CottonWasKing

re: Monarch Caterpillars Missing This Year?

Posted by CottonWasKing on 6/24/26 at 11:41 am to SpeckledScrap

Just had three come out of their cocoons yesterday on my milkweed. Still have another cocoon about ready to hatch

Home & Garden

re: Somebody explain the outdoor griddle phenomenon to me.

Posted by CottonWasKing on 6/20/26 at 12:21 pm to Howyouluhdat

quote:
That and no matter how much you season and cover it, moisture will find its way onto the cast iron. That’s the only downside for me and having to clean the shite out of it and reseason after every cook

Yep.

I’ve got one. Cooked on it all the time for about 2 months now it’s just sitting there rusting. Got tired of cleaning it and babying it and it still rusting between cooks. I haven’t used it in 2 years now. Need to throw the thing in the dumpster.

O-T Lounge

re: Decided I wanted a smoker. So I built one

Posted by CottonWasKing on 6/11/26 at 10:15 am to NoMoreKnees

quote:
You can not beat the old Weber Kettles! First purchase as a newly wed in 81 was a Weber. It lasted 30 years and bought a new one in 2011. Good so far but not as heavy as the first one!

I tend to only get 4 or 5 years out of them before searing steaks at 600 degrees finally warps the hell out of them :lol:

re: Sammy’s Highland Rd Closing

Posted by CottonWasKing on 6/9/26 at 8:31 pm to GreatLakesTiger24

quote:
Casual sit down dining is not all that popular anymore. People either want to pay $75+/person or get some takeout slop/delivery. That’s how I see it anyways.

I’m guilty of this. If I’m spending the money to eat out I want something I can’t do at home. A fried seafood platter for 30 bucks does absolutely nothing for me.

If you want me to not cook at home you either need to provide quick cheap convenience because I don’t feel like cooking. If you’re not quick cheap and convenient then you better either have 1) access to ingredients that I can’t source or 2) ability to execute techniques that I can’t replicate.

re: Sammy’s Highland Rd Closing

Posted by CottonWasKing on 6/9/26 at 8:27 pm to ForeverEllisHugh

quote:
What is the point of having a separate “property owner” when the restaurant has been there for 40 years? Should belong to them at that point.

“Sammy” actually did own both but he went broke after fricking over his head chef so he sold the restaurant and the property separately. Now here we are.

re: Brian Kelly "unpaid consultant" at Memphis?

Posted by CottonWasKing on 6/9/26 at 4:45 pm to Bob the Terrible

quote:
Sounds like Huff is a pecker who can’t read a room and surrounds himself with has-beens. If I’m brand new and I want to set bye wheels in motion, I ain’t gonna invite Chuck Strong, Jimbo, and hell no I’m not bringing in paid or unpaid Kelly. I’m sure Beau Pelini, Dave Wannstedt, and Mike Shula have been in touch also.

Kelly didn’t rebuild 2 programs and win all those games by accident. Just because he doesn’t have the drive to do it anymore doesn’t mean he forgot how. Would I live and die by his advice if I was a new head coach? Hell no but you could damn well bet I’d listen to what he had to say.

Tiger Rant

re: Decided I wanted an offset. So I built one

Posted by CottonWasKing on 6/9/26 at 3:07 pm to SUB

quote:
Can you build me one?

Depends on how much you wanna spend. Because I’m buying a lot more tools before I build another one of these. I won’t be doing another one with a harbor freight stick welder and an angle grinder. I can tell you that much :lol:

re: Decided I wanted a smoker. So I built one

Posted by CottonWasKing on 6/9/26 at 1:48 pm to White Bear

quote:
I’d suggest a 6” chrome mule ear for the stack

re: LSU Sports Podcasts

Posted by CottonWasKing on 6/9/26 at 11:21 am to Ragin Tiger1

quote:
whatever happened to The Bengal Tiger podcast

Shea has been running the bengal tiger by himself since Brune and Bryce left. Doubt he cared to take the time to do a solo pod. He just hired Glen West with another hire coming so hopefully they get it back going again soon

Tiger Rant

re: Decided I wanted a smoker. So I built one

Posted by CottonWasKing on 6/9/26 at 5:57 am to Flats

quote:
Damn, I was guessing 1/4".

The end caps are 1/4”. Because I actually had to buy the plate for them and 3/8” plate is “frick you” expensive.

re: Decided I wanted a smoker. So I built one

Posted by CottonWasKing on 6/8/26 at 1:20 pm to TigerBear1971

quote:
Curious, why did you opt to put the temp gauge all the way to the coolest side? Not necessarily saying it's a big mistake just wondering. Good looking work btw

Because that’s where most of the cooking will actually take place. I’ve got another thermometer on the way. It just wasn’t in yet. I’ll put that one on the firebox side.

That’ll give me accurate readings on both hot and cold sides and provide a decent idea of the middle.

re: Decided I wanted a smoker. So I built one

Posted by CottonWasKing on 6/8/26 at 11:19 am to Sparty3131

quote:
Damn that thing is pretty serious! Hope you have a big ole' pican tree in the yard to keep that thing going.

:lol: I don’t. Wood might get…… expensive.

re: Decided I wanted an offset. So I built one

Posted by CottonWasKing on 6/8/26 at 9:48 am to ragincajun03

quote:
I'm sure it'll still get used when OP wants something small, hot and quick.

Oh yea. I’ll always have a Weber kettle on hand

re: Decided I wanted a smoker. So I built one

Posted by CottonWasKing on 6/8/26 at 9:46 am to Loup

quote:
What size pipe is the body made from?

26” OD 3/8” thick and 4’ long

re: Decided I wanted a smoker. So I built one

Posted by CottonWasKing on 6/8/26 at 9:44 am to FOBW

quote:
How’d you calculate the draw on the smoke stack and do you plan on adding counter weights to the hatches?

Feldon’s bbq calculator but I had to cheat a little bit. Firebox isn’t quite as big as the calculator recommends but I used what I had so it was never going to be perfect.

And no plans for counter weights as of now. The lid is heavy but it’s doable.

re: Decided I wanted an offset. So I built one

Posted by CottonWasKing on 6/8/26 at 5:52 am to BigDropper

quote:
What's your solution for the hole is the smoke box? What idea do you have for a damper?

A 6” grinding rock screws on to the smokebox.

For the smokestack damper I’ve got a piece of plate cut out that I’ll weld a piece of rebar to. The rebar will come down the stack through a piece of tubing and end in an elbow so you can swivel it to adjust.

re: Decided I wanted a smoker. So I built one

Posted by CottonWasKing on 6/7/26 at 9:25 pm to ImaObserver

It was a fun build and I still have a few things I want to do. A damper on the smoke stack, a shelf under the door across the cook chamber, fix a leak around the cook chamber door etc.

But I’m damn glad to be “done” with it.

Bonus “work in progress” pic. Does a better job at showing just how big this bastard is:

re: Tomatoes in 5 gallon buckets

Posted by CottonWasKing on 6/7/26 at 9:13 pm to Royalfishing

I’ve tried it several times and never had any luck at all. I’m sure it was something I was doing wrong as I’ve seen others do a really good job with them but I won’t try it again.

Home & Garden

re: Decided I wanted an offset. So I built one

Posted by CottonWasKing on 6/7/26 at 9:01 pm to TigerFanatic99

quote:
I'd love to have the skills and resources to do something like that.

Skills you can learn brother. As far as resources I was blessed with a lot of access to scrap iron to work with but when talking about tools? I did 99% of this with a $300 harbor freight stick welder and an angle grinder in my carport. You don’t need as much as you think you do.