UDS drum/kettle lid diameter questions

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LoveMeSomeQ

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I have a 55 gallon drum i want to make into a UDS. I have a char-broil kettle grill that i wanted to use for the top. my problem is the drum measures 23" on the inside. The bottom of my Char-boil kettle only measures 22" so I think if I dropped it in it would just fall into the drum. Are the weber lids wider than my char-boil and would it just fit on my drum as is?
 
At work, so I can't measure anything but my Weber lid is slightly smaller than my drum (but not small enough to slide in). I just took a ball peen hammer to the lid and flattened it out some -- works fine for now (until I get to cutting off the bottom of a donor kettle to sit inside the opening of the drum). Borrow a Weber lid from a friend and test the fit. If none of your friends has a lid you can borrow, it's time to get a better class of friends :)
 
LOL! Honestly i don't know anyone with a Weber kettle. Wish I did. My char-broil lid just falls straight through to the bottom!
 
I bought the special K-Mart kettles on sale a couple of weeks ago and the lid is too small by 1/4 inch. I am going to cut out the kettle bottom and set it inside my drum so the top can sit on the bottom. Will let you know how that works and will post a picture if I can figure out how.
 
here's what i did with my weber lid on an open top drum...

take the lid into the garage and put it on the floor or other flat, firm surface. smash the lip of the lid flat against the garage floor with a hammer.

get your angle grinder with a wire brush and clean up the chipped up ceramic you just made a mess of on the lip.

take your newly modified lid over to your drum and working your way around slowly with a hammer, reform the lip to fit your drum. when you are happy with it, paint the new lip with some high temp paint.

i use the clamp that came with the drum to hold the lid in place and keeping air leaks to a minimum.

ymmv

cheers....
 
Like others said, try flattening the bottom edge of the lid, or you can attach a piece of steel around the inside of the drum and give yourself a place to that the lid will sit on.
 
i bought a new kettle grill and found the lid doesn't work as is. But I want to keep the kettle grill so I'm not modifiying. Also, new one costs to much for a donor. I'm looking for CL donor now.
 
AUradar said:
i bought a new kettle grill and found the lid doesn't work as is. But I want to keep the kettle grill so I'm not modifiying. Also, new one costs to much for a donor. I'm looking for CL donor now.
Click to expand...

You can always use the HD foil mod until you find a donor kettle. Wrap foil around the rim of the drum to fill in the gaps. Kind of a PITA, but will do for a short time. Keep looking and asking around for donors. I have rescued at least a half dozen from the garbage over the years.
 
Thanks guys. I'll drop the lid in again to see how close the fit is. hopefully i can hammer it out. i'll post pics!
 
So my question is...what size Weber kettle do you need for the lid to fit the 55 gal drum. I have a UDS and am looking for a weber lid and my options are 18in & 22 1/2in. Thanks!
 
suziemc said:
So my question is...what size Weber kettle do you need for the lid to fit the 55 gal drum. I have a UDS and am looking for a weber lid and my options are 18in & 22 1/2in. Thanks!
Click to expand...

22.5" What kind of drum is your UDS made from? if it is an open top with a lip then you will probably have to flatten and form the lip of the weber lid.
 
It is an open top w/ a lid. I saw in the UDS thread about flattening the lid, it just did not say what size. (I guess it depends on the drum size). Thanks for your reply. Oh...sorry LovemesomeQ for hijacking your post.
 
what i did with a char-broil lid

weld dome to barrel lid then cut center out..
 

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