DIY Resources

The R&R Builder's Kit

Want to build your own ugly drum smoker? We package the hard-to-find hardware so you can weld, bolt and season your very own UDS — backed by R&R reference figures and shop-tested know-how.

Build It Yourself

A Drum Smoker You Build With Your Own Two Hands

The ugly drum smoker — the UDS — is the most rewarding first build in BBQ. Simple, mobile and rock-steady on temperature, it's the smoker competition teams swear by. The catch is sourcing the right parts: the basket, the diffuser, the intakes, the lid hardware and a clean reference to follow.

That's exactly what the R&R Builder's Kit solves. We cut, drill and pack the hardware here in our Quispamsis shop, then hand you the same figures we work from on the bench. You supply the drum and the sweat equity — we supply everything that makes it cook like a champion.

Order a Builder's Kit See Our Finished Drums

The Weekend Welder

You've got a grinder, a drill and a free Saturday. We've got the parts and the plan to point them at.

The Hands-On Learner

Building your own teaches you airflow, fuel and fire control from the ground up — knowledge that pays off every cook.

The Budget Pitmaster

Source a clean food-safe drum locally and our kit gets you a competition-style UDS for a fraction of a turn-key build.

Finished R&R drum smoker built from the Builder's Kit

In The Box

What's In The Builder's Kit

Every kit is built from the same hardware that goes into our flagship drums — no big-box compromises. Here's what you'll be bolting on.

Heavy-gauge charcoal basket with handle & ash clearance
Diffuser / heat-management plate for even low-and-slow heat
Adjustable ball-valve & pipe intakes for set-and-forget airflow
Stainless cooking grate(s) and grate-support brackets
Lid hardware — handle, hinge option & gasket guidance
Bolt & fastener pack with the exact vertical pattern (see Figure B)
R&R reference figures & step-by-step build notes

You supply the drum: a clean, food-safe 55-gallon steel drum (unlined or with liner burned out). Not sure where to find one? Give us a call — we'll point you to a local source.

Build From The Bench

Reference Figures

These are the working drawings we follow in the shop. Print them, keep them on the bench, and build with confidence.

Figure A

The Drum Lid

Lid layout, exhaust placement and handle position. A snug lid is what lets a UDS hold temperature for hours on a single basket of charcoal.

Figure B

The Vertical Bolt Pattern

The measured vertical pattern for your grate brackets and intake ports — get this spacing right and your airflow and cook height fall into place.

Shop tip: Mark and centre-punch every hole against the figures before you drill, then dry-fit all hardware before final tightening. Burn a fire in the empty drum to cure it and burn off any residue before your first cook.

Rather Skip The Welding?

Prefer We Build It For You?

No grinder, no garage, no time? No problem. We'll hand you a finished, competition-ready drum — or a custom build of any size.

Shop Finished Drum Smokers

Our flagship UDS, fully assembled, seasoned and dialled-in — charcoal basket, diffuser, caster wheels and your choice of finish. Ready to cook on day one.

View Drum Smokers

Talk To The Shop

Questions on a Builder's Kit, sourcing a drum, or a fully custom build? Reach out and we'll get you sorted — every kit and smoker is handmade right here in Quispamsis.

Get In Touch

Let's Build

Ready To Build Your Dream Smoker?

Tell us what you're cooking up and we'll build it. Custom orders, commercial pits and quotes welcome.

Get a Quote (506) 848-0082

Get a Quote