I was sorry to see Bubba is no longer in business. He was a great source for us 'newbies'!! If your online still, hope you enjoy retirement, Bubba!!!! Around here, maple and alder grow as 'weeds' so I just get them and turn them down to size on the wood lathe to 2 1/4 diameter log and slice off 1/2 inch slices. I'll make about 20-30 at a pop. Make sure you get below the bark layer as bark and sap wood impart a bitter smoke if burnt!! Store them in a coffee can with a loose fitting lid and allow them to dry completely, and store them until you need them. They don't seem to burn much but 1 did and it may even be a new source for smoke??? I use the same 2-3 pucks for my last 6 batches and still in real good shape. (The burnt one I use in front each time-- I will eventually throw it away??) While I have a couple lathes, another way is to use a hole-saw with 1/2 inch material... same thing.
Use the same type wood as your smoking with, and if it burns a bit-- no big deal. I use 2 and a little burning happens where it touches the last bisquette, but no problem. I use 3 if I am going to watch the last puck get pushed off, then I just remove the 'fake' pucks and finish my project.
ENJOY and thanks to this great resource!!!
Quote from: Glassguy on July 16, 2008, 08:19:03 AM
I was sorry to see Bubba is no longer in business. He was a great source for us 'newbies'!! If your online still, hope you enjoy retirement, Bubba!!!! Around here, maple and alder grow as 'weeds' so I just get them and turn them down to size on the wood lathe to 2 1/4 diameter log and slice off 1/2 inch slices. I'll make about 20-30 at a pop. Make sure you get below the bark layer as bark and sap wood impart a bitter smoke if burnt!! Store them in a coffee can with a loose fitting lid and allow them to dry completely, and store them until you need them. They don't seem to burn much but 1 did and it may even be a new source for smoke??? I use the same 2-3 pucks for my last 6 batches and still in real good shape. (The burnt one I use in front each time-- I will eventually throw it away??) While I have a couple lathes, another way is to use a hole-saw with 1/2 inch material... same thing.
Use the same type wood as your smoking with, and if it burns a bit-- no big deal. I use 2 and a little burning happens where it touches the last bisquette, but no problem. I use 3 if I am going to watch the last puck get pushed off, then I just remove the 'fake' pucks and finish my project.
ENJOY and thanks to this great resource!!!
Hi Glassguy;
Welcome to the forum.
Thanks for the information on turning your own pucks out of wood. I just want to correct that Bubba Puck still can be purchase. You can send an email to
[email protected] or order them from Yard & Pool (http://www.yardandpool.com/home.php) .
Thought about the same process, but just ordered bubba pucks from Yard and Pool on ebay. :)
Great!
Bubba Pucks are very popular, and over the years many others have made imitations. Most don't know this, but Bubba Pucks where first were the creation of Kummok, and originally sold on the Chez Bubba website. You can still get the original Bubba Pucks from Yard and Pool or sending an email to the address posted.
QuoteIf your online still, hope you enjoy retirement, Bubba!!!!
He is still around. I got a note from him the other day. Said he has been really busy, but hopes to get back on soon.
Olds
Made some homemade ALUMINUM BUBBA PUCKS using some 1/4" ALUMINUM plate (actually was an aluminum skid plate from the junkyard). Used a bi-metal hole saw to cut out 2 disks. Threaded the 2 disks together with a steel lag screw to acheive the 1/2" thickness of a wood puck. Trimmed the steel lag screw flush on both sides of the puck and cleaned up any sharp edges. I made the required 3 pucks so I get that last wood puck advanced to the burn plate.
The steel lag screw center is great for magnet retreival from the feed tube or the water dish if you need. When they get too funky to wash I use my bench grinder wire wheel and they are good as new. ;D
hmmm... I'm still "practicing" with my OBS, but can see what a help using these "Bubba Pucks" would be. I have a cnc plasma cutting business and can cut and weld about any shape etc. Has anyone tried fabricating their own? Saw that aluminum was used for these. I suppose that's to keep the weight down? Heat retention too? I have lots of aluminum sheet, copper sheet, steel sheet and so on. Are the originals solid or hollow? Obviously solid round aluminum bar that diameter would work if sliced but would cost more and be heavier... Seems like I could fabricate some hollow ones out of copper or aluminum that would be light and disperse heat quickly for an awful lot less? Any thoughts or ideas regarding weight or type metal and would others be interested if I could pass on/offer in sets of three to forum members cheaper (close to fabricating cost/shipping)?
Quote from: coherent on August 22, 2008, 11:44:01 AM
hmmm... I'm still "practicing" with my OBS, but can see what a help using these "Bubba Pucks" would be. I have a cnc plasma cutting business and can cut and weld about any shape etc. Has anyone tried fabricating their own? Saw that aluminum was used for these. I suppose that's to keep the weight down? Heat retention too? I have lots of aluminum sheet, copper sheet, steel sheet and so on. Are the originals solid or hollow? Obviously solid round aluminum bar that diameter would work if sliced but would cost more and be heavier... Seems like I could fabricate some hollow ones out of copper or aluminum that would be light and disperse heat quickly for an awful lot less? Any thoughts or ideas regarding weight or type metal and would others be interested if I could pass on/offer in sets of three to forum members cheaper (close to fabricating cost/shipping)?
Sign me up! I'll gladly buy a prototype set!
Quote from: coherent on August 22, 2008, 11:44:01 AM
hmmm... I'm still "practicing" with my OBS, but can see what a help using these "Bubba Pucks" would be. I have a cnc plasma cutting business and can cut and weld about any shape etc. Has anyone tried fabricating their own? Saw that aluminum was used for these. I suppose that's to keep the weight down? Heat retention too? I have lots of aluminum sheet, copper sheet, steel sheet and so on. Are the originals solid or hollow? Obviously solid round aluminum bar that diameter would work if sliced but would cost more and be heavier... Seems like I could fabricate some hollow ones out of copper or aluminum that would be light and disperse heat quickly for an awful lot less? Any thoughts or ideas regarding weight or type metal and would others be interested if I could pass on/offer in sets of three to forum members cheaper (close to fabricating cost/shipping)?
My homemade pucks are not perfect, but work quite well for a quickie garage project. I would love to try a set of CNC PLASMA CUT pucks! Keep me in mind if you go forward with this project. Aluminum or copper would be GREAT!
Can you make a hollowed out 1/2" thick aluminum or copper puck that could be filled with hardwood sawdust and reused on the burner plate. I'v been trying to make some using an end mill in my drill press....but....a CNC is a whole other story! WOW!
Can you make a hollowed out 1/2" thick aluminum or copper puck that could be filled with hardwood sawdust and reused on the burner plate?
Neat idea gotsmoke!!... never considered making "reusable" ones that you could fill with small chips or sawdust! Something closed in with lots of small holes or screen? I have made a couple of prototypes using both copper & aluminum from fairly thin sheet. They're basically a circle the size of a puck, with three tabs (the height of the puck). Take two of these and fold the tabs, put two together alternating the tabs and spot weld and grind and they seem to work fine. I'm really serious about my request for suggestions or ideas. I think somthing that is resuable would be awsome. Anyone who provides input and come up with some ideas, or better yet drawings etc, that I can implement, I'll be more than happy to send you a set or two of whatever we come up with free and I'll pay the shipping! I'd really like to do this for myself and others who may be interested in the idea. I'm not out to make money, just help our hobby (eating good food!)! Obviously this isn't rocket science, and I'm sure there are lots of workable ways of making these. I still have no idea if the origial bubba pucks are solid, hollow or ? nor what their approx weight is or if there's really any limitations in that area.
Feel free to PM me or post here.
Another one that I'm not much help on...go figure! I have not bought the bubba pucks, I did make some homemade ones with washers and high temp silicone. The more I thought about it, is I lose one mesquite ( shocked again, I'm sure) puck per smoke....but then again I don't go overnight and I'm watching my BS through the smoke process. After the smoke your looking at an oven cook, which is what the BS is doing and nothing wrong with that! But I pull and go with with the house oven to finish off. Just me, and the wife tells me I'm anal....so go figure!! Maybe something to do with Mesquite!!!! ;D ::) ;D
C
For pusher pucks, if you or a friend has some scrap 2-1/4 inch round stock laying around and can cut 3 pieces off 9/16 inches thick, go for it. Trade your friend some brisket or home made bacon and the good will be paid forward. Unless you have the stuff laying around, if you have to go out and buy stuff to make them, IMHO save your money and buy the original Bubba Pucks. Heck it might save you money after buying the materials and gas. :-[
For those new to the forum, the Bubba Pucks were invented by one of the board members and sold through another member. There is a bit of honor with the inventor and sellers of the product that goes beyond dollars and cents and what little profit there is in them. I don't know what it costs to make or how much money anyone can make selling them but then I am not writing here to go into that issue other than to say the name "Bubba Pucks" are treated here as copywrited material referring to the orignial. There have been several posts here on the subject and this post is not to dredge up another thread on the subject so I will leave it at that and with respect to the ingenuity of the originator and anyone that is a do-it-yourselfer.
For homemade wood pucks, I don't think any device that would hold wood (sawdust) and would physically seperate the wood from physically touching the burner plate would work or at least would not work as well as the manufacturer's product. The burner plate is not a super hot device and is just barely hot enough to burn the pucks without making them turn into flames. Any seperation, even from a fine screen, would probably not allow enough heat to create the smoke or burn through in 20 minutes. I also think if the holder is made out of metal, the mass would draw the temperature of the burner plate down decreasing its effectives as well.
I have make my own pucks out of 2 inch copper pipe ends cut 1/2 inch thick so far they are working great ..though do wash them first and they do get smoky after they are used...grant you there about $ 5 each might try getting an 2 inch steel coupling and slicing them in 1/2 lengths and see what happins
beef
Nicely stated Giz! ;)
Quote from: coherent on September 01, 2008, 05:05:54 PM
Can you make a hollowed out 1/2" thick aluminum or copper puck that could be filled with hardwood sawdust and reused on the burner plate?
Neat idea gotsmoke!!... never considered making "reusable" ones that you could fill with small chips or sawdust! Something closed in with lots of small holes or screen? I have made a couple of prototypes using both copper & aluminum from fairly thin sheet. They're basically a circle the size of a puck, with three tabs (the height of the puck). Take two of these and fold the tabs, put two together alternating the tabs and spot weld and grind and they seem to work fine. I'm really serious about my request for suggestions or ideas. I think somthing that is resuable would be awsome. Anyone who provides input and come up with some ideas, or better yet drawings etc, that I can implement, I'll be more than happy to send you a set or two of whatever we come up with free and I'll pay the shipping! I'd really like to do this for myself and others who may be interested in the idea. I'm not out to make money, just help our hobby (eating good food!)! Obviously this isn't rocket science, and I'm sure there are lots of workable ways of making these. I still have no idea if the origial bubba pucks are solid, hollow or ? nor what their approx weight is or if there's really any limitations in that area.
Feel free to PM me or post here.
SEE MY POST IN "BRADLEY FLAVOUR BISQUETTES" SUBJECT: Save your bisquette crumbs
Hey, Coherent...
What about simply having a 2 1/4" (or whatever diameter a puck is) piece of pipe, with a very thin bottom on it (could even be out of tin, for low cost and good heat absorption?). Then just fill up the puck with whatever wood shavings you have, or even crumble some different flavor pucks in there?
Unless there is some reason I'm not aware that would make you require having a top on it?
Please also note that I don't actually have an OBS in my possesion yet, I'm waiting for it in the mail. ;D
That may or may not work. You could have a problem with them jamming because there is no top on them. You basically have a stack of pucks and the slider pushes the bottom puck into position, if there was no top to the puck, they very well could hang up on the rest of the stack.
Mike
Just my opinion but..............(http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s62/Gitster59/bp.gif)
LilSmoker.......(http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s62/Gitster59/Tip-Hat.gif)
I use two copper caps for 2 inch pipe that was cut down to 1/2 thick and never had a problem... one side is covered and the other is open
Are not most of the bubba pucks (tm) on the internet, made of aluminum?
Super heated aluminum is very bad for you. Alzheimer's anyone?
I wonder If anyone is selling stainless steel ones yet. or maybe porcelain ?
Yes they are aluminum but I would not say that the temp the puck burner provides is super heating the aluminum. Not a metallurgist here but food does not come in direct contact with the pucks so for any aluminum to get into the food, it would have to become airborne. I believe the aluminum scare for alzheimers is food that comes in contact with alumium that then leaches into the food.
Quote from: T B S on November 29, 2008, 10:30:35 PM
Are not most of the bubba pucks (tm) on the internet, made of aluminum?
Super heated aluminum is very bad for you. Alzheimer's anyone?
I wonder If anyone is selling stainless steel ones yet. or maybe porcelain ?
I'm no doctor or scientist etc, but i would have to say after reading various articles on the subject, i'm inclined to agree with Giz. I think using the aluminium (that's how we spell it over here) pucks in the Bradley would cause no more risk, or probably even less risk than using water that's been boiled in an aluminium kettle to make tea/coffee?
Here's one of the articles that i read:
http://www.alzheimers.org.uk/site/scripts/documents_info.php?documentID=99
LilSmoker......(http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s62/Gitster59/Tip-Hat.gif)
hmmm thanks for the info.
They removed all aluminium cookware and utensils from the hospital in vancouver where my wife works, My guess is to reduce any posible risk.
Aluminium is starting to sound more like asbestos to me.
Maybe its just early stages of Alzheimer's setting in.
Now, back to my Gin and Tonic
In the "for what it's worth" category, when I started prototyping what became the 'Original Bubba Puck', I considered several different mediums for an "advancing bisquette". I'll spare you the reasons for failure/not selecting of other types, and just say that I landed on the aluminum as the best all around choice. I then spec'd the puck to potential suppliers as, among other requirements, 'food grade'. As explained, food grade was dense enough to reduce exfoliation during predicted usage....(a concern that a hospital might have when removing all aluminum cookware from their building as posted above).
As most of you know, I no longer have any financial or legal ties to the Bubba Puck makers, but just thought that you might want some background on why I still use mine with no ill effect, other than not remembering my name when reporters call for interviews, baldness, an intense desire to kill and eat King Salmon, and a propensity to see how fast ANYTHING I operate on land/sea/air can really go!! ;)
I agree with giz and kummok
I use 4 aluminum bubba pucks and i dont have any drain bamage :D :D
nepas
I olny uitilze a cupole of pcuks and hvae not nitoecd aynhtnig dffirent. ;)
Quote from: Wildcat on December 03, 2008, 10:23:43 AM
I olny uitilze a cupole of pcuks and hvae not nitoecd aynhtnig dffirent. ;)
em oot tacdliW!
:D :D ;D
ekiM
I use them also, but can't remember what I used them for. ???
em oot tacdliW!
:D :D ;D
ekiM
似乎是我们大家同样的问题当我们使用 bubba 小精灵的时候
:D :D :D
evry nuffy yugs.
Quote from: got smoke? on August 22, 2008, 08:46:41 AM
Made some homemade ALUMINUM BUBBA PUCKS using some 1/4" ALUMINUM plate (actually was an aluminum skid plate from the junkyard). Used a bi-metal hole saw to cut out 2 disks. Threaded the 2 disks together with a steel lag screw to acheive the 1/2" thickness of a wood puck. Trimmed the steel lag screw flush on both sides of the puck and cleaned up any sharp edges. I made the required 3 pucks so I get that last wood puck advanced to the burn plate.
The steel lag screw center is great for magnet retreival from the feed tube or the water dish if you need. When they get too funky to wash I use my bench grinder wire wheel and they are good as new. ;D
Aluminum plate made BUBBA PUCKS... it will looks very clean and weight less...
_________________
aluminum plate (http://www.preciseplate.com)
Just finished them up last night.
(http://i299.photobucket.com/albums/mm298/roadkink_al/Smoking/alumpucks.jpg)
Quote from: Roadking on March 08, 2009, 10:51:58 AM
Just finished them up last night.
(http://i299.photobucket.com/albums/mm298/roadkink_al/Smoking/alumpucks.jpg)
Good job RoadKing! 8)
Mike
yes it is. Those will work.
nepas
I too made my own "Bubba Pucks"... peice of 8" aluminum, 1/2" thick x 2 1/2" wide, cut 3 pucks with a 2 1/4" hole saw.... yeah, that took forever, a little dressing up on the grinder and polishing wheel. Total cost $10. Would have actually bought them except for $28 for the pucks and $24 to ship, all US dollars. Seemed a little exspensive. You can actually buy 2 1/4" aluminun round rod and just slice them off, but it's about $60 a foot.
Or you take a ride to where assembly plants or factories are. You'd be surprised what they throw out. Made mine for free just cost me some time and being retire I've got allot of time on my hands.
Sometimes its good to have time on your hands ;D
nepas
Quote from: NePaSmoKer on April 05, 2009, 12:16:25 PM
Sometimes its good to have time on your hands ;D
nepas
You and I wouldn't know, would we! :o ;D :o ;D
I cut a puck out of plywood then paste aluminum foil over it....works great!
George
Hey guys, here's a cheap solution to bubba pucks, only $5 to make and a few mins of your time. Go to your local hardware store, get the aluminum flat steel 1/8" x 1/2" x 3'. Use your vise grips and your bench vice. bend the aluminum steel around till its approx 2 - 1/4", cut it off and you're done ! hope this helps !
Well I have 6 of them, but before i did i was using regular Black plumbing pipe with a 2 1/4 out side diameter. Slice with a hack saw or saws all and they work great. Even 2 1/4 wooden dowel rod foil wrapped would work.
Quote from: Crackerssouth on April 05, 2009, 10:26:52 AM
I too made my own "Bubba Pucks"... peice of 8" aluminum, 1/2" thick x 2 1/2" wide, cut 3 pucks with a 2 1/4" hole saw.... yeah, that took forever, a little dressing up on the grinder and polishing wheel. Total cost $10. Would have actually bought them except for $28 for the pucks and $24 to ship, all US dollars. Seemed a little exspensive. You can actually buy 2 1/4" aluminun round rod and just slice them off, but it's about $60 a foot.
Not sure which pucks you were looking at, but they are under $23 with free shipping on ebay right now. Just search 'bradley pucks' on ebay to find them.
Quote from: coherent on August 22, 2008, 11:44:01 AM
hmmm... I'm still "practicing" with my OBS, but can see what a help using these "Bubba Pucks" would be. I have a cnc plasma cutting business and can cut and weld about any shape etc. Has anyone tried fabricating their own? Saw that aluminum was used for these. I suppose that's to keep the weight down? Heat retention too? I have lots of aluminum sheet, copper sheet, steel sheet and so on. Are the originals solid or hollow? Obviously solid round aluminum bar that diameter would work if sliced but would cost more and be heavier... Seems like I could fabricate some hollow ones out of copper or aluminum that would be light and disperse heat quickly for an awful lot less? Any thoughts or ideas regarding weight or type metal and would others be interested if I could pass on/offer in sets of three to forum members cheaper (close to fabricating cost/shipping)?
sign me up
Quote from: dirt1008 on March 13, 2013, 04:03:43 AM
Quote from: coherent on August 22, 2008, 11:44:01 AM
hmmm... I'm still "practicing" with my OBS, but can see what a help using these "Bubba Pucks" would be. I have a cnc plasma cutting business and can cut and weld about any shape etc. Has anyone tried fabricating their own? Saw that aluminum was used for these. I suppose that's to keep the weight down? Heat retention too? I have lots of aluminum sheet, copper sheet, steel sheet and so on. Are the originals solid or hollow? Obviously solid round aluminum bar that diameter would work if sliced but would cost more and be heavier... Seems like I could fabricate some hollow ones out of copper or aluminum that would be light and disperse heat quickly for an awful lot less? Any thoughts or ideas regarding weight or type metal and would others be interested if I could pass on/offer in sets of three to forum members cheaper (close to fabricating cost/shipping)?
sign me up
4 year old post and some of these members dont even come around anymore so you may be SOL unless you buy from someone online.
I made my own by taking a 1 1/4 rigid aluminum pipe coupling and cut it the thickness of the pucks have used them twice now and they work great to safe pucks that don't need burned up.
I'm still around, the ones I made on the CNC plasma cutter work well still. I have a couple of friends who recently bought Bradly's and I made them each a set using a different technique. This time we ordered some 2 1/4" round aluminum stock and sliced it just oversize, then surfaced on a small lathe I have to the right thickness. They were easier than the first ones I made and look nicer, but don't work any different. I guess I could always get creative with the mill to put some designs or holes to lighten them if needed, but hasn't been an issue. I just haven't had the time to make a bunch. I work full time and seems I always have other projects that have taken priority. Wish I could retire and have more time. As I read through the posts I saw a lot of great alternatives mentioned that I think would all work equally well and serve the basic purpose of pushing the pucks through the smoker. I seem to get carried away with ideas at times and in reality, the simple ways work just as good. The aluminum ones worked, but were about $5 per set of 3 my cost and about and hour or two time. If I ever get the time to make a bunch (for low cost) I'll post something here. One thing folks might try, is that I noticed the seller on Ebay I bought the aluminum bar from also sold smaller pieces/slices. My guess is if you asked him if he would slice them to the correct thickness he would and your final cost would be about 75 cents each if you a small group buy of even 9-12 pieces, and a third of that cost shipping. Less if you get more. The cuts on the aluminum I received was better than I can do with my horizontal bandsaw and would work fine. The aluminum is cheap... the labor to cut and the shipping are what costs.