10/2/2020
How to Build La Caja China - Goodie Godmother
YIELD: 1 PIG ROASTER
How to Build La Caja China
How to Build a Caja China, aka, Pig Roasting Box. This tutorial
will show you how to build your own pig roasting box to roast a
whole pig without a pit. Part 1 of a 3 part series documenting
how to build a pig roaster, source a whole pig, and roast a
whole pig.
Materials
1 sheet of plywood, .75" thick
1 box of #8 1.5" wood screws
2 boxes of #8 0.5" stainless steel sheet metal screws
(ungalvanized)
1 roll of 14" wide flash aluminum
1 roll of heavy-duty aluminum foil
2 eight-foot L-shaped aluminum rods, no thicker than 16-gauge
2 1x3 furring strips, 8 feet long
2 1x2 furring strips, 8 feet long
1 48"x24" sheet of ungalvanized steel, 16-gauge (20-gauge preferred)
2 casters, optional
2 wheelbarrow handles, optional
3-4 bricks
2 17"x25" oven or smoker racks
4 2.75" S-hooks
Tools
Circular Saw
Metal-cutting Circular Saw
Philips head Screwdriver
Power drill with wood-boring and metal-boring bits
Staple gun
Instructions
1. Pre-cut your plywood to obtain the following:
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a. 1 48”x24” sheet (the bottom side)
b. 2 48”x15” sheets (the long sides)
c. 2 24”x15” sheets (the short sides)
d. Keep the excess plywood to make legs and attach the wheels/casters if desired
2. Pre-cut both 1x3 and 1x2 furring strips to the following:
a. Two 6’ lengths and two 2’ lengths
3. Pre-cut the L-shaped aluminum rods to form the following brackets:
a. Two 46” lengths and two 12” lengths
b. Keep the excess L-shaped aluminum rods if desired
4. Construct the wooden box in such a way that the long sides rest on top of the bottom side, not
beside it. The bottom of the short sides should be flush with the bottom side. To fasten, drill pilot
holes every eight inches and use the #8 1.5” wood screws. The box should look like the long sides
sitting higher than the short sides.
5. Use the 14” wide roll of flash aluminum to line the inside the box from the bottom. Use the
heavy-duty aluminum foil to cover the top edges of the box. Allow the foil to go between the flash
aluminum and the interior plywood surface. You now have completed most of the box.
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6. Reinforce the sides of the box with the L-shaped aluminum brackets, with the longer brackets
along the longer sides of the box and the shorter brackets for the shorter sides. Drill pilot holes
every eight inches along both of the L-shaped sides of the brackets, and fasten the brackets to the
flash aluminum and plywood using the #8 0.5” sheet metal screws.
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7. Wrap the middle four feet of all 6’ length furring strips (both 1x3 and 1x2) with heavy-duty
aluminum foil. Use a staple gun to staple the foil to the furring strips as necessary.
8. Fasten the middle of the wider side of the 1x3 furring strips to the narrower 1x2 side of the
furring strips, thus resembling an extruded “T.” Lay down the furring strips such that they are
resting on the three-inch wide side.
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9. Line your sheet of ungalvanized steel so that each of the longer sides rest on the corner of the Ts.
The steel sheet should be lined up with the foil-wrapped surfaces of the furring strips. Drill pilot
holes along the longer sides of the steel sheet no more than four inches apart. If you are using a 20gauge ungalvanized steel sheet, the pilot holes can be up to six inches apart. Use the #8 0.5” sheet
metal screws to fasten the steel sheet to the T-corner of the furring strips. You now have part of the
top frame completed.
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10. Wrap all of the 2’ length furring strips (both 1x3 and 1x2) with heavy-duty aluminum foil. Use a
staple gun to staple the foil to the furring strips as necessary.
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11. Align the 1x3 furring strips to under the short sides of the steel sheet, with half of the three-inch
wide surface exposed. Shorten the 1x3 furring strips if necessary so the ends of the furring strips
snugly fit between the two-inch sides of 1x2 furring strips of the partially-completed top frame.
Drill pilot holes along the short side of the steel sheet similar to the previous step. Use the #8 0.5”
sheet metal screws to fasten the steel sheet to the plywood.
12. Flip the top frame over. Align the 2’ length 1x2 furring strips along the shorter side of the top
frame but on top of the exposed half of the 1x3 furring strips that were just fastened. Shorten the
1x2 furring strips if necessary so the ends of the 1x2 furring strips snugly fit between the one-inch
sides of the 1x3 furring strips of the partially-completed top frame. At the ends of 1x2 furring strips
use #8 1.5” wood screws to attach the 1x2 furring strips to the 1x3 furring strips of the longer sides
of the top frame. Your newly completed top frame should now snugly cover the box.
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13. OPTIONAL: Use the excess plywood to construct legs for your Caja China. Use the excess Lshape aluminum rods as brackets to hold fasten the leg(s) to the box. The leg(s) should provide no
more than 10 inches of height. You can use wheels or casters to support the Caja China, but ensure
that the Caja China remains level (no tilt or incline) a er installing. Attach wheelbarrow handles to
each of the long sides, with the handles extending from the same side where the leg(s) is (are)
installed (not on the same side as the wheels or casters). Install the wheelbarrow handles no more
than one third of the way up from the bottom of the Caja China, which approximately five inches
from the bottom edge of each long side.
© Mary (The Goodie Godmother)
https://goodiegodmother.com/how-to-build-a-caja-china/
PROJECT TYPE: Barbecue / CATEGORY: Barbecue
Exclusive Member of Mediavine Food
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