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Suggestions to remove rust from firebox

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forw44

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Hello brethren I have a Offset smoker and I'm noticing the bottom outside of my firebox has some rust spots. This smoker is barely 2 years old. How can I remove the existing rust to avoid further problems in the future? S/n I keep it covered when not in use.
 
Light steel wool to a shiny finish then you can use touch-up high temp paint, or just season it and keep it seasoned.

If it is an issue from high temperatures in the firebox, you can line your firebox with fire brick tiles and a piece if 1/4 steel to help insulate the bottom and / or sides of the firebox..
 
it's the nature of the beast. Keeping he ashes cleaned out and wipe it down with Pam when it is still warm will help. To get rid of the rust you can sandblast it or aggressively attack it with with a Cup wheel on a grinder repaint with High temp header paint and wipe it own with pam while it i warm.
 
My prefered way to remove rust is a wire cup on an angle grinder but a wire wheel in a drill works good also. Get as much rust off as possible, wipe clean with something like acetone or denatured alcohol then coat with high heat paint.
 
Thanks everyone for your responses. That will be my project this weekend. I want to keep this smoker for years to come.
 
Little bit of wool, heat, and oil. I oil mine now after every cook and randomly checking it (probably weekly). Seems to do the trick. I also keep a can of black spray around.
 
captndan said:
Google Ospho
Click to expand...

I wouldn't use that on a surface that's going to be heated. I'm not sure what it'd do once cured but the MSDS says "will produce irritating phosphoric oxide fumes under fire conditions".
 
I use JASCO Prep and Primer rust converter. It works great and you can paint over it. The rusted metal is converted overnight into a rust-retarding paintable surface after using it. Converting rust from ferrous iron to iron phosphate.
 
There are several brands of rust converter/encapsulator paint on the internet that might do the job. Be sure to get the MSDS to know what it does when heated. Some products give off toxic fumes and are not usable in food cooking applications. I use a light sanding followed by high temp stove paint as I always have a rust issue on the southeast coast. Salt air + humidity = rust
 
All of these products contain phosphoric acid. The warning is for phosphoric acid that has not done it's job. Once it turns ferrous oxide into ferrous phosphate it's gone.
 
Thanks everyone. But since I will be using this product on the outside of my firebox it should all be fine.
 
On my offset, I hand sanded the heck out of it until it basically stopped shedding rust dust. Then hit it with Rustoleum High Heat BBQ pit paint.

Worked great and only had a few issue spots after that.
 
Wire wheel on drill or angle grinder then hit with high heat paint. Then season. I do this about ever year or when it starts looking bad.
 
I quite trying to paint mine a while ago. Like a few have said here, I rub mine down when I am through cooking with vegetable oil or shortening. It stays a nice shiny black just like a cast iron pan now all the time.
 
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