Date & Activity Commentary Pictures with Captions

Time
Saturday Today I set up a While I was looking
September 9, meeting with my for the barrel I
2017 5:00 PM Project Facilitator, learned a little about
- 8:30 PM Mr.Tim, and went what kind of barrels
3 hours and shopping for the that the store had and
30 mins materials for my apparently the barrels
senior project. We that were on sale
met at a store used to be owned by
called “The Table Jack Daniels. This was
Store” which was a surprise to me
where I started because Jack Daniels
looking for a good barrels are extremely
whiskey barrel to expensive as they sell
use as a base for at about $300-$500
the smoker. After I per barrel while I had
picked out the gotten mine for only
smoker and bought $100. The most
it Mr.Tim soon confusing part of the
arrived and helped day was actually
me load said going shopping in
smoker into my home depot as
van. We then Mr.Tim helped me
decided to go to find the items I would
home depot and need for the barrel,
find the materials he also asked me
that i would use to about what I wanted
build the smoker. to do with the barrel.
Unfortunately I did What I mean by this
not have enough is that he asked me
money at the time about specific things
to go ahead and like what kind of
purchase all of the sandpaper that I
materials so we wanted to use on the
decided to find barrel in order to
where all of the finish it and had me
items were instead do math on the fly to
which took much figure out the
longer than dimensions of the
expected. barrel. Not gonna lie I The first picture is of me and
was completely lost Mr.Tim(Right) putting the barrel that I just
when he talked about bought in my van. The second photo is me
certain things but I trying to figure out which parts I should
just played along and get for my project as Mr.Tim was testing
used context clues to me and seeing if I could find the parts by
figure out what he myself(It was really confusing).
meant.
Sunday Today I decided to When I decided to
September do some research put the barrel on my
10th 2017 on how to maintain porch I did not
11:00AM - my barrel smoker account for the fact
11:45 AM and I found out that that the barrel was
(Filling the I had to do some going to be hard to
barrel) maintenance on it keep in one place
Tuesday before I could start after i filled it up with
September building it. Luckily water. Because of that
12th 2017 all I had to do was laid it on it’s side and
4:00 PM - 5:15 fill it up with water used a large stick in
PM (Draining and let that barrel order to keep in place
and cleaning) soak up the and let it soak up the
moisture in order water. After I drained
to fill out the cracks to water out I could
and holes that it see the water look a
might have inside light-brownish color
of it. Unfortunately because of the
my garden hose whiskey that has
nozzle was infused itself with the
deformed from barrel. Fortunately
being crushed so that will stay with the
filling up the barrel barrel and will affect
all the way took the foods inside
about thirty to whenever it will be
forty-five minutes. used. Also if you
After that I put the smell the barrel you
cap back on the can still smell the
barrel and waited whiskey. After i had emptied the barrel I decided to
48 hours for the turn it back onto its head and leave the
barrel to soak up cap off to let the barrel dry from the
the water. inside. You can’t see it now but I dumped
Afterwards I the whiskey water over the side of the
emptied the barrel porch and accidental killed a large patch
of the water and of grass. I still think it’s cool though.
proceeded to wash
it thoroughly in
order to try and get
rid of any
disgusting residue
inside of it.
Second Log Second Log
Sunday Today I decided to This was my first time
October 22nd start seriously ever sanding anything
2017 3:00 PM cleaning up my or handling this kind
-6:00 PM barrell’s looks. of machinery by
Originally I wasn’t myself. Personally I
going to sand the thought it was going
barrel but my mom to boring and time
told me I had to consuming and
sand and stain it so because of that I
I decided to start really did not want to
the sanding now do it. But after Here you can see the beginning stages of
rather than later. finishing the top of me sanding my barrel. At first the barrel
Before starting I the barrel I felt really had a lot of grime and rust on the surface
called my project proud of what I had so I decided to try and clear that as much
facilitator to ask just done. After as possible before staining it.
about some gaining the
specifics about the experience I really
sander and the think that I will like
what kind of this field of work if I
protection I should can feel so
use when sanding. accomplished
He had also lent me regularly.
his sander with a
few caps in order
to get started by
myself. After
sanding certain
areas of the barrel I
started to notice
the changes in the
wood and it’s
smoothness and
decided to also
sand the metal
rings as well. I
destroyed about
two caps and
damaged a few
others in the
process as I got a
little too picky with
the texture of the
wood.
Tuesday Today I decide to Honestly I really did
November finish up the barrel not notice most of
14th 2017 3:45 by putting some the changes until my
PM- 5:00PM finishing touches mom pointed them
on the exterior. out to me. Specifically
Over time I started around the bolts, as
to notice that the there was a lot of
wood had started grime that I missed in
to chip and metal the first session. I was
still had some rust also able to clear a lot
in some areas. of the rust on some of
Because of that I the rings but on
decided to grab a other rings the sander
chair, and finish did not help at all.
what I had started. Overall this was just a
Unfortunately after quick session where I
a while the grip of just sat down with
some of the caps some music and
began to fade so I worked. This actually
had to switch to a helped me relax a bit,
softer grain in so I’m glad I decided
order to complete to do it so early.
the sanding
process.

After working on the barrel for a while I

started to notice that most of the damaged
parts where near the bottom of the barrel.
I did not plan on giving that area a deep
cleaning but I decided to at least clean it
up.
 These are what’s left of the caps that my
project facilitator, Mr. Tim, gave me. I had
two others that I had obtained from
relatives but those are now completely
destroyed and so I decided to throw those
away a while ago.
Thursday This morning I At first it was really
January started drilling in cold outside when I
4th 2018 self drilling screws was doing this and
12:00 AM- into the sides of the because of this it took
2:00 PM barrel in order to longer than usual for
prevent the bands me to drill in all of my
from falling off as screws. I also had to
the barrel. Another get used to using the
goal was to prevent drill in the first place
the wooden planks as it takes a lot of
from separating force to get through
from the band the metal and wood
itself. in the barrel. I also
decided to lay the
barrel on the side
because it is easier to
drive the screw in
with gravity helping
me.

This is me drilling in the self drilling

screws into the barrel, this one in
particular was hard because of the fact the
screw would stop halfway through for
some reason which made it hard for me to
rearrange it.
Wednesday Today I began the Today’s work was
January 11th final stages of my really productive for
2018 project by finally myself as I managed
4:00PM- cutting off the lid of to get alot done with
7:30PM my barrell and by the amount of
putting the air caps remaining time that I
in as well. I started had. All that I have to
off by using do now is buy the
Mr.Tim’s two grates for the
equipment to cut meat as well as the
off the top of the firebricks and the
barrel and screwed barrel will be fully
in a handle for it. functional. The main
Afterwards I drilled problem is that I
three holes that personally don’t have
were roughly the money for either
3/4ths of and inch of those items
wide for the currently so it looks
ventilation caps like i'll have to ask
near the bottom of someone for a favor. I
the barrel. I also learned alot about
drilled a hole for certain tools work
my temperature and what I would
gauge right below have to use in certain This is me drilling the holes that will be
where I cut the top situations for certain used for ventilation for the barrel.
of the barrel off. I problems. While I
also sanded the don’t think that I
edges of where I could have done this
cut the barrel in independently, I do
order to make it believe that I have
look clean and learned a great deal
prevent it from from Mr.Tim.
splitting. After that I
drilled in four L-
brackets inside the
barrel to be used
for holding the
grate up in side of
the barrel by itself.

This is when I had to screw in the

temperature gauge as I wanted to make
sure that I would not come out of the hole
not matter what it went through.