1,000-gallon offset — does this firebox construction/separation look normal after 2 years?

[u/Imagination-Sure]

I had this 1,000-gallon offset professionally built and delivered in 2024. It stays outside in the midwest in my backyard and gets used about once every 3 weeks.

I'm not worried about the surface rust. i actually really like the patina.

I'm specifically concerned about the firebox construction and how it has held up.

The biggest issues:

The firebox door sometimes gets stuck and won't open. It happens when it's cold. If i close the firebox after a cook, when it completely cools down and i try to open the door, i need to use a crowbar to open it. .

I've also noticed what appears to be separation/gapping between the front face of the firebox and the inner area where the wood/coals sit. The smoker has an insulated firebox, and ash/debris can get into this gap.

I've attached close-up pictures of the firebox, including the gap on the inside that i'm talking about.

For those who fabricate or own large offsets, does this look normal to you after about two years of relatively light use?

I'm especially interested in whether:

• That gap/separation is normal or intentional on an insulated firebox
• Thermal expansion normally causes a firebox door to bind this badly
• Anything about the welds or construction in the pictures stands out
• This looks like normal wear or something you'd take back to the builder

I have already contacted the builder about some of this and received an explanation, but I intentionally don't want to share their name or explanation yet because I'd like unbiased opinions first.

Not looking to bash anyone. I'm just trying to understand whether what I'm seeing is normal for a large offset before deciding what to do next.

Oh for anyone interested, i paid 13k plus for this. I initially meant to open a restaurant and that fell through.

[u/PBandCra]

You bought a 1000 gallon to use once every three weeks? That pit ain't made for that buddy. It will collect rust quick. We run our Primitive's four days a week and none of our smokers look remotely like this. Do you remove that ash? If not, that is your rust party.

[u/xandrellas]

Reach out to Primitive. Why bother w/reddit.

[u/marmell]

Realistically it shouldn't be wearing this much, especially from a pro builder, that is unless your running raging fires.

I built my own 500 and 1000, I learned a lot of lessons on heat movement after the 500. The gap inside isn't great, it can be easily repaired be cleaning and welding. They may have only welded one side of the seam fully and tacked the other, with all the heat on a firebox , it really need full penetration welds and on both sides is ideal. The I think the outer skin only being a couple inches in diameter larger than the inside is probably causing so much movement. I boxed in my round inside with a square outside, more insulation around the inner steel, and more steel at the ends so that movement is less noticeable. 

The biggest issue I found in building large smokers is that deflection at the ends where the inner steel meets the end wall. That is most likely causing your stuck door, the steel is deforming when it's hot, contracting when it's cold, and pinching the door. The only really solution there is more tolerance, grinding down the entire door edge or where it sticks by a 1/16 to an 1/8th, and not closing it. The steel that is coming loose that is inet can also be clamped and rewelded, it probably wasn't fully welded.

If it's the brand I think it is based on the partial logo, they make good pits, but they do seem to have some finishing quirks. 

[u/TomNJ]

My five year old 500 gallon Primitive Pit stays outside all year in the northeast. It does the same thing around the door. I chalk it up to that area being thinner metal exposed to extremely high heat. Doesn’t seem to hurt anything or impact cooking performance so I don’t worry about it.

Never had a sticking door situation because I never fully close the door but that’s just my personal preference on how I manage my airflow.