Once a year we gather for a Thanksgiving feast with 3 or 4 turkeys cooked

on a spit. Last year we rented a mobile unit ($$) so this year I came up with
plans for our own. It can easily be sized up or down for your needs.
The BBQ was built as a dry-fit project - no mortar was used. It's a lot easier
to assemble and, if the location doesn't work out, it's move-able. Also, if a
brick happens to crack from the heat, it's easily replaceable.
NOTE: I won't really be addressing the details of the rotisserie motor. Suffice
it to say you'll need an old electric motor (from a furnace or a clothes-dryer)
with a gear-box that can slow down the RPMs. Ours is a 35 year old unit that
turns the spit at about 1 revolution per minute. I imagine a combination of
bicycle gears could be rigged up to do the same thing.

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Step 1: NEEDS: Materials List

Note - These are the materials I used... I list them only as suggestions.
With luck you'll have other materials hanging around that will work just
as well!
FOR THE BBQ BODY:
25 - - - - - 8" x 8" x 16" standard blocks
15 - - - - - 8" x 8" x 16" cap blocks (or standard)
4 - - - - - - 8" x 8" x 8" half blocks
22 - - - - - 12" x 12" patio stones (optional)
4 to 8 - - -Wood/metal Stakes
1 - - - - - - Flagging tape or string
.
FOR THE PIT:
1 - - - - - -16' x 12" wide expanded steel (optional)

6 to 8 - - - 24" rebar pieces (optional)

2 to 3 - - - Cubic feet of sand or gravel
2 - - - - - - -4' x1.5" metal pipe
.
FOR THE TOP / LID:
1 - - - - - - Food-grade steel drum
1 - - - - - - 20' x 1.5" angle iron (bed frames are great)
1 - - - - - - Wooden hockey stick
4 - - - - - - 5" x 5/16" bolts (with nuts & washers)
2 - - - - - - 2' x 1/2" threaded rod (with nuts & washers)
1 - - - - - - 7' x 12" (1/8" thick) steel plate
1 - - - - - - High-heat flat-black BBQ spray paint
.
FOR THE GRILL (optional):
1 - - - - - - Expanded Steel 30" x 48"
2 - - - - - - 1" x 64" Steel Pipe
.

Step 2: NEEDS: Equipment List

VARIOUS TOOLS:
- Shovel
- Gloves
- Hammers
- Long Level
- Short Level
- Safety Glasses
- Measuring Tape
- Old Chisel or Axe
- Permanent Marker
- Carpenters Square
- Hand-held Grinder

- Metal Cutting Discs

- Masonry Cutting Discs (optional)
- Wheel-barrow (optional)
- Friendly Welder Person
.
(OH, And don't forget an Axe for LOTS of Hardwood!)

Step 3: Size Is Everything

Using standard concrete blocks - aka "Cinder Blocks" - the design is easily
scale-able. Make it any size you want. The blocks are found at most
hardware stores (Home Depot, Lowes, etc.) but I was able to save money by
buying "seconds" from a wholesale distributor at $2.00 apiece here in
Ontario, Canada.
The standard block is usually sold as 8" x by 8" by 16". This is not quite true.
The specs refer to a block in a completed wall WITH mortar. The block itself
is actually closer to 7.5" x 7.5" x 15.5". I also chose blocks with squared /
finished ends for the corners. I was happily surprised to find "cap" blocks for
the top surfaces.
Please find my rudimentary blueprints attached.

Step 4: Location, Location, Location

We gave location quite a bit of thought before assembling the BBQ.

Remember that it will be giving off a lot of smoke and heat once it's fired up.
We chose a convenient spot that was a safe distance from trees and play
areas. If you use an electric motor you will also want to be located near an
outlet.
As this is a pit BBQ we had to consider tree roots. They are difficult to dig
through(!) and also pose a fire hazard. The fire could get into the roots and
smoulder underground for an extended time, making it's way back to the tree
eventually. I suggest having buckets of water around when the BBQ is firedup... just in case.

Step 5: A Good Foundation

FYI - concrete blocks are HEAVY. Each block weighs 40-50 lbs, so forty of
them will weigh a lot! A solid foundation is absolutely critical. After leveling
the ground we decided to first lay down 12" x 12" patio stones to help
distribute the weight and keep the bricks from sliding into the hole.
We measured the area and used stakes with flagging tape to mark the
outside perimeter of the patio stones. NOTE: It would have been wiser to
wait until AFTER laying the patio stones before digging the one foot pit. We
dug first and made the hole too large by mistake. Doh!
To keep the soil in place we used 12" strips of expanded metal held in place
with 2 ft rebar stakes. We also added thin, flat rocks behind the metal screen
- cause it just seemed like the right thing to do.

Step 6: Lay 'Em Down

Now you can lay the blocks tightly against each other, checking for level
(and square) often. Many of our blocks had little bumps and "extra bits" that
had to be teased off with a hammer & an old axe. Lay some of the 1st row
blocks sideways to allow for air to feed the flames.
In some spots we needed "half blocks" to complete a row. In other areas we
used "cap blocks" which have a finished surface over the holes (not solid top
to bottom). They were almost the same cost and gave it a more polished
look IMHO.

Step 7: Up, Up and Away

On top of the patio stones we put down 3 rows of cinder blocks. On one end
of the 3rd row, we judiciously placed a half block to leave a gap for the spit
to come through. Using supports (next step) the spit should come out just
above, but not touching, the 2nd row of blocks.
After putting 2" of sand on the bottom of the pit we ended up with 25" height
from ground to spit. This seemed adequate and the amount of cooking heat
can ultimately be controlled by the size of fire and opening of the lid.
We also measured for a 1/2" hole to be drilled in the top row of blocks on
either end (see photo). This is used to mount the hinge brackets on either
side.

Step 8: Giving It Support

For the spit we used a 8 foot black steel pipe with a few holes drilled along
the length. A gear was welded to one end. To support it we used 1.5" pipe
and hammered it 24" into the ground at both ends of the BBQ. On the tops of
these pipes we welded horizontal arms at the desired height, and "v"
brackets to hold the rotating pipe.
We could have have simply supported a single rotisserie pipe but we wanted
the option of adding other things later, such as a grill. For this we welded
horizontal steel arms to the support pipe, and more "v" brackets to support
additional pipes.
Note that we made the height adjustable by sliding two sizes of pipe inside
one another. This will allow the grill to be lowered for traditional camp-fire
cooking, or raised for warming pots and plates. We carefully drilled matching
holes through the pipes so that a long pin or bolt can be inserted at various
heights.

Step 9: Capping It Off

I don't weld, but thank goodness for friends who do. (Your the best Larry!)
We used an old food-grade drum (cut in half length-wise), some scrounged
bed-frame angle iron, and 1/2" threaded rod to whip up this hinged lid.
My advice would be to measure often here. We just barely managed to
cover the length of the BBQ opening, but it worked! With some patience we
made it square and then used a hockey-stick for a handle, spaced away
from the BBQ with 5" bolts and copper pipe. Caution here because the
handle can get a little toasty when there's a roaring fire.

Step 10: Other Details

A 'secret' feature of this BBQ is the adjustable warming plate. The steel
drum wasn't wide enough front-to-back so we added a 12" wide steel plate
on the back. This makes a great surface for keeping dishes & plates warm
while dinner is cooking. It can be moved to allow for more or less smoke to
escape too.
To make the lid rotate we welded 12" lengths of threaded rod to the back of
the lid (on the angle iron bracing). This is then fed into vertical hinge
brackets on the side of the cinder blocks and secured with bolts, allowing for
a fully open bbq when needed.

Step 11: Tried By Fire

It probably goes without saying that no one wants to BBQ with toxic vapors
floating around. For that reason, we had a really good & hot fire in the BBQ
prior to using it for any kind of cooking. It burned off all the various finishes,
though surprisingly, the exterior drum paint was hardly affected.
To protect the steel from rust I've been told to use "High-Heat" flat-black
paint on the exterior surfaces. Other internal parts can be protected with
repeated applications of Canola oil which has a higher smoke point than
most other oils.

Step 12: Let's Eat Turkey!

And here's the finished product in use. We spear the turkeys length-wise and
then use large steel 'nails' through holes in the spit to keep the meat from
spinning freely. Wrap it all securely with stainless wire and foil, and even
more wire, to keep it a tight-knit bundle of goodness. (Note: Our 20 lbs birds
took about 6 hours of cooking, removing the foil near the end for an hour of
browning.)
After the turkeys and rotisserie are removed two more pipes can be laid
down on the support arms and a grill placed on top to keep food warm. Note
that we sometimes supplement the fire with charcoal briquettes for a quick
and long-lasting heat source.
That's how we did it... Now go try it yourself... Good luck!

Step 13: Other Resources