big Box stores have bags of the types. I burn some Plum. Different food takes to different wood.

i do software development, but my real vocation was to be building things.Watching these videos make me live my should-have -been- life by proxy.

Hey Adam, there is hook under the barrel of that larger air gun. Try hanging it from that hook. I think that hook would sit on top of your caliper if you make a hole where you thought it would work. Just sayin.... LOL Good segment my friend! Fred

Mill caddy: How about either an ali plate with a suitable hole in it fixed to the base of the caddy so it sticks out one end, or a U-bolt plus four nuts fixed to upstand at one end?

Anyone remember in the "Spirit of St. Louis" movie where they cooked fish on a piece of metal using an oxy-acc. torch. Now that was a combo of machine work and BBQ.

agree with touch&go be careful. look to see if intake has water ports.

for the best results with real wood is to use 1x1 chunks a few at a time over natural charcoal

We usually have a fire pit with a fire and shovel just the red hot coals into the smoker, it regulates real well with the hardwood smoke flavor.

Nice find! Thanks Adam...Aloha, Chuck

I like the Abom sized snap ring pliers. Great mix this week.

Wikipedia has a good article on charcoal [en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charcoal ]. Check out the section on Types. I was surprised by what is in some forms of commercial charcoal in the form of additives and binders. You might change your mind about which kinds you buy for smoking and BBQing.

Would be neat to see you tackle a smoker/bbq unit. There's nothing to replace good old fashion DIY regardless of how much money you pay for a bought unit. There's always something to improve, polish, give a personal touch. And the charcoal pit sure needs improvement, i've never been satisfied with how they work, always something that's not 90%, be it ashes, air intake, distribution, output.

Hi Adam, Greetings from SOUTH Florida. Just a comment on your live oak. That is the fuel they use in the Central Coast region of California. It is used just for heat on their BBQ's; not for smoke. Their meat is usually beef cooked over a very hot fire. No sauces or other sweet stuff. Just a little different--not necessarily better.Harv Kidder

Adam, you gotta get the old "Booth Machine Shop" sign out of the weather and hung up inside the shop!

The ray tech, (infrared thermometer), would be a handy BBQ tool too. just sayin'.

you have to adjust the vent on. for good smoke control

I can't hardly wait to get my shirt.

great job adam. well done.

Adam, check out the Mill Caddy on the Edge website..it looks like it mounts under the Mill Organizer using the same hardware and has a place for the pistol blower and a hammer, etc. w/out modifying the organizer.

I’m no master mechanic but...that looked like putting a 3” straw in a 2” sippy cup!

I have a smoker like yours and I added a smoke tray which is just a heavy metal plate that forces the smoke to pass under the meat and then back over the top. I was hoping you would consider building a serious smoker!

ABOM before you rethink a smoker, it does not have to be that difficult or expensive. Envision a outhouse ( for scale ) without that purpose of course. Turkey Burner, Cast Iron Kettle with a top and propane for a source of heat and fruit wood of your choice.

smoker project would be amazing

great SNS 130 Adam , We enjoyed .. Thanks man !

Still watching the video but that hollow spot is a water jacked to heat the intake.

The iPhone footage was great, especially good for reading the DTIs.

Hey Adam, you probably know you can buy wood chips, but if you use your wood and cut into small chips. I am not 100% sure but they have to be soaked in water first and then throw them on the coals to give the smoke. Anyway nice video. You are right about vacuum leak just add Teflon tape or the spread on type and then no leak ( was a auto tech for 20+years ) Boy that pork looks mighty good. Enjoy Dave

Hey Adam, how about microwaving the oak battens for a couple of minutes to drive all the moisture out before burning it? That might solve your problem. You'll probably start them smouldering internally or spontaneously igniting in the oven which would be a cool video to watch! Not sure the other half would appreciate it though so best get a second hand microwave for outside? I also noticed that you didn't notice the small hook on the pistol grip air gun. I bought the Edge Technology mill tramming indicator years ago and it's a beautifully engineered piece.

Enjoyed it.

Did you ever help run a boiler at one of your old iron shows that you like running one of those cookers is very similar to what you have to do on that boiler it requires constant attention when you start your fire let it burn down till the smoke stops before you put your meat in then maintain it with a log every once in a while , try that and see how it works for you

Hi Adam! Instead of drilling a hole in the bottom for your air, might I suggest putting a U bolt or something like it on the side of the dish?

I see a Goodwins logo on that racecar shirt!! If they built his motor, its highly probably my buddy Evan either built it or dyno'd it! Small world.

Nice SNS Adam. There was a guy I used to work with who smoked tuna all the time. It was really good. I asked him about the smoker, to my surprise he said it was an electric one.

as always I love your content Adam. as far as that intake manifold goes I have no idea why someone would try to put a 4 barrel card on a Tbi 4.3. I can't see how that would run properly with such air flow issues. but you are just doing what the customer asks. keep up with the great content!

This is off subject. But huge collection of K&T parts from the old Navy Ship Yard. Including an Abom sized rotary table(25"). Near Tom Lipton country.Put out the word? Not affiliated with the post.

Follow your probes they are numbered. Meat looks great

That intake manifold is from a GM 4.3 v6 throttle body engine.

Like your show Adam. Have been machining for 30 years and smoking meat for just as long.

seems like the plastic tool holder could be a poor place for a caliper with possible fluids and hot chips flying.

Feels good to hear you say 12 mil like it rolls off your tongue. haha Cheers Troy

Adam you are are a fair dinkum nice bloke and a credit to your parents and I am bestowing on you the highest honor I can think of---I am making you an honorary Aussie..regards E

Nice SNS this week. I liked that machining of the eye. The roasts looked good. I hope you mom is over what she had.

Don't mill out the intake whatever you do, you'l be straight through the side wall of the intake and into the water jacket, then its goodbye manifold.

Try the hook on the front of pistol grip

That hollow area might be for cooling? Ido if any coolant head up that high but it might. Idk

You know this is probably an absolutely stupid question but when you're cutting threads on the lathe and you're making multiple passes how does the machine start the threads at the same point every time as you take the feed in and out of gear is the chuck timed to the gearcase?

Adam... what about the hook on the front of your favorite blowgun? You should not hang it from the trigger handle.

Adam, Smoker is looking good!!!

Why not use the hook on the nozzle of your pistol-grip air nozzle to hang on the caddy instead of using the handle? That hook looks nearly like the handle stop on the small-grip nozzle.

Hi Abom! Unlike 99.99% of all other youtube channels, I like your intro/outro/bumper music. Who does the acoustic music on the intro on this vid? Thanks man!

The mill caddy is a nice idea, but does it stick up above the top of the table? Probably shouldn't?

Interesting manifold modification. How did it work out when put on the car? Keep on keeping on.

I would suggest that a plate be made to transition between the new plate and the manifold where the passages combine. I am no expert but it would seem reasonable. I hope what the customer wanted doesn't ruin the manifold.