Consult the sketches posted in thread # 5 of 13 of http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/55027/hinges-for-smoker-doors.
The diagrams will show you how to layout the main chamber opening and explain the cut/weld sequence for proper fitup & distortion control.

Not a smoker pro fabricator, but currently preparing a design/build.
Many welders here have fabricated some impressive smokers. They should be able to get you back on track and recover from your sprung geometry. Also, be sure to access the smoker build thread on the forum for additional insight.

Best fortune with your smoker build.

 

Also, check out the smoker build thread started by amusik. I think post #11,#12,#14 should fix you right up.

 

Thats what I did to the back side of my door. Mine was 3/8" so you shouldn't need that much heat. Do one line and let it sit overnight.
For the trim, I tack it every 6" and then fill in 6"-8" on each side of the door each day until its done. I also spot/tack weld it instead of running a solid bead. Looks a little cooler and keeps the heat lower.

Now I have to update that thread tonight...been slacking

 

amusick, when you ran the diagonal beads to take out the warp, did you grind them flat afterwards? Or would that bring the warping back? I would suppose that if you did grind them, you would not let grinding heat build up and complicate things.

 

I did grind them flat.

The welds themselves are not what brings it back into shape, just the heat . I did the welds on the back so the heat would draw the door back closed. Same thing you notice when you weld a tab on something, it always wants to go toward the heat.

I started with the door closed and marked a line from where it came out of line on each plane, opened the door and connected the dots as a guide for the weld. Each time it got closer and that's why they are spaced the way they are.

I don't know if letting them sit overnight was necessary or not but I definitely did not want to screw it up more during my "fix".

Didn't worry about grinding heat when I knocked the welds off, I had my Ironman 230 pegged when I ran those welds and it still took a few so I knew the grinder wouldn't introduce near that amount of heat.

Sorry if that's a lousy explanation brother, I'm not exactly a wordsmith.

 

Put the flange on the door opening, not the door itself. Much harder to warp a steel pipe than a thin slice of the pipe.

 

Just use a big, semi flat faced hammer and smack them back into compliance after the fact.

 

If you have a TIG you can use it to pull the door back in shape. Don't have to use filler so there is nothing to grind off afterwards.
You are just heating it and letting it cool and it will shrink toward the side you heated. Could be done with an O/A or O/P torch as well.

 

amusick,

Your explanation of grinding out the welds was very clear. Thanks for the info...for future reference when I warp something..