Project "HUMPTY" — Kamado/BGE Restoration, Vancouver, Canada - Page 5

MayDay · 07-08-2008, 03:41 PM

Thanks Brian. I'll have a chat with the neighbour and show him the Naked Whiz's report on Avoiding Fires by Using the Proper Base for BGEs.

Those pictures are pretty sobering!

MayDay · 07-08-2008, 04:04 PM

Just identified my freebie egg nest as a PRIMO CRADLE. Can't quite figure out how it's supposed to also fit both Kamado-style (round) and oval Primo's too. Was on the Primo website checking what their side tables look like so I can build my own.

The neighbour said that the cooker sat on the cradle on top of 4 ceramic wedges (at the dog legs). Maybe I'll have to go and look at a Primo in the store to see what he means.

Anyone Primo owners out there who know what these ceramic wedges are for? Levelling the cooker? Protecting the paint finish on the cradle? TIA.
________________
MayDay
Kamado/BGE, Cobb

MayDay · 07-15-2008, 04:00 AM

After one-week of air-drying the 9 lbs of furnace cement, Humpty got put back together for Bakeout #2 on the weekend.

Both Swamprb (BGE Rescue) and Jim Beam reported the furnace cement bubbled with heat on their repairs, so I decided to keep the bakeout LOW and SLOW.

For Bakeout #2, Humpty got cured for about 8 hours total (2h at 220F, 1.5h 250F, 1.5h 300F, 1h 330F, 1h 250F 1h, 200F, etc.) till the coals died.

Darn it all, the furnace cement still bubbled!!! Which means I was still too agressive with the heat.

Even after air-drying for a week, the furnace cement still had residual water. When heated too fast, the water gets trapped as steam in the cement, causing it to bubble.

Most of the bubbles showed up in the firebox.

Thank goodness - no bubbling of the cement in the Dome. But one big bubble inside the base right under the charcoal grate.

Will see if I can flatten this one by putting a weight on the base for the next firing.

An interesting FYI... Before the bakeout, I used a heat gun to dry a small patch of cement on the base. Lo and behold, a bubble formed, but it was quickly squished flat with the thumb while still hot. Don't even try this with charcoal!!!

Well, Humpty the Copper Cooker seems to be intact again. Will do some low temperature cooks and and see if the furnace cement bubbles some more or if new cracks appear. Keeping my fingers crossed for now!
______________
MayDay
Project Humpty: SLIDESHOW, PHOTO ALBUM

swamprb · 07-15-2008, 05:25 AM

I never had any bubbling issues with either of my Imperial Kamado fireboxes, and the BGE firebox seems very solid, I broke up a lot ot the large bubbles and I'm thinking I may use the Rutand gasket cement to coat the firebox.

The Hercules Furnace cement did ruin a Harbor Freight step drill bit that I used to clean out the vent holes on the firebox, so it is pretty strong stuff.

osx-addict · 07-15-2008, 09:04 AM

I'm half tempted to plop mine in our large (48") gas oven and set the temp to something around 150 and leave it there for a while.. I did have my firebox in our #7 Kamado for a little while running around 150 until the piddly amount of koal I had died. I didn't notice any bubbles for the hour or so it was in there but will double-check this morning

MayDay · 07-17-2008, 09:54 PM

Swamprb's idea of using Gasket Cement is interesting. The "Imperial" brand I used dried up harder and stiffer than their furnace cement. So, it might be less prone to bubbling.

However, I think the main thing is to drive off ALL the moisture from the furnace cement (or gasket cement) before it cures permanently. That way it shouldn't be able to bubble anymore.

If I were to do it again, I would prefer to do cure the firebox in the oven because the temperature is easy to control but I'd still have to cure the cement on the cooker. However, my sweetie absolutely said the oven was off limits for this.

So, in hindsight, I ramped up too quickly too fast. To begin with, my starting temperature was too high (too close to the boiling point of water, 212F). Steam was created and got trapped, bubbling the uncured cement. Need to start lower and hold it there longer to drive off most of the trapped water before going higher.

OSX's idea to start at 150F would be a lot safer. Next time, I'd probably stay at 150F for at least 4-6 hours. Then bring the temperature up slowly. The key word is SLOWLY!!! Say 2 hours each at 175F and 200F, 4 hours at 225-250F, 3 hours at 275F, 3 hours at 300F, etc. Probably do this twice before going to higher temperatures.

For my next firing, I'll still keep my temperatures low because I'm pretty sure the cement hasn't fully cured (didn't go above 330F). Will still be careful to ramp up slowly though.

I can live with cement bubbles in the firebox, but would prefer not to have any more in the Kamado itself (especially, big ones).

______________
MayDay
Project Humpty: SLIDESHOW, PHOTO ALBUM

swamprb · 07-18-2008, 03:34 AM

I'm tending to agree with you on the bubbles, the way I'm looking at it now is its just going to be one of those things I'll have to keep an eye on and perform maintenance when needed.

osx-addict · 07-18-2008, 10:53 AM

Just to let you know.. I was able to partly cure (haven't finished yet) my re-done firebox (using Rutlands Furnace Cement) in my large 48" oven for 3-4 hours -- at least 100 minutes at 150 one day and some more time a few days later. I've also had it up at 200 for a few hours.. So far so good.. I've got no bubbles but never got above 200 -- I've been side tracked with a REALLY bad case of kitchen ants that have been keeping me REALLY busy cleaning and trying to track them buggers down.. PM me if anyone reading this wants an easy recipe to get rid of the ants in ~8 hours.. It was too easy -- we've been fighting these damned critters for >2 weeks now.. I was able to go from literally thousands of them to "1" in <8 hours.. Sorry for being a little OT -- I've got to get my clay pot back up and running. I may have to jury rig the draft door after I whack it into submission until I can buy a new one. I'll be trying my hand at electrolysis on the grill if I can find a large enough container for the electrolyte solution+grill.. I'll post some more pics when I'm done.. (or further)

cardiac_cadet002 · 07-18-2008, 12:31 PM

Do you have a link handy on how the electrolysis works?

MayDay · 07-18-2008, 05:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cardiac_cadet002

Do you have a link handy on how the electrolysis works?

Rust Removal Using Electrolysis – Cardiac, this is the link that H20loo shared on page 2 of this thread. Here's a picture of the guy's setup from the writeup:

MayDay · 07-18-2008, 05:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by osx-addict

Just to let you know.. I was able to partly cure (haven't finished yet) my re-done firebox (using Rutlands Furnace Cement) in my large 48" oven for 3-4 hours -- at least 100 minutes at 150 one day and some more time a few days later. I've also had it up at 200 for a few hours.. So far so good.. I've got no bubbles but never got above 200 -- I've been side tracked with a REALLY bad case of kitchen ants that have been keeping me REALLY busy cleaning and trying to track them buggers down.. PM me if anyone reading this wants an easy recipe to get rid of the ants in ~8 hours.. It was too easy -- we've been fighting these damned critters for >2 weeks now.. I was able to go from literally thousands of them to "1" in <8 hours.. Sorry for being a little OT -- I've got to get my clay pot back up and running. I may have to jury rig the draft door after I whack it into submission until I can buy a new one. I'll be trying my hand at electrolysis on the grill if I can find a large enough container for the electrolyte solution+grill.. I'll post some more pics when I'm done.. (or further)

OSX: Great to hear that your cement has not bubbled (yet). Keep it low and slow. You know what happened to the rest of us.

If your draft door is stuck or as rusty as mine was, it'll perform better after de-rusting, whether by hand or electrolysis. Mine was so rusted out that I had to strip the heads and punch out the bolts to remove it from the cooker. And no, penetrating oil didn't help.

My grill is pretty rusty too and I haven't been able to find a 16.5" round grill anywhere, so I give up on finding a new one. I'll also try home electrolysis for de-rusting the grill.

As for a non-conductive container, I'm thinking a large plastic garbage can would work. A kiddie wading pool too if you have one. If my garbage can isn't large enough, I will rig up something shallow and line it with thick plastic.

If you electrolyze your grill before me, please post pics as the shiny clean metal will be sure to spur me to action on mine!

____________
MayDay
Project Humpty: SLIDESHOW, PHOTO ALBUM

osx-addict · 07-18-2008, 07:09 PM

Mayday..

I haven't derusted the draft door yet but did leave it alone with some Naval Jelly but that didn't really do a whole lot.. Anyway, I did learn something.. For whatever reason, I can't get the electrolysis working on the metal top damper.. It worked for a while on the springy handle but not the main part.. It's not bubbling or anything.. Anyway, I may need to do that by hand or perhaps my sacrificial rebar rod is needing to be cleaned (its pretty gunky at this point) or replaced. Anyway, I need to still clean the hinge mechanism, the grill and draftdoor.. Once that is done I can try firing it up.. I still need to paint it though but thats easy.. I'll post some more before/after pics of the metal items so you can see the electrolysis work..

swamprb · 07-18-2008, 08:22 PM

The grills on my Medium Hibachi Pot and Imperial Kamado are 16" dia. This one from a Brinkmann is 15.5" dia. and may be the best bet for a replacement.

http://www.hawgeyesbbq.com/000rndgrillg.jpg

jestridge · 07-19-2008, 03:57 PM

I hear music!!!!!!

osx-addict · 07-19-2008, 04:09 PM

I think BGE either had a 15 or 15.5" replacement grill.. Mine is currently looking really gross in the trashcan based electrolysis bath.. Anyway, the can size is almost too small (I've only got a 1.5" gap between the grill edge and rebar rod) -- as long as the kids don't bump it, it will be fine..

07-08-2008, 03:41 PM	#61
MayDay Full Fledged Farker Join Date: 06-11-08 Location: Vancouver, BC, Canada	Thanks Brian. I'll have a chat with the neighbour and show him the Naked Whiz's report on Avoiding Fires by Using the Proper Base for BGEs. Those pictures are pretty sobering! Last edited by MayDay; 07-08-2008 at 03:59 PM..

07-08-2008, 04:04 PM	#62
MayDay Full Fledged Farker Join Date: 06-11-08 Location: Vancouver, BC, Canada	Primo Cradle Question - Ceramic Wedgies Just identified my freebie egg nest as a PRIMO CRADLE. Can't quite figure out how it's supposed to also fit both Kamado-style (round) and oval Primo's too. Was on the Primo website checking what their side tables look like so I can build my own. The neighbour said that the cooker sat on the cradle on top of 4 ceramic wedges (at the dog legs). Maybe I'll have to go and look at a Primo in the store to see what he means. Anyone Primo owners out there who know what these ceramic wedges are for? Levelling the cooker? Protecting the paint finish on the cradle? TIA. ________________ MayDay Kamado/BGE, Cobb

07-15-2008, 04:00 AM	#63
MayDay Full Fledged Farker Join Date: 06-11-08 Location: Vancouver, BC, Canada	Bakeout #2 After one-week of air-drying the 9 lbs of furnace cement, Humpty got put back together for Bakeout #2 on the weekend. Both Swamprb (BGE Rescue) and Jim Beam reported the furnace cement bubbled with heat on their repairs, so I decided to keep the bakeout LOW and SLOW. For Bakeout #2, Humpty got cured for about 8 hours total (2h at 220F, 1.5h 250F, 1.5h 300F, 1h 330F, 1h 250F 1h, 200F, etc.) till the coals died. Darn it all, the furnace cement still bubbled!!! Which means I was still too agressive with the heat. Even after air-drying for a week, the furnace cement still had residual water. When heated too fast, the water gets trapped as steam in the cement, causing it to bubble. Most of the bubbles showed up in the firebox. Thank goodness - no bubbling of the cement in the Dome. But one big bubble inside the base right under the charcoal grate. Will see if I can flatten this one by putting a weight on the base for the next firing. An interesting FYI... Before the bakeout, I used a heat gun to dry a small patch of cement on the base. Lo and behold, a bubble formed, but it was quickly squished flat with the thumb while still hot. Don't even try this with charcoal!!! Well, Humpty the Copper Cooker seems to be intact again. Will do some low temperature cooks and and see if the furnace cement bubbles some more or if new cracks appear. Keeping my fingers crossed for now! ______________ MayDay Project Humpty: SLIDESHOW, PHOTO ALBUM Last edited by MayDay; 07-15-2008 at 04:39 AM..

07-15-2008, 05:25 AM	#64
swamprb somebody shut me the fark up. Join Date: 10-27-06 Location: Bothell WA	I never had any bubbling issues with either of my Imperial Kamado fireboxes, and the BGE firebox seems very solid, I broke up a lot ot the large bubbles and I'm thinking I may use the Rutand gasket cement to coat the firebox. The Hercules Furnace cement did ruin a Harbor Freight step drill bit that I used to clean out the vent holes on the firebox, so it is pretty strong stuff. __________________ Brian - Left Hand Smoke BBQ PNWBA 2010 Team of the Year BGE's/WSM's/Pellet Pro WSM/BWS Gater/BDS Clones/Cookshack 008/Weber Performer w EZ-Que/Cajun Bandit/Rib-O-Lator Test Pilot/La Caja China/BBQ Guru/Weber 1000 RK Drum Coffee Roaster Follow Left Hand Smoke on Facebook!http://www.facebook.com/pages/Left-H...462391?sk=wall KCBS CBJ/PNWBA CBJ www.pnwba.com

07-17-2008, 09:54 PM	#66
MayDay Full Fledged Farker Join Date: 06-11-08 Location: Vancouver, BC, Canada	Lessons Learned on Curing Furnace Cement Swamprb's idea of using Gasket Cement is interesting. The "Imperial" brand I used dried up harder and stiffer than their furnace cement. So, it might be less prone to bubbling. However, I think the main thing is to drive off ALL the moisture from the furnace cement (or gasket cement) before it cures permanently. That way it shouldn't be able to bubble anymore. If I were to do it again, I would prefer to do cure the firebox in the oven because the temperature is easy to control but I'd still have to cure the cement on the cooker. However, my sweetie absolutely said the oven was off limits for this. So, in hindsight, I ramped up too quickly too fast. To begin with, my starting temperature was too high (too close to the boiling point of water, 212F). Steam was created and got trapped, bubbling the uncured cement. Need to start lower and hold it there longer to drive off most of the trapped water before going higher. OSX's idea to start at 150F would be a lot safer. Next time, I'd probably stay at 150F for at least 4-6 hours. Then bring the temperature up slowly. The key word is SLOWLY!!! Say 2 hours each at 175F and 200F, 4 hours at 225-250F, 3 hours at 275F, 3 hours at 300F, etc. Probably do this twice before going to higher temperatures. For my next firing, I'll still keep my temperatures low because I'm pretty sure the cement hasn't fully cured (didn't go above 330F). Will still be careful to ramp up slowly though. I can live with cement bubbles in the firebox, but would prefer not to have any more in the Kamado itself (especially, big ones). ______________ MayDay Project Humpty: SLIDESHOW, PHOTO ALBUM

07-15-2008, 09:04 AM	#65
osx-addict On the road to being a farker Join Date: 07-09-08 Location: Torrance, CA	I'm half tempted to plop mine in our large (48") gas oven and set the temp to something around 150 and leave it there for a while.. I did have my firebox in our #7 Kamado for a little while running around 150 until the piddly amount of koal I had died. I didn't notice any bubbles for the hour or so it was in there but will double-check this morning

07-18-2008, 03:34 AM	#67
swamprb somebody shut me the fark up. Join Date: 10-27-06 Location: Bothell WA	I'm tending to agree with you on the bubbles, the way I'm looking at it now is its just going to be one of those things I'll have to keep an eye on and perform maintenance when needed. __________________ Brian - Left Hand Smoke BBQ PNWBA 2010 Team of the Year BGE's/WSM's/Pellet Pro WSM/BWS Gater/BDS Clones/Cookshack 008/Weber Performer w EZ-Que/Cajun Bandit/Rib-O-Lator Test Pilot/La Caja China/BBQ Guru/Weber 1000 RK Drum Coffee Roaster Follow Left Hand Smoke on Facebook!http://www.facebook.com/pages/Left-H...462391?sk=wall KCBS CBJ/PNWBA CBJ www.pnwba.com

07-18-2008, 10:53 AM	#68
osx-addict On the road to being a farker Join Date: 07-09-08 Location: Torrance, CA	Just to let you know.. I was able to partly cure (haven't finished yet) my re-done firebox (using Rutlands Furnace Cement) in my large 48" oven for 3-4 hours -- at least 100 minutes at 150 one day and some more time a few days later. I've also had it up at 200 for a few hours.. So far so good.. I've got no bubbles but never got above 200 -- I've been side tracked with a REALLY bad case of kitchen ants that have been keeping me REALLY busy cleaning and trying to track them buggers down.. PM me if anyone reading this wants an easy recipe to get rid of the ants in ~8 hours.. It was too easy -- we've been fighting these damned critters for >2 weeks now.. I was able to go from literally thousands of them to "1" in <8 hours.. Sorry for being a little OT -- I've got to get my clay pot back up and running. I may have to jury rig the draft door after I whack it into submission until I can buy a new one. I'll be trying my hand at electrolysis on the grill if I can find a large enough container for the electrolyte solution+grill.. I'll post some more pics when I'm done.. (or further)

07-18-2008, 12:31 PM	#69
cardiac_cadet002 is one Smokin' Farker Join Date: 11-02-07 Location: Carthage, TN	Do you have a link handy on how the electrolysis works? __________________ Large BGE 22.5 WSM 14.5 WSM Old Country BBQ Pits Smokehouse 36" Blackstone Griddle 1 U.T. Orange Thermapen

07-18-2008, 07:09 PM	#72
osx-addict On the road to being a farker Join Date: 07-09-08 Location: Torrance, CA	Mayday.. I haven't derusted the draft door yet but did leave it alone with some Naval Jelly but that didn't really do a whole lot.. Anyway, I did learn something.. For whatever reason, I can't get the electrolysis working on the metal top damper.. It worked for a while on the springy handle but not the main part.. It's not bubbling or anything.. Anyway, I may need to do that by hand or perhaps my sacrificial rebar rod is needing to be cleaned (its pretty gunky at this point) or replaced. Anyway, I need to still clean the hinge mechanism, the grill and draftdoor.. Once that is done I can try firing it up.. I still need to paint it though but thats easy.. I'll post some more before/after pics of the metal items so you can see the electrolysis work..

07-18-2008, 08:22 PM	#73
swamprb somebody shut me the fark up. Join Date: 10-27-06 Location: Bothell WA	The grills on my Medium Hibachi Pot and Imperial Kamado are 16" dia. This one from a Brinkmann is 15.5" dia. and may be the best bet for a replacement. http://www.hawgeyesbbq.com/000rndgrillg.jpg __________________ Brian - Left Hand Smoke BBQ PNWBA 2010 Team of the Year BGE's/WSM's/Pellet Pro WSM/BWS Gater/BDS Clones/Cookshack 008/Weber Performer w EZ-Que/Cajun Bandit/Rib-O-Lator Test Pilot/La Caja China/BBQ Guru/Weber 1000 RK Drum Coffee Roaster Follow Left Hand Smoke on Facebook!http://www.facebook.com/pages/Left-H...462391?sk=wall KCBS CBJ/PNWBA CBJ www.pnwba.com

07-19-2008, 03:57 PM	#74
jestridge somebody shut me the fark up. Join Date: 12-28-07 Location: annville ky	I hear music!!!!!!

07-19-2008, 04:09 PM	#75
osx-addict On the road to being a farker Join Date: 07-09-08 Location: Torrance, CA	I think BGE either had a 15 or 15.5" replacement grill.. Mine is currently looking really gross in the trashcan based electrolysis bath.. Anyway, the can size is almost too small (I've only got a 1.5" gap between the grill edge and rebar rod) -- as long as the kids don't bump it, it will be fine..

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