|
From: Michael McLean
 I purchased my BBQ pit several years ago and although it cooks well, the original equipment wheels did not make it as mobile as I would have liked.
The obvious thing to do was put the pit on a trailer, but I did not want to climb in and out of a trailer every time the meat needed tending or to add wood to the firebox. To maintain a convenient height, I needed to put the pit on a solid axle.
In my "junk pile" was a 4 x 8 foot flatbed trailer my father built in 1953 from a 1950 Plymouth front axle welded to the frame of a Model T. It was the perfect platform for my project.
I started the project by suspending the pit from the roof beam in my shop using chain hoists and a come-a-long. Then I removed its wheels with a torch. Next I lowered the pit onto the frame and axle from the old trailer. I made sure the pit was aligned properly and then welded it to the frame using my Lincoln Electric AC225-S stick welder (get information on stick welders).
I made other improvements as well: the addition of a generously-sized shelf, new fenders and a box below the pit to carry and store wood. An updated 2-inch hitch was also added and a jack-stand was welded to the tongue to make the pit level and stable while disconnected from the truck. Taillights were installed and after a fresh coat of paint, the pit was ready for the road.
The conversion was fun, and more importantly, it gave new life to a project my father completed 57 years ago.
I was amazed at the performance, reliability and versatility of my Lincoln Electric welder. Over the course of three days, it burned a 10 lb. box of rods and never complained once. Lincoln Electric products have now been in my family for three generations! | 
