# Building A Spit/rotisserie



## robbo5253 (17/3/10)

Hey all,

A mate and I are looking to build a small/medium size spit, possibly out of an old 18 gallon keg.
We want it so it is still semi portable.
Has anyone made one of these or have a good idea.
Looking to use a windscreen wiper motor and thinking adjustable height but still want to use the lid.

Once it gets under way I will try and post photos as we go.

Cheers

Robbo


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## Supra-Jim (17/3/10)

An uncle of mine has one of these. Cut the keg down the middle (top to bottom), and then hinge it. I'm pretty sure he used one of the commerical electric spit motors you can buy off the shelf. I think he then installed a gas burner in the bottom half. Handle on the top half, made a frame to support it, then gave it a good polish.

Put wheels on one end of the frame and a handle on the other, and bang its portable.

Cheers SJ


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## Ducatiboy stu (17/3/10)

Falcon wipper motor is perfect..XA-XF is what your after

Will run all day on a car battery


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## browndog (17/3/10)

Here is one I made from some stainless sheet, I used a motor I bought from BBQ galore, they sell the same style motor that runs on 240V or batteries so you can swap them over and take it out bush.








cheers

Browndog


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## Fents (18/3/10)

few guys round my way have them. cut the keggle in half, hinge it and weld legs on. buy a spit motor or use a car wiper motor as suggested. then just make a rack so the meat sits off the bottom and load it with coals/heatbeads and your away.


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## robbo5253 (18/3/10)

Hey All,

Cheers for the responses, do you think it needs to be height adjustable or just use the coals to modify the temp?
Have looked at one with an adjustable coal bed and was going to maybe use a car scissor jack to lower and raise.
This would allow the motor, meat & lid to stay in the same spot all the time. But thinking it wont be so portable then.

Cheers

Robbo


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## MVZOOM (18/3/10)

I wouldnt bother with height adjustment, you wont need it. Best to use coals to moderate heat, IMHO. Simple spits are often best, concentrate on a good spitting pole and clamps.

Cheers - Mike


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## Ducatiboy stu (18/3/10)

Open wood fired always taste best, you cant beat a bed of Ironbark coals for heat and flavour, and you dont actually need that much wood

If you go the wiper motor route, you will need to steal an old 10 speed pushie, use the smallest cog on the motor, and the largest on the shaft, the cut the chain to suite... will give you the perfect speed...and you wont need counter weights... have done some BIG pigs and never had an issues with them stopping or slipping...


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## jdonly1 (21/3/10)

Kegs make good little spits


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## ledgenko (31/1/12)

An odd question but is the lid necessary ??? could you not weld the two halves together and make a big long spit with the same motor etc?? that way you could do a whole pig or lamb or goat ..... :icon_drool2: 

and drink a few vinos or beers whilst enjoying the sexy aroma of cooking meat!!!

Matt


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## mxd (31/1/12)

ledgenko said:


> An odd question but is the lid necessary ??? could you not weld the two halves together and make a big long spit with the same motor etc?? that way you could do a whole pig or lamb or goat ..... :icon_drool2:
> 
> Matt




no, the lid helps with heat so it's an an oven as well I guess ?

I have a small gas spit (keg size) with a lid that I leave open for some of the time and want to make one, just for somehting to do , then do a Ugly Drum Smoker as well


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## DU99 (31/1/12)

the lid reflects heat back onto the meat


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## Tony (31/1/12)

I have had this sitting in my backyard waiting to be built for a few years now. I was talking to a fella ar work getting ideas on how to do the heating and he said he bought some of the heating radient bar type things that go in BBQ's on the back edge..... and mounted them in the back of the rotisary pointing at the side of the meat.

I kind of like the idea of a gas burner in the bottom under a wire rack covered in volcanised rock

My wife had a cheap BBQ when we met and it was old and rooted. I chucked the rusted BBQ body out and kept the frame for this. Plan to paint the metal frame and replace the timber.

Oh and browndog........... :wub: :icon_drool2:


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## browndog (1/2/12)

Tony said:


> I have had this sitting in my backyard waiting to be built for a few years now. I was talking to a fella ar work getting ideas on how to do the heating and he said he bought some of the heating radient bar type things that go in BBQ's on the back edge..... and mounted them in the back of the rotisary pointing at the side of the meat.
> 
> I kind of like the idea of a gas burner in the bottom under a wire rack covered in volcanised rock
> 
> ...



I made my gas burner with a piece of 1" by 1" square tube with 1/8 holes drilled along the length every 1". Both ends were capped off then a hole drilled in one end to take an adjustable gas cock to be brazed in, so easy.

Stainless is so lovely hey...


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## matho (2/2/12)

it's funny how things happen sometimes, I was only thinking last week that i could make a spit out of the stainless steel sheet that i have under the house.

thanks for the inspiration brown dog 

cheers


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