Here's an action shot of me welding part of the unit. Caution! This photo was taken using the automatic timer on the camera. It is unsafe to photograph a welding arc manually.
In this photo I've welded on the metal "boxes" which work as wind shields for the flame. They also work somewhat like chimneys by further directing the heat and flames straight up to the bottom of the pots.
Here's a look at one of the burners installed. Notice how the angle brace had to be modified to avoid the burner stem. That was a result of me welding quickly without thinking about interference from other parts.
Here's one of the burners fired up. Notice that the flame is uneven. That is one of the problems with straight burners. The gas flow is not as balanced as with the round burners. But it still worked great. It's 23 minutes until the first batch of fries is done starting with cold oil. Each following batch of fries is about 5 minutes 'til done (using the 9" diameter fryer basket).
Here is a turkey fryer set that I bought. I bought it just for the pot since I couldn't find a tall, narrow pot sold separately. I only used the pot and a lifting hook from this set. Everything else is useless to me (except the burner which I used only as comparison for my homebuilt versions). The second pot is a standard 30 quart stock pot purchased from a restaurant supply store.
Here are the baskets that the food is fried in. I bought these used from a place that sells used restaurant equipment. One is 9" diameter and the other is almost 12". The handles originally pointed outward like a cooking pot's handle but I heated and straightened them so I can lower them into the bottom of deep pots. The strainer tool was purchased new and works well for gathering fries that float out of the basket in the oil. New fryer baskets can be purchased from the following website; FryBasketWorld.com. I learned of this site after I bought the used ones.
The skimmer works great for collecting the loose fries from the oil or gently lowering food into the oil. I guess I could even fry things directly in the oil without the basket.
Here's a small basket load of fries fresh out the oil ready for a sprinkle of salt. Scrumptious. Back to part 1