I'm building a Mongolian Grill

[dp]

I'm building a Mongolian grill similar to this (mine is 36" dia): http://www.selectappliance.com/exec/ce-product/ar_ambg-36

The part I'm having the greatest difficulty sorting out is making the scrap tray that is just below the cook top. These are typically 10gauge SS (as is the skirt, but that can be riveted). Building this at home is going to require I do the tray in segments and weld them together but I've never welded stainless and certainly not stainless sheet metal.

I've got a Lincoln Weld-Pak 175HD - has that got enough power to weld that up or should I just farm it out?

BTW, the price of new grills is absurd! but they're a dream to cook on.

[davidfe]

No coffee yet...best reply I could dream up...looks very interesting.

I'm building a Mongolian grill similar to this (mine is 36" dia): http://www.selectappliance.com/exec/ce-product/ar_ambg-36

The part I'm having the greatest difficulty sorting out is making the scrap tray that is just below the cook top. These are typically 10gauge SS (as is the skirt, but that can be riveted). Building this at home is going to require I do the tray in segments and weld them together but I've never welded stainless and certainly not stainless sheet metal.

I've got a Lincoln Weld-Pak 175HD - has that got enough power to weld that up or should I just farm it out?

BTW, the price of new grills is absurd! but they're a dream to cook on.

[PTSideshow]

Having been to a Mongolian restaurant in Japan were the grill was in the center of the table. Everybody sitting on the floor and cooking it your self. The grill they used would give the insurance inspectors a fit today. It was a cast iron top 24" dia with a grease dripping guard around the outside edge. it was on 3 pipe style legs over a propane powered fire or cooking ring set on some fire bricks with the hose running off the table to the small tank in the room.
Since the page you linked to is for a commercial unit. and I couldn't find the home unit they speak of.

I do know that the guy and his family that ran the place were refuges form the steeps. As at the time China was trying to do some thing to the people of the steeps.(early 70's) he had said that they would use the grill plate on the stand over the wood or dung fire with out the drip pan as it only added fuel to cook with if it dropped in the fire.

The only other thing was the family would make a big show of bringing out the cow intestines,(prized delicacy,or a joke on the customers) it looked like old gray mop strands. And the secret hot sauce that went back to being Genghis's favorite. Of course they were related! I didn't try the intestine, but the hot sauce was the hottest thing I have ever tasted. Made my eyes water just smelling the open bowl. Some that fancied them selfs hot stuff people payed for an hour afterward. By not following the advice to go slow.

I understood why the family all wanted to watch the foreigners try it. :eek: :D
Any heavy iron or aluminum griddle would work over flame, unless building it is the whole point of the exercise.

[torker]

LOL...I'm still trying to figure how the Mongolians tied one of those to a horse.
Dennis...your machine will weld that. You do realize you need pure argon for that?

[Mike Burdick]

Dennis,

What does the manufacturer use for the cooking surface in regard to material and thickness? The advertisement says that a single burner is 125,000 BTU so therefore I was wondering about warp - it’s supposed to be flat, right?

Regardless, it should be a fun project! Don't forget to post pictures of it when it's made!

[dp]

Dennis,

What does the manufacturer use for the cooking surface in regard to material and thickness? The advertisement says that a single burner is 125,000 BTU so therefore I was wondering about warp - it’s supposed to be flat, right?

Regardless, it should be a fun project! Don't forget to post pictures of it when it's made!

That reminds me of a story...

http://hawglydavidson.com/vbgstories/how_hard_could_it_be.html

That's how long this grill has been in the making. I've used it many times but without the scrap tray it can be a bit messy. Mine isn't so large and the burner is a pretty cool device I got from an Asian kitchen supply store in Seattle. Looks like this:

http://thevirtualbarandgrill.com/machinery/burner.jpg

About 12" diameter. It moves a lot of gas, natural or propane.

The cooking deck on mine is just slightly domed from being heated in the center but it does allow unwanted fat to drain off. The raccoons love that part which is why I need to finish the tray :)

[AussieChris]

Those grills are tiny.

There is a Genghis Khan Mongolian BBQ Restaurant in Brisbane (and Sydney I think) that has a massive BBQ. It has a steel cooking surface about 10 feet in diameter and over an inch thick. It is wood fired. Underneath has room for whole logs of wood (no splitting required). The heat is incredible. You help yourself to a bowl of various meats, vegetables, and sauces and hand it to the cook. He tips it onto the plate and tosses it around for a few seconds with over-sized chopsticks and then scoops it back into a bowl for you. They can be cooking meals for six or more people at time.

It's supposed to be reminiscent of how the Mongol armies used to cook on their metal war shields. They must have been giants if their shields were that big.

[dp]

LOL...I'm still trying to figure how the Mongolians tied one of those to a horse.
Dennis...your machine will weld that. You do realize you need pure argon for that?

Oddly enough, the history of these comes from the Mongol hordes making their way across Asia and using their shields for cook tops. When they got to Germany and discovered beer they stopped.

That doesn't explain where they got their propane bottles but it's a good story.

I knew it would take some gas but I didn't know what kind or how much. Still don't know how much but I'll look into that. Thanks, bud.

[boslab]

you might need a bigger set if you plan on cooking the horse as well, 3/8" plate should hold it up ok!, thin SS is a pain to weld realy well in a complex fabrication to to distortion, i tend to beef things up a bit to keep it from ending up like it got run over.
on the plus side with some tactical flap wheel dressing so realy nice SS pans and trays can be made that will last for years, get some scrap, pure Ar. 316l rods and have a play, it soon comes.
mark

[Mike Burdick]

dp,

Did you ever get this project finished and if so, how about some pictures?

Thanks...

[Dawai]

Yeah, good thing you don't live next door. I love working with stainless.

I know of a butchers table about 1/8" thick I could have for the scrap price.

Now heat dispersal.. good thoughts.. baffled underneath or?

Solar cookers? now there is a idea.

[dp]

dp,

Did you ever get this project finished and if so, how about some pictures?

Thanks...

I didn't - life got in the way again and I'm just now starting to make some room in schedule for some time on this. I've started researching gas needed for welding stainless. I may just go with plain steel and paint it with motor oil and burn it in.

[Dawai]

Hi Dennis:

I did the roses you might remember for the wifes anniversary. I used the mig gun, Argon gas, and stainless wire to assemble it all on a stalk.

The chinese stainless wire was for crap, all the welds are rusty. Look good mind you, but rusting like ferrous steel.. All the tig welds done with 316 filler rod are shiny and bright, no rust.

Stay away from the chinese stainless mig wire if you want to actually use this to cook food.

I use a argon shield gas, tig green tungsten, a gas lens, about 14 cfm flow, for the 22 ga metal I'd open it up to 80 amps and pedal it till I was happy. I learned to weld from returning Alaskan pipe welders, run hot and fast. When I learned to tig I didn't have a pedal but just a buzz box so I learned to dip the rod to cool the puddle and go on with it.

[chowan]

dp,

Did you ever get this project finished and if so, how about some pictures?

Thanks...

New here; I'm wondering if he made two and sold one considering the things discount to $6500...