Brought home a NB Bandera!

[egkor]

Got it at Wally World.

It (one of six) was regular $248, clearance tag price $235.

Talked to the Manager on Duty. She sold it to me for $177.00 + tax!

This is new, in the box, New Braunfels (not Char-Broil).

There are now 5 of these left at the Huntsville, Tx. Wally World.

-egkor

[Oldtimer]

Sounds like a good buy. I was in Academy yesterday they where $229, but the Char-Broil make.

[tommykendall]

Looks like it rained a little on your parade, but ya got it!!

[in2que]

Yep...made in the good old U S of A :D I got the last one at Wally world in Carrollton, TX last June!

[BBQchef33]

Hey everyone..Egkor got a new baby!!! What we gonna name it???

sweet deal at 177. !!!

[tommykendall]

Hoss

[egkor]

Hi everyone,

I got "Hoss" put together today, I've got the interior sprayed with cooking oil and have some heat going in it now.

I'm a little bummed out because, the side firebox door does not stay shut! It just pops open.

If I leave something with some weight on the door lever (I don't have the spring attached yet) then the door will stay shut.

Has anyone else bumped into issues with the way the side firebox door latches (or not, like mine).

Thanks,
-egkor and "Hoss"

[Oldtimer]

" Hoss $ss"

[BBQchef33]

Sure hope this is it..... Look close at the inside of the firebox at the way the latch works. I'll bet your tryin to latch it in the wrong direction. Close the door with the handle at the 12oclock position(make sure it closes all the way) and then turn the handle counterclockwise to the 9oclock position.

Then smile cause it fit right. Hope so anyway.

[egkor]

Hi Phil,

I'm latching the door "per spec", just like you describe.

On this Bandera, the door itself is not a flush fit on the firebox side, so there is always a tension on the door to "open".

I'm thinking of calling Bradley about it to see what they suggest.

Thanks,

-egkor

[BBQchef33]

oh well, we tried... My door, although it closes completely, has a large gap across the top of the door, a result of the door beign slightly warped. I use rope gasket along the top of the door to plug the gap. does it look like anything a little "forceable adjustment" can fix???

[Heath]

Hey egkor,

Mine did the same thing until I burned off the oil I had put on the inside of the door. It won't latch with any kind of oil on it. Mine worked perfectly after a burn or two to bake it in.

[tommykendall]

I was thinking the same thing - might need a couple burns to create a seal. Mine doesn't close like a safe door, but it does stay closed. Glad you used the name Hoss.

[egkor]

Thanks to all!

Yes, I did spray all the interior metal with cooking oil (including the firebox interior) for the curing process, and it made the door latching issue worse.

The door does not fit flush. The farther "down" I push on the latch, the more the door draws in with a "forced" flush fit. There is a constant pressure on the door to pop open. For the cure and first cook, I used a half paver brick sitting on the latch (no sping yet) just to keep "down" pressure on the latch and the door closed.

I'll take door off and see if it needs some "persuasion" to bend to straight.

I just wondered if this happened to anyone else, sounds like "no, we have a single-user issue here". :)

Thanks again,
-egkor

[willkat98]

Not a single user issue, I'm sure. Mine was put together already, but I definitely needed some adjustments. Friendly persuasion tales are quite common.

And remember to keep oiling/spraying those hinges each and every time (especially on the firebox lid) I do, and I still get that crunching noise sometimes, which I think one of the St Louis guys mentioned it cranked the hinge right off the firebox lid.

[parrothead]

cranked the hinge right off the firebox lid.

That was me, but it was the door hinge. Still need to repair it.

[egkor]

Hi everyone,

Here are a few pics from yesterday, getting "Hoss" put together, the baffles, and first firing.

I made both baffles from the templates. I've got the baffle with the water pan cutout installed now.

I took the regular fire grate, turned it 90 degress, and sat it on the first shelf rack in the firebox. The legs on the grate fit in 2 of the holes in the shelf bracket. So, it gets the fire "up" somewhat like the expanded metal grate mod.

The top of the firebox lid is slowly getting discolored from the heat.

One of the big wheels falls off, time for the wheel mod.

Still not sure what to do about the firebox side door, I'll spend more time with it when I can. I went to a different Wally World and looked at their two display Banderas, I see how its supposed to work. I wish the firebox latch was more "positive" like the cooking chamber door latch.

All in all, I'm pretty happy, I've wanted a Bandera for years. Kudos to my wife for letting me get it. :)

Thanks again to all,
-egkor

[parrothead]

Congrats my fellow brethren, you are well on the way to some fantastic Q!

[BBQchef33]

HoSS.... a bouncin new baby boy... !!! One question.. is that the door thermometer that came with it??? Seems it shrunk, the older models had a 2 or 2.5 inch face.

[parrothead]

is that the door thermometer that came with it???

I believe that is the plug where the thermometer goes, Phil.

[willkat98]

My firebox side door don't look anything like that.

[egkor]

Bill,

In the pic, I've got a piece of cast-iron grate sitting on the side door lever to keep the door closed.

Phil,

Yes, that's the chrome hole plug. I now have 2 digital temp gauges (Taylors from Target) so at this time I don't plan on installing a dial unit on the door.

-egkor

[willkat98]

got it. Hope you can get the door working right. I guess I was lucky, preinstalled, and done correctly.

[david]

HoSS.... a bouncin new baby boy... !!! One question.. is that the door thermometer that came with it??? Seems it shrunk, the older models had a 2 or 2.5 inch face.
I don't think they've come with a thermometer for a couple of years. My baby is a year old, and it just had that cheap plug.

I actually paid 19.95 for the farking NB door thermometer. Apparently, you don't always get what you pay for. The cheap ones sell for 5 bucks, and they arent off by 70 degrees.

[tommykendall]

I actually paid 19.95 for the farking NB door thermometer. Apparently, you don't always get what you pay for. The cheap ones sell for 5 bucks, and they arent off by 70 degrees.


Yeah - that's a bunch of BS. I've bought and returned 3, only to get a new piece of **** every time. My friend bought one too, unknowing of the problems with them. I cannot believe someone manufactures crap like that. Anyone know if its possible to calibrate these things?

[Oldtimer]

[quote]
Anyone know if its possible to calibrate these things?

Been awhile since I have seen one, but if there is a nut on the back hold it with a wrench and twist the face or a combination of the two. Make Sense ?

[willkat98]

Twisted Nut Mod