There an obvious mis-cut on one of the 4×4 posts and a cracked 2×4 I need to replace. This question is more about the concept/structure. I’m trying to err on the side of caution (over-engineered). I’m hoping enough of you have the experience to advise on this. Also thought about posting in r/woodworking but figured I’d start here.
by mgold1
23 Comments
Waiting for the ‘only one way to find out’ comments…
I think you might get better feedback from a woodworking type of sub…maybe even the decking page might have real answers for you
I’ve built similar designs for garden boxes and you sir could park a pickup truck on that. Well done.
only one way to find out
Why get so far into a build before asking that question?
I built a table with almost the same design for where the joe sits and it has held up 3 years now no problem.
Edit: Actually I went back and looked at my old photos. My build is probably structurally worse than yours. Similar but the cross beams aren’t set into the 4×4 like yours. I routed a groove on the horizontal 4×4 and place 1x material across with a couple 2x boards in a similar cross pattern as yours.
Yea this is overkill tbh
You can support 10 big joes on that over engineered masterpiece!
Idk man but I’d start by getting on top and jumping on it.
Say that reminds me, this one time I built an entertainment center, coffee table, and matching shelf. My dad comes up to visit and is staying at my apartment with me and my pretty new gf at the time (like 6 months, think my parents had met her once) and my dad is commenting that it looks pretty sturdy. Gf went to “I’m gonna wife her” when she tells my dad, “oh yeah, you can get up on that coffee table and dance and it won’t budge.”
Looks good for about tree fiddy weight.
I think you would have been better off NOT notching the 2×4 cross members. After you notched them they basically both become 2×2’s structurally. And the shorter ones are stronger than the longer ones, the longer ones help a little but not much. You would have had more strength from shorter solid 2x4s and just a row of blocking in the long direction.
That’ll definitely hold, but you better put something on top of the frame for the heat.
Man, I don’t know much about anything. But I’d be SHOCKED if that wouldn’t be able to support a big Joe. My main concern would be the heat of the ceramic touching the wood
Looking at OPs set up, I think he’s confident in his work.
Yes, just make sure you set the big Joe on cinder blocks, or at least provide a barrier between the two.
By the looks of your woodworking skills, I think you know the answer. Great craftsmanship. Just get the little ceramic feet that raise the kamado an inch or so off the wood. Mine is built on 2×4 16” centers. About a 3 ft span. Brazilian walnut as the floor and have absolutely no worries. Sits on the ceramic “legs”.
I’m assuming the plan is to rest the Joe on the center of the # insert. Given that, there’s a lot of wood in this picture that is not going to be carrying the load.
There’s a lot of math in determining the theoretical load. If I were you I would just cut and notch some 4x4s to support the center square against the ground. Leveling this beast will be a fun one.
I made a cedar cart for my Big Joe II too about 4 years ago and this will be fine for sure. I’d suggest a diagonal brace to keep it from wobbling, but you may not need it. I did need a diagonal but mostly just for when I was rolling it around. I don’t know if you were planning on putting wheels on it.
Its hard to say,not knowing
If you have to ask the question the answer is no.
I’m so confident I would lay underneath it while you piled a thousand lbs of bricks on it.
Are those dado/rabbet? If so, I would certainly think so
Looks solid. Lap joints in a grid are a good bet.