PLEASE READ THIS IMPORTANT UPDATE ALL THE WAY THROUGH BEFORE CONTINUING: The 2 burner stove shown in the next several videos has been discontinued by Harbor Freight Tools. I found some suitable replacements on eBay and Amazon but they need one important modification as you will see in the video below.
Click here for links to purchase the new style stove.
GAS CONNECTIONS: Please note that these stoves use a sub-standard propane connection method – a hose and clamp. Do not use this connection method. Watch the following video for an easy way to add a much more durable flare fitting. Be sure to leak test this connection after the entire gas line has been installed. We cover leak testing in a later video.
You will need:
5 minute epoxy
1/4″ pipe thread elbow
3/8 flare x 1/4″ pipe thread fitting
VIDEO – BUILDING THE FIREBOX PART ONE
(you may need to turn up the volume on this one)
RE: The orifice that can bounce out and go down the street…
I drilled a very small hole (one on each side of the orifice in the side metal where the orifice sits. Then get some safety wire from the auto store and feed it through the outside orifice holes and the hole you drilled. Twist this till snug and your good to go. Samshotdogsplus.com
I did something similar after schlepping the orifices around in a box inside my cart for three years. Great tip Sam!
Isn’t the pan on the right side (underneath the steam pans) deeper? Thiss makes the 10.25 inches too close on that side. The problem is that if I drop the rail down a quarter inch on the right side the left side will be a half inch from the frame. Solution???
Pan depths can vary a bit depending on the manufacturer. Just make sure you have 1/2 to 3/4 inch between the bottom of your deepest pan and the top of the burner.
Hi Steve I know the pan size 12 1/2 across but I do not know how wide should the opening for the fire box box be 12 1/2 x 6 deep x ?
31 1/4″. The dimensions are in the plans section.
I have a question, instead of using staples to attach the flashing can I use metal thumb tacks?
No, the heads are too large and they don’t hold as well as staples.
Hey Steve,
I’m making a waffle cart, so I have a propane waffle maker that I am attaching instead of the stove. It is an all enclosed devise that has a vent, so I wanted to know if I should still do a heat shield around it. I was hoping to drop it down a few inches, although maybe it makes sense just to mount it on top.
Also, the propane valve is 5/8″ coming off it, so I believe this is bigger that the camping stove. Should I just buy an adapter or do I need to use larger copper tubing?
The waffle maker is a Model VH-LWI-SG Single Gas Waffle Maker from VH.
Hi Eric,
If you want to recess the waffle maker below the work surface of the cart I would definitely line the recess with sheet metal. The standard gas line should be fine. Just use an adapter.
Send pics when you finish it!
Hey Steve…if you want to run a side firebox and use two (2) burner stoves for 4 burners do you t-off the propane so one tank fires each stove or would it be better to run separate lines ….one tank per stove?
You can tee off of one tank but be sure the tee is in between the two stoves. You want an equal run to each. Two tanks (one per stove) is better but the tee should work fine too.
I bought a 4 Burner Stove and I am just building the Firebox Bigger with a Spacer Bar in the middle for twice the pans. That way I can use the one tank for the stove.
It was like $70 on ebay with taxes.
Koblenz PFK-400S Outdoor Stove (4 Burner) (Silver)
I love it.
Awesome Bernie!
Can I put lp tanks under each one each unit with vent ports probably not the steam table I’m using black stone 28 griddle for breakfast ?
Hi Larry, I love the Blackstone Griddle! It’s a great piece of equipment. You can mount propane tanks inside the cart body as long as you follow tow rules…
1. The compartment that the tanks are in MUST be sealed off from the rest of the cart.
2. The compartment must be vented adequately to the outside air.
Send me pics!
Steve:
Is there any reason against building the rails to hold up the stove before I install the top plywood? Couldnt I just add 1/4″ to the height from cart bottom to the bottom of steam pan measurement before I subtract the 1/2″?
Thanks Peter
You can do it any way that you want to. Just remember to measure twice so you only have to cut once, lol!
Walmart has them for 29.00
Thanks Cliff!
Is it possible on the stove mod to just make a flare connection and screw in a flare union?
There is more than one way to skin a cat. I prefer compression fittings. What ever method you use, be sure to perform a leak test with soapy water on the joint and pressure in the line.
Hi Steve: One question, in the los angeles county department of public heath, they don’t except camp stove. Do you know which one can instead of it?
Henry.
The codes are different everywhere. The only way to know for sure is to ask your inspector.
Most of the rest of California is OK with the camp stove.
Hey Steve,
I can mount stove in a different manner right. i can use little screws one in each bottom corner as opposed to drilling through the top and also glue it down with expoxy for extra strength.
Just want to make sure nothing later on in the building proccess will interfere with that
Joe
No. Epoxy does not have enough heat resistance. Follow the video instructions and use screws through the top of the stove.
Hey Steve
I don’t know if I missed it but did you compensate for the vent rail the pans sit on? Wouldn’t that raise your pans another 1/2 inch or so?
I did take that into consideration Larry. Follow the procedure in the video and your burner to pan clearance will be right on.
Are the Blackstone griddles NFS rated? Can’t seem to find that spec. Brand new slinger in progress.
Thanks,
Russ C.
Hi Russ, I LOVE the Blackstone griddles. Not sure if they are NSF rated. Contact the manufacturer. They can tell you.
Hi, I have a question. Since the new required stove is bigger than the original, I would like to know where should I place the waste water storage since it would seem to be no room for both the stove and the waste water jug in the same spot in the cart.
The stove and the waste water jug are at opposite ends of the cart.
Thank you for the reply. I just wanted to verify that this stove wouldn’t affect the rest of the design or if I had to modify differently than what is shown because this stove is bigger and takes up more room.
You’re good to go Dariush.
I found my stove at a yard sale this weekend for $5.00 its an older sears brand double burner.
Score! Awesome.
does the metal around the stove have to be aluminum or can it be other? I have tons of metal siding left over from a backyard shed it does have a clad paint finish, but since the sides are not in direct heat??? would they be ok? thanks !! rob
Do not use painted metal – the paint will get hot enough to smell really bad. The aluminum is pretty cheap and won’t rust.
Hello steve
I got the chance to watch the videos on building the cart. You built one with two burners. I’m wanting one like my friends hotdog cart. Which has three burners. How do I convert your style to a three burner?
Hi Kendrick. Just make the firebox bigger and either use a three burner camp stove, or add a single burner stove.
Steve, I try to read through all the questions so that I don’t repeat something so I hope I didn’t miss anything.
1) Did you use glue to attach any of the stove support/cross members/under stove screw down cross members when you attached them? I could see why you might not want to glue them if you had to change stove models and there was a difference in “thickness” or height of the stove. (The rear one was flush with both sides and the other cross member/stove support sat on the rear side of the vertical outside body frame)
2) I will be running two propane tanks for the 96 inch trailer/two stoves. Assuming I am running one line to both stoves, do you only use one propane tank at a time and then switch tanks when one is empty or would you “tee” both tanks outside of the front of the trailer and have both tank valves open? My gut instinct says to use one tank at a time and then switch the “valve connector” when one tank is empty, but I’ve never run two tanks before so I’m kind of in the dark. (I saw above that you could run one tank to each stove, but that seems like a lot of extra work. I trust your judgment)
3) Regarding the Loktite Power Grab Adhesive, is this stuff like wood glue where once it is dry it becomes stronger than the wood itself. I remember when I was a kid taking wood shop that we were told the the wood would break before the “glued part” would break.
1. Yes, the crossmembers are glued as well as screwed.
2. Yes, switch tanks when one runs out.
3. Yes the Powergrab adhesive is very strong. If you have a favorite weatherproof adhesive feel free to use it.
Steve, 1) Is the stove pipe copper?
2)Are there other options for connecting the fitting like leaving the copper pipe hanging out the back and flaring it or possibly using a compression fitting?
Thanks, Steve.
1. Yes, the gas line is copper.
2. You are free to use any method that you like, however, the methods that I use in the videos are proven to work.
Steve,
1) I will be required to use the NSF stove you gave the link to. I notice that the burners are really close together compared to the other stoves listed. Can you move the stove to the right to center the stoves better on the pans?
2) This stove says it runs on butane. Can you use propane for a butane stove? I see other comments online, but I trust your judgment better.
3) Have you had anyone get back to you as far as how the NSF/Webstaurant stove works? (I’m looking for the type of attachments it has on the stove, but there aren’t any really good pictures)
Move things around to where you need them Kevin. You’ll make it work. No, I don’t have any feedback on that stove, sorry. I do know that there are stoves available that run on either gas, so I would think that you could run a butane stove on propane, but I don’t know for sure.
Steve, Regarding what I asked above, the NSF stove from Webstaurant uses butane canisters.
1) Would this work with butane canisters?
2) If the burners being so close together would be a problem, can you buy the single ones and space them out so they center under each pan?
3) If I find another stove, does it matter if the stove burners are centered or would they still work if they were off to the side a bit?
Butane is fine. Burners can be off center a bit, as long as they aren’t too close to the edge of the pan.
Steve, I found an CSA approved camp stove that might work in the San Diego area. One problem I see is that it has that tube that connects to the stove and the other side has a regulator that connects to a small propane tank.
1) Do you know of any connectors/adapters that will connect directly to the stove so that I don’t have to use the “tube” which it comes with?
Thanks!
Here is an adapter that you could use.
https://www.mrheater.com/propane-male-throwaway-cylinder-adaptor.html
Steve, I noticed that you measured that 1/2 inch from the bottom of the pans before the firebox, trim and rail system was installed.
1) Does that make the flame about 3/4 of an inch from the bottom of the pans?
2) My spillage pan is a little deeper than my 1/2 size pan so I’m concerned about getting the flame to far away from the pan. What is the absolute closest you want your flame to be to the pan?
The distance isn’t critical. Anywhere from a half inch to an inch and a half.
is it o.k. to use galvanize flashing instead of aluminum flashing for the firebox. which is better or does it matter ?
Don’t use galvanized flashing. The coating contains zinc which can be bad to breathe when it gets hot. Use aluminum.
Hey Steve – I built my first cart back in 2015 when in medical school to work weekends. Can’t thank you enough for the series. I’m building a second one now for my brother; Also it’s a great stress reliever project wise. I did notice with the new stove on the modification update, you positioned the inlet in the opposite direction (the left) than the harbor freight stove (I believe the harbor freight stove gas inlet was toward the right of the cart as the server would stand). I plan on running mine to the right just like the old HF stove. Did I get that right? Thanks man. -Ethan
Hey Ethan, glad you like the series! As for the gas line, whatever works. As you know from building one already, you don’t have to stick to the videos. You can make modifications, additions, subtractions, whatever you need to do to make it your own.
Hi Steve! Just wondering why you glue on an elbow instead of using a flare fitting and just bending the copper tubing?
You could do that if yo have enough room.