Upgrading the Charcoal Smoker to Electric v3.0

Recently, while trying to smoke my first buckboard bacon, I had issues of keeping the temp low and steady. I wanted to smoke the pork shoulder without actually cooking the bacon.

 This led me to do some research and I found my smoker was also designed to use an electric heating element.

 After some searching I found the element at Cabela's for about $40 (cheaper then buying a whole new electric smoker).

 After some modifications, I did an initial heating test with an oven thermometer on the top rack where the pork shoulder would be sitting.

 The element plate comes right back out and I can use charcoal on my next smoke if I choose.

 I plan on replacing the temporary pie pan with a 10" cast iron "skillet".

The electric element with the holes drilled and six bolts in place. The allows the wood chip pan to sit right above, but not on, the heating element.

A temporary pie pan with apple chips for the initial testing.

The element plate sits in the factory grooves cut into the legs of the charcoal smoker. It can also be moved up and used as an electric grill but I have no intentions of doing that.

A close up of the bolt head height above the element. These are 3" bolts. I may change them to 2½" bolts in the future to close the gap.

After running for an hour the temp is holding steady at 175°. This is perfect for smoking bacon without cooking it.

Version 2.0 - adding cast iron griddle as wood tray and lowering tray height by replacing bolts.

10" diameter cast iron griddle

Handle cut off of griddle

Cut area polished on my belt sander. Area was oiled with vegetable oil to prevent rusting prior to heating test.

3" bolts removed and replaced with 2½" bolts to lower griddle closer to heating element.

Still not close enough to heating element to get wood/chips/pellets to smoke. Will have to try 2" bolts and maybe a washer in the future. 

Version 3.0 - Swapped out 2½" bolts for 2" bolts. This allows for the weight of the cast iron griddle to sit on the bolt heads and the flex of the element to sit just under the griddle. Now I can run the element in the leg grooves, which gives me the 175° temp range I'm looking for whole smoking buckboard bacon , or put it into the charcoal pan spot on top of the legs to get into the 220-225° range for slow cooking with smoke. I always have the option of removing the whole electric element and using charcoal.

2" bolts allow the wood tray to sit in the position I was looking for.

Electric element and wood tray set in the top position and still have clearance of the water pan, leaving the option to add more wood chips, chunks or pellets.

Another view of everything in the upper position.