Tony, Gregg, et al, Sorry for getting in here late. Watched the SOTU address followed by two episodes of Wanted Dead or Alive on the Western Channel. I actually liked the discussion but felt I came off a tad harsh with the crock pot remark ( I use that frequently). I have, by PM, sent folks sources for controllers and elements if I thought for one second that they might be inclined to experiment or modify their smoker much the same way folks buy a car and start replacing the stock parts. It is what they do. They have a rock solid platform and just want to push it to the limit.
Over Thanksgiving, having run out of oven space, I threw a smoked ham into my smoker and maxed out the temperature at 300. I cannot say the smoker cabinet got hot enough to burn (maybe a child might cry), but it was too hot to comfortably rest one's hand on it for more than 15 or 20 seconds on the top. Considering the temperature these rascals are designed to operate at, I would surmise that while the insulation chosen would handle much higher temperatures (again surmising) it is the amount of insulation & air between the inner chamber and the exterior shell that would prove to be the limiting factor. And there is that well placed tag warning about the hot surface. As mentioned earlier, there is a liability factor.
Can someone purchase a heating element that will, with a proper controller (and all the high temperature wire and connectors), allow one to bake loaves of bread in their smoker? Yes! Is it worth the risk? That is up to the individual, not SI. Again, liability.
There are no 'black holes' that questions fall into and never get answered. Just areas that have not been explored at personal expense by forum members and therefore cannot be answered. Sometime one has to strike out on their own, blaze a new trail, and report back. That happened early on with the Auber, then the bypass, the switch, etc. Some money, some time, some risk. Lots of success.
Time for a Pabst!
Dave