Have an old cookshack smoker, thinking about refurbishment.

Check tour heating coil by turning it on at night and then see if it glows a solid red. If it is even, then it probably the thermostat.  They are easy to replace.

Another possibility since you opened it up, you may have kinked the capillary tube  on the thermostat.  If so, a replacement will be required.  You can find one in the spare parts section.

As far as insulation, any high temp will work.  I prefer a fiberglass or ceramic kiln insulation.

And if you want to make it a super smoker, you can get an Auber PID that has wifi to replace the analog thermostat so you can control the smoker with your phone, change temps on the fly etc.  (I like my analog, so haven't done this.)

Another expense is to change the grates to stainless steel from the nickel plated originals.  That is one thing I did do.

This? https://www.amazon.com/Auber-I...ps%2C159&sr=8-10

Also if I do get the auber thermostat will I need more parts than what's in that Amazon link?

Is Cookshack the only place to get the stainless grates? Just curious because if they are on Amazon or they already have all of my info haha.

The Cookshack grates will fit for sure, don't know about any from fleabay or amazon.

The only other parts would be connectors and a switch to bypass the thermostat if you want.  Check out smokingmeat forum for threads on how to bypass the onboard thermostat for analog smokers.

The smoker is currently fluctuating between 165 to 215 or so with the dial on max temperature. If that provides any clues.

Did you have a heat sink in the smoker with those temp swings?  Either a small roast or brick?  An empty smoker will have greater fluctuations than one with something in it.

The link below lists manuals and such. You will also find wiring diagrams one of which might apply to your smoker. The Auber you have selected should do the trick.  Please visit the Auber site and read the instructions there on its use.  There should be a couple of manuals.

https://cookshack.com/pages/manuals-instructions://cookshack.com/pages/manuals-instructions

I don't see my smoker on there.  It's really old.

Yeah I had a pork roast in there, was not expecting that much temperature swing though.

Can you post a picture?  Maybe an old timer will pop in and can help. As for stainless steel racks, they will be expensive no matter where you source them.

Here it is

Most of the Cookshack smokers have a sticker on the back of them that will show the model number, serial number, and date of manufacture.  The 14"x14" racks and the thermostat makes me think that it might be a SMO 50 or 55.  SMO 009 only has 1 latch for the door.   

Hope this helps:

https://www.bbqguys.com/item_item_490.html

https://www.yumpu.com/en/docum...0-or-sm055-cookshack

Ok thanks, for some reason I can only see half of the manual, any idea if there is a cover that will fit it?

Here is a link to the cover on Cookshacks website https://cookshack.com/collecti...ver-models-sm050-055

Stainless steel cooking grates:  PV011SS: Stainless Steel Grill: SM008-SM009-2, Series 50, Series 70 - Cookshack BBQ .

Thermostat: PA300: Thermostat: SM008, SM009, SM050, SM055 - Cookshack BBQ .

Vent: PV148: Stainless Steel Vent Assembly:  Residential Electrics - Cookshack BBQ .

Just FYI I recently ordered a bunch of new parts from cookshack $400+ lol ss racks, woodbox, cover, also buying a used Sm150 for more capacity.

The SS racks are the best investment I've made for my smoker. I can clean them easily and quickly with a scotchbrite pad with no worries about messing with the chrome. Perfect every time.

So, today I took the smoker apart myself, well as far as I could get anyway.  Doesn't look like the front comes off (at least not easily) but I have enough space to get the new insulation in there by bending the sides out a bit.  The insulation was about 1/2 gone I assume due to rodents.  Gonna pressure wash it tomorrow.

Ordered a chunk 316 stainless square tube to put new casters on it.  Looks like I will need a new vent, new thermostat, new thermostat knob, possibly a new heating element (grinding the screws off tomorrow to see if I can salvage it, but can't get the big nuts off either)

Inside the smoker I'm not exactly sure how it was set up around the heating element, there are two small pieces of rusty metal that came off from that area somewhere, maybe something to align it with the smokebox...

Enjoy your new hobby!  Too ambitious for me.

Ok, well couldn't get the heating element out so will be replacing it, also here's a picture of the inside, not exactly sure what I need to get to fix this part.  I assume that's for holding up the wood box housing....

Oh, the smoker is upside down if it isn't obvious.

@oldsarge posted:

Enjoy your new hobby!  Too ambitious for me.

I don't want to throw it out for no reason, all of the parts are a couple hundred bucks total but the smoker would probably be around 2000+ these days.  I recently ordered all new stainless steel racks for it so I'm already somewhat invested in it.  Plus it's an all stainless or it is now that I've replaced the back with a stainless panel. The only thing that isn't stainless is that part in the picture and some support tubing in the door. 

It is a classic for sure.  Happy smoking!