The following directions are from my first try at making a starter, and if you have
a better idea for something, by all means incorprate it into yours and send me an
e-mail. I'd love to hear of any improvements. Mine is very basic, but in un-scientific
testing (done by me) I can have 15-18 pounds of charcoal briquettes ashed over and ready
to throw in the firebox in about 20 minutes. That sure beats the heck out of 15 minutes
for approximately 2-3 pounds of charcoal from a smaller, store-bought chimney. I have also
found that due to the extremely high temperatures generated by preparing this much charcoal,
this chimney does not last very long. I got probably 8 or 9 serious BBQ sessions in before
the thing basically burnt up. I am in the process of putting together a prototype chimney made
from heavy duty steel well casing, but weight may become an issue. I'll keep you posted as I
build and test it..............
Tools Needed
Jigsaw or "Saws All"
Electric Drill
1 inch or 1 1/2 inch "Hole Saw" Drill Bit for Metal (You can find this at any hardware or home store)
Screwdriver
1 Can of Black Stove Paint or Other High Temperature Spray Paint
1 Metal 5 gallon bucket. This is not a galvanized "farm" bucket, but a bucket that I
believe at one time was for deck or fence stain. I don't know how well a regular bucket would work.
You obviously want to make sure that whatever was in the bucket has had a chance to burn off
before you use it for actual cooking, but it should burn off after the first test run.
8-10 sheet metal screws
Something to make a side handle out of. I used the handle from my old store bought charcoal starter,
however, it is a bit flimsy and I would suggest coming up with your own better idea.
Directions
Turn the bucket upside down and, using a jigsaw with a metal cutting blade, cut the bottom of the bucket out. Then take the round bottom that you have just cut out and use the drill with the "hole saw" drill bit to cut 8-12 holes in the bottom round piece.
Take the main body of the bucket and use a pair of pliers to fold in any rough, sharp edges from where you have cut the bottom out. Then, Using your drill and hole saw bit again, drill 1 inch or 1 1/2 inch holes all the way around the bottom of the body of the bucket. These will serve as your air holes to allow air circulation under the charcoal briquettes when you are starting them. Space these holes approximately 1 to 2 inches apart around the entire perimeter of the bottom of the bucket.
Use the pliers to fold over any rough edges on the round bottom piece that you cut out. Then place the round bottom back inside the bucket just above the air holes that you cut around the outside of the bucket. Use the sheet metal screws, alternating just above and just below the bottom section to hold it in place, approximately 2 to 3 inches above the actual bottom of the bucket.
Then attach your handle to the side of the charcoal chimney with sheet metal screws and you should be about ready to fire this baby up! One thing to keep in mind is that if the bucket you use has a plastic grip on the swinging bucket handle, it's probably a good idea to remove it somehow if possible. Mine got very hot, and in fact ended up melting the first time I ran some charcoal through it.
As I said previously, this chimney worked great for me for a few times, but the extreme heat and expanding and contracting took it's toll on the lightweight metal pretty quickly. I have included some pictures below of regular store bought chimneys so that you can use it as a reference if you are unfamiliar with the basics of a charcoal chimney. I originally took some pictures of my homemade chimney when I first made it, but I can't find the roll of film, so I am without pictures. I CAN tell you that this chimney saved me an imense amount of time preparing charcoal for the short period I was able to use it.
