I have some nice cast iron grill pieces from some old grill, and plan on making a basic open grill (about 36"x18"). Welding up some angle iron is no problem for the grates, but pondering how to make the legs easily adjustable, for adjusting distance to the coals/fire.

I have various sizes of angle iron, square and rectangular tubing, to use.

Any ideas / pics?

GSS said:

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I have some nice cast iron grill pieces from some old grill, and plan on making a basic open grill (about 36"x18"). Welding up some angle iron is no problem for the grates, but pondering how to make the legs easily adjustable, for adjusting distance to the coals/fire.

I have various sizes of angle iron, square and rectangular tubing, to use.

Any ideas / pics?

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If you have pieces of tubing that will slide inside each other, Drill a hole in the larger on then weld a nut over the hole .place the smaller inside a tighten it in place with a bolt through the nut

Had a guy when I worked at a weld shop use this concept. Just a round tube with a washer and a tab that kicks it at an angle to lock. Jack bolt was primarily just to keep it from raising up and unlocking.

I did this. 1in rod and 1in pipe. used some old 350 chevy head bolts to make t-handle set screws(set-bolts?). works great.

Depends, do you want one or two people to operate it? I'm assuming you want to be able to adjust it mid-cook? That'd be difficult with some of the options presented so far. You can do the set screw, but that SOB is going to get hot, too, so make sure it's bulky enough to operate with gloves. You'll also need some sort of marking system so each leg is the right height.

The easiest to build is to build a Modified rack Of the type like you used to see in grills that you found in a public park. Easily done by anyone with basic welding knowledge with a few pieces of square tubing and some angle iron. Easy to just move it up or down a notch. Something like this, but in stead of cutting the holes out, you build four racks of angle iron. On this you adjust the grate instead of the legs.

https://premierpolysteel.com/product/pedestal-outdoor-grills/

The best way and easiest to operate in the future would be to make a gaucho/Santa Maria grill with a wheel to crank it up and down, but that doesn't meet your material requirements. Something like the ones found here:

https://www.smokingmeatforums.com/threads/santa-maria-grill-question.156254/

Buck Compton said:

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Depends, do you want one or two people to operate it? I'm assuming you want to be able to adjust it mid-cook? That'd be difficult with some of the options presented so far. You can do the set screw, but that SOB is going to get hot, too, so make sure it's bulky enough to operate with gloves. You'll also need some sort of marking system so each leg is the right height.

The easiest to build is to build a Modified rack Of the type like you used to see in grills that you found in a public park. Easily done by anyone with basic welding knowledge with a few pieces of square tubing and some angle iron. Easy to just move it up or down a notch. Something like this, but in stead of cutting the holes out, you build four racks of angle iron. On this you adjust the grate instead of the legs.

https://premierpolysteel.com/product/pedestal-outdoor-grills/

The best way and easiest to operate in the future would be to make a gaucho/Santa Maria grill with a wheel to crank it up and down, but that doesn't meet your material requirements. Something like the ones found here:

https://www.smokingmeatforums.com/threads/santa-maria-grill-question.156254/

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I just wear a welding glove on one hand to adjust mine. Also mine was made to use over a fire pit. It's big enough to make a hot area and a cool area by pushing the coals to one side.