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Floating Table??

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Comments

  • In regard to pavers, fire brick…the fire brick will hold up better
    But no matter my thought is to get the Egg off the wood, and all should be right!
    In my case (my post of 7 / 13 /08), after I cut the hole large enough for the Egg, giving some “air space” between the Egg and the wood, I set it on concrete pavers as that is what I had on hand.
    But…..After about a 12 hr. cook (smoking a turkey) and realizing that the bottom just never got all that hot, I lowered the Egg a bit farther with using the three feet supplied with the Egg. My reasoning was that this arrangement would allow air circulation, keep the Egg from contact and lower it a bit more too.
  • WileECoyote
    WileECoyote Posts: 516
    MMP: if you are using only the feet on top of a wood base then I highly recommend that you switch back to the concrete paver or a firebrick base, and still use the feet on top of the stone. The bottom of the egg gets extremely hot and the air gap created by the feet alone is not enough to protect a wood base. Read the report that I posted a link to and look at the photos. There have also been other posts on the forum recently where people used a paver without the feet and found a charred shelf underneath. The extra 1-2" of height won't matter at all. The bottom gasket rim of my egg is 40" off the ground which is at least 4" higher than most tables and the nest but I can still cook and clean the egg just fine. I don't even notice the difference.
  • Wile E:
    Thanks for heads up!I will get something back under the Egg ASAP (or at least befor the next fire / cook).
    I have some very nice Black slate....Do you think that would work in place of the fire brick? Or should I find some brick?
    Thanks again!!
  • WileECoyote
    WileECoyote Posts: 516
    MMP: everyone has their own opinion but based on my research and testing (which was pretty extensive) I would not use anything less than a single layer of split firebrick with the ceramic feet on top. This will only be about 2" thick total so it isn't much thicker than using other similar stones. I also recommend that you do not use a solid wood shelf beneath the firebrick because this will limit the air circulation around the brick thus they will not be able to cool off as quickly. A solid shelf might not be an issue for shorter or lower-temp cooks but I wouldn't take any chances. See my report for photos and specs of the solution that I chose for my table. Here is the link.
  • Wile E:
    Thanks again!
    I did find your post with the link and went there, reading it all. Great Information!
    Even though I thought I had NO PROBLUM with the air space at the table top with the “feet” on the bottom; I now realize a potential disaster. I have fought fire and won…But, it’s NO FUN!! NO FUN, at all....
    Thank you so much for all of your foot-work. Now I just need to figure out how to make my table a bit more “fire-proof”.
    It is open on all sides (which is a major help) and I have air space around the Egg at table top height, but as I have stated, I have the Egg setting on the feet on top of the lower wood support shelf. This may be VERY BAD juju!
    After reading your info. I’m actually thinking of angle iron somehow attached to the lower shelf which will in turn support the brick, which will in turn support the Egg! I’m a pretty good “wood butcher” and I think that I can come up with a good way of supporting the Egg on that lower shelf with out compromising the strength of the over all table. After all, the BGE does weigh a bit!
  • WileECoyote
    WileECoyote Posts: 516
    I had considered cutting away my lower shelf and using angle iron, rebar, wooden rods, etc. I decided against using metal because it is an excellent conductor of heat, thus it would carry a lot of heat to the wooden side mounts which might char over time. Ever use a wood-burning kit on low temp? It still does a nice job of charring the wood. Another problem is that most metal will rust faster when it is repeatedly heated and cooled. Stainless or coated metal is better but it is more expensive and will eventually have issues too.

    So I went back to the wood support rail concept and the 2x4 rails have worked great. As long as you use untreated wood, preferably dense wood like oak, and you leave air gaps between the rails then you should be fine. Plenty of strength to hold the weight of the egg and it hasn't budged after months of heavy use.