after looking at dehydrators and what they cost, I'm considering building my own smoker dehydrator -- can't be that hard. Box with a low heat source with some stainless racks??
Question is have you built one of your own ???
If not I might do a build up and post progress on here.
I have seen a couple of homeade designs from the internet that were just cardboard boxes lined with foil and a light bulb.
Not exactly my idea of safe.
If I'm gonna do one I'll make one all the redneck jerky junkies on here could be proud of.

nobody ever built one???
goive a brotha a hand here
gimmie an idea!
Gimmie an AMEN
wait-- save that for Sunday

I have never built one, but it shouldn't be very hard. The main thing would be having a heating element that would be controlable.

I sat here and thought about it and this is what I came up with.

Get a refigerator that doesn't work, drill some holes in the top to let the heat and moisture out. You can use the shelves that are already in place. Where the freezer compartment is, use a saws-all and cut an opening in this partition, to let the air flow pass.

The heating element could be a simple electric charcoal starter element. This might get a little too hot as they get red hot. Simply put a rheostat or dimmer knob in between the power supply and the element. This should allow you to turn down the power to the element.

If you were worried about the plastic lining the inside of the refrigerator, just rip it all out. You could set the element in a skillit and put wood chips or damp sawdust for the smoke. It might be a good idea to set the skillit on some bricks too.

Once you tear out the plastic, the shelves might not have a place to rest on. If this is the case, just drill some holes in the sides and run steel rods through the sides of the box and you should be good to go. If you needed more shelves, it wouldn't be hard to find them. The shelve will be chrome plated so this would help with the clean up.

The next thing you would need is a good thermometer to install in the upper 1/3rd. of the box. You're going to need to get one that will read up to about, say 200 degrees, but most of time you would be operating at around 140 degrees or less.

This is how I would go about it, and its just my opinion. Maybe someone can build a better one. This set-up would not cost very much at all

And it would be TOP-FUEL REDNECK

If you find a 'how to guide' let me know. Or just build two! HA HA!

I'll bet Bayourat could come up with something also. I have seen his posts and they are spot-on. I kinda get the feeling that he and I think a whole lot alike.

I thought about the old fridge but I dont like the idea of all the plastic. But a homeade wood box isn't much better. I will come up with something or just go buy a cheapo round dehydrator

Just tear out the plastic and you are good to go. I have no idea what a dehydrator cost. If you bought one that was big enough to do anything at all, it would probablly be $100.00 or more. Hey it's your nickle

With the refrigerator, you would be able to do a large quanity of meat at one time, as opposed to a small batch with a wal-mart special.

WE BUILT OUR SMOKER OUT OF A 5X5 BY 8 FT TALL WOOD BOX BUILT A DOOR IN IT AND USED METAL RODS TO HANG MEAT AND WE BUILD A FIRE IUTSIDE THE BOX AND BURN YOURE CHOICE OF WOOD AND SHOVEL COALS IN AS NEEDED PUT A BBQ THERMOMETER IN DOOR TO KEEP TEMP RITE AND WEVE MADE SOME GOOD SUASAGE DONT REALLY HAVE TO MAKE THAT TALL 6FT WOULD BE PERFECT

I was refering more to a dehydrator than a smoker. but yeah it could be used for the same.

I have a freind that made one (smokehouse) that is just an angle iron frame about 4' wide x8' long and 5' tall, with a pitched roof or top. He put hinges on the peak and one side of the top lifts up. The whole thing is covered with r-panel tin. It doesen't have a bottom, it just sits on the ground.

He dug a hole and burried 1/3rd. of a barrel bottom in the hole. then dug a trench deep enough bury a 10" pipe about 5' long. this pipe was welded into the side of the barrel section and the other end was left open on the other end of the trench. The smoke house was positioned over this open end of the pipe.

I have used it many times to smoke sausage. you just build a small fire in the barrel and when it gets to burning pretty good, just cover the barrel, which is flush with the ground with a peice of sheet metal or tin.

It helps to put a few coals in the smokehouse to generate enough heat to make the air rise and get the pipe to draw the smoke. You dont need a chimmney cause the r-panel will have enough gaps.

Plus its not permanent you could move it if you had to, just dig the pipe and barrel up.

I would say that you don't even need the barrel just a good size hole and cover the pipe with dirt

google "home-made dehydrator" or "biltong". There are several how-to's, many with drawings.

I finally made a decision to build my own-- #1 reason.
I had / have most of the materials on hand, and I am a cheap a*zz. The store bought variety started around $50.00. I am convinced that I can build a much nicer one for much less money.
I would like to thank Laura AKA campcook. I looked up Biltong and it seems easy enough.
I decided to build mine out of MDF and I found Handy panels at the Depot cut 2'X 4'X 1/2". It may have been cheaper to buy the 4X8 sheet but it was easier to handle the 4 pieces. Cost at this point $26.
I will post up pics later this evening. So you can all marvel at my less than spectacular carpentry skills.

when i was a kid my old man made a smoker out of an old refridgerator, the kind with only one door like a 1960's model. i don't remember much about it... i think everything was stripped and i remember we built the fire in a bucket in the bottom.

As promised
If your interested in what i'm building -- here are the pictures

The materials I started with

The start of the box



added the sides

bottom box for the light bulb

wheels

cover




I used plenty of liquid nails -- I love that stuff.
If you notice I used reinforcements and my pneumatic finish nailer. Much easier on MDF. I have tried to build it right but i'm not out for looks on this project.

I wanted to add that when I have a construction project. Like my kitchen remodel I almost never throw anything away if I can help it. A big portion of the materials you see are re-cycled. That will help keep the cost of this project within my budjet of CHEEP.

Lookin Good Bro !

I rushed it a bit today and built a rack for the top to hang the pieces from. I am using butcher string to tie the pieces together then hang the strings from the rack. I put a small heater inside the box to speed things up a bit. It already smells good. I'll put up more pics when I have time to take more.

Let us know how you come out on this deal.

I decided to use up the wild turkey breast I had and make it into jerkey, so I made up the marinade for it a couple of days ago.

1tbsp of claudes fajita marinade (very concentrated stuff)
1/2c. soy sauce
1/2c. brown sugar
shake of garlic powder
shot of wostershire sauce
1/2 c. of water
2-3 TBSP sea or kosher salt

I sliced the turkey into 1/4 in. strips and put in a ziploc with the marinade for 2-3 days and keep in fridge.
I used this recipe with some venison jerkey I made a few years back and it was really good.
I hope my dehydrator works out.
I already have plans for mods later to make it better --- faster--- stronger

Keep us posted on the smoker/jerky

I boned out and sliced up the hind quarter from my buck.
I made up a big batch of marinade and sliced the meat from the quarter into 1/4" strips. It made up 2 big gallon size ziploc bags. probably 3~4 Lb each.
I tested the turkey this morning.
Not bad but could use more salt.
I think when i hang the venison to dry I will add some dry rub to some of it.
I am also going to get one of those little cast iron chip smokers.

Pics of the dehydrator in action.
Tom on a string

VERY COOL.......I'm going to try and steal Your idea

When you get ready let me know I may have made modifications that work better. No need to steal I'm more than happy to share.
Here is what I know so far that I will change.
I think i wiil move the rack down some. I will put two heat lamps On top instead of bottom. I will add a small muffin fan to move air inside cabinet. I can then do away with the little space heater (dangerous)
with one lamp in this cabinet I only get up to about 120Deg.
More later.
Tomorrow -- hang the venison jerkey!

How did the food taste?

Not bad
Not sure if it was because the turkey had the gamey taste or my recipe was off a little but it could have used more salt. Not a lot but then this is a work in progress. hafta experiment here some. I'll put the Venison jerkey in tomorrow and I'll add some salt and pepper on the outside.