Projects 3

BUILDING A ROASTING BOX

I designed my roasting box a little differently to include a grill top that rests over the fire tray that holds the charcoal or wood. That way I can use the top as a cooking surface, so the box becomes an entire cooking station with everything I need to cook for a crowd. I also designed it to be about a foot longer than a Caja China to accommodate a lamb, which tends to be longer than a pig when it’s stretched out. To make your own caja, follow the dimensions set forth in the diagrams given and make sure to follow the carpenter’s creed: Measure twice, cut once.

Roasting Box Build-It Kit

2 sheets 3/4-inch plywood (preferably maple plywood)

Drywall T-square

Carpenter’s pencil

Protective eyewear

Circular saw

Two 8-by-4-foot sheets .040-thick aluminum sheet metal

Leather work gloves

Sheet-metal cutters

Sheet-metal circular saw blade (optional)

Fine-tipped Sharpie or other marker

4 yards 1/8-inch-thick, 24-inch-wide ceramic fiber paper for insulation (optional)

Rubber mallet

1 scrap piece of 2-by-4 wood

One 1-pound box aluminum tacks

Power drill with 3/16-inch metal drill bit

Metal epoxy bonding adhesive

One 1-pound box 11/2-inch deck screws

Caulking gun

1 tube high-temperature food-safe silicone sealant

2-by-5-foot grill top (for fire pan)

One 1-pound box 3/4-inch electro-galvanized steel roofing nails

OPTIONAL

Heavy-duty locking casters

Heavy-duty handles, including hardware

Wood stain or anything else you would like to use to embellish the box