The long-awaited Imperial Kamado restoration project :)

W_2004 · 09-06-2010, 05:02 PM

Ok. As I wrote in the Cattle call thread I received my Imperial Kamado from my folks a few years ago. They bought it from a relative of ours in the mid/late 80’s who was importing goods from Japan at the time. The pot was in heavy use for the first 15 years, but after my parents moved to a ground level flat/apartment it was hardly used at all.

It’s been subject to harsh weather conditions here in Finland. Big changes in temperature, cold winters, warm summers, lots of rain etc. Most of the time it’s been covered by some sort of BBQ cover, but that hasn’t protected the metal parts from rust. Nor the colors from fading from the bright green/black to a blueish gray.

Made by the good folk at Kinuurayaki Pottery

The first thing I did with it was replace the support wires around the firebox and ring to hold them intact. The old wires had rusted away. Firebox was in five pieces and the ring in two and I didn’t know what to use to repair them. So I just used wire for the time being.

The wagon was in terrible shape too. I scraped the rust off with a steel brush and spray painted it a black.

The original grate had shattered a long time ago. My old man replaced it with a stainless steel disc with holes drilled to it. That’s worked fine and I even have a spare.

Some time later I decided to properly fix the cracked firebox and ring. Found a fireplace sealant from Bison from my local hardware store. Stands temperatures up to 1250 degrees Celsius (2282 degrees Fahrenheit).

After that it was time to restore some of the metal accessories and parts. I used a rust remover product from CRC.

http://www.tme.eu/katalog_pics/f/1/e...crc-rr_250.jpg

Worked ok. It didn't get the most stubborn rust out but the rest I tried scrubbing off with a steel brush.

Here's some before and after shots:

Ye olde damper toppe

After rust removal

All done!

Right now I'm in the process of painting the dome and base (and the ceramic damper top). Gonna make it red with black surface texture.

Here's a sample of the original color found under the draft door.

And here's what it looks like now. Before the black surface texture.

Will add pics and text as the job progresses. It's slow due to child-caring-responsibilities. We had twins last December

Then there's the 4 year old too... Sigh..

citrus · 09-06-2010, 05:26 PM

Lookin good

Johnny_Crunch · 09-06-2010, 05:31 PM

that thing is going to rock, can't wait to see the finished product!

bluetang · 09-06-2010, 07:40 PM

Ditto

Skip · 09-06-2010, 08:31 PM

Awesome work!!

vr6Cop · 09-07-2010, 10:40 AM

Keep those updates coming! Seeing these things come back to life is like watching the History Channel, DIY Network and Food Network all rolled into one!

W_2004 · 09-13-2010, 05:53 PM

Got a little bit of work done last weekend.

Removed all the rust from the bottom slide draft door.

This was after the chemical rust removal. It left behind some stubborn rust patches.

Used a wire brush bit for my cordless drill to manually remove the remaining rust. What a genius invention that is

Some serious corrosion there.

Then I gave it a few coats of black heat resistant spray paint. And there it is. Almost as good as new.

Notice the original fraction markings that I taped over before spraying.

Also derusted the grate just for the heck of it. Chemical remover was sufficient.

And then it happened...

The damn base cracked when I lifted it with one hand on the top rim, the other in the bottom vent. I immediately put it down and searched for any damage. Found an approx. 40 cm (16 inch) long crack starting from the upper right corner of the bottom vent. I was not happy.

Decided to fix it with a heat resistant epoxy glue from Plastic Padding/Henkel. Also used some fiberglass tape as extra support. The glue is resistant up to 150 degrees Celsius (300 Fahrenheit). That should be enough, since the base doesn't even get hot to the touch when grilling.

Added a few more layers of red on to the surface. Next I'll try to paint the surface pattern black. That's going to be a challenge.

Mister Bob · 09-13-2010, 06:20 PM

Very nice work, and I love the color!

expatpig · 09-13-2010, 06:31 PM

A labor of love!

Phubar · 09-13-2010, 06:49 PM

Very nice job!
Thanks for the pics and I hope you will have Phun with it!!!

Bluesman · 09-13-2010, 08:50 PM

That looks great. Wonderful job. Want to see pics when you get it all dirty

swamprb · 09-13-2010, 08:51 PM

Awesome work!

I love it when folks restore a vintage Kamado-especially one that has been in family as long as yours! I hope it gives you many more years of fantastic meals and memories and even last to hand down to your children!

W_2004 · 09-18-2010, 04:30 PM

Small update...

I finally found the right kind of paint for the surface pattern. At least I hope I did.

This is an alkyd paint called Miranol. Should be weather and heat resistant up to 120 Celsius (250 Fahrenheit). Lighter colors will turn slightly yellow with temperatures over that. Since I'm using black that probably won't be a problem.

Used a small foam paint roller to apply it.

Here's a sample of what the final color will look like.
Did the damper top first in case it would suck.

milehigh · 09-18-2010, 04:54 PM

Nice Restore! Can't wait to see her finished.

Paul

bluetang · 09-18-2010, 04:57 PM

That is sharp, very nice

09-06-2010, 05:02 PM	#1
W_2004 Found some matches. Join Date: 08-26-10 Location: Espoo, Finland	The long-awaited Imperial Kamado restoration project :) Ok. As I wrote in the Cattle call thread I received my Imperial Kamado from my folks a few years ago. They bought it from a relative of ours in the mid/late 80’s who was importing goods from Japan at the time. The pot was in heavy use for the first 15 years, but after my parents moved to a ground level flat/apartment it was hardly used at all. It’s been subject to harsh weather conditions here in Finland. Big changes in temperature, cold winters, warm summers, lots of rain etc. Most of the time it’s been covered by some sort of BBQ cover, but that hasn’t protected the metal parts from rust. Nor the colors from fading from the bright green/black to a blueish gray. Made by the good folk at Kinuurayaki Pottery The first thing I did with it was replace the support wires around the firebox and ring to hold them intact. The old wires had rusted away. Firebox was in five pieces and the ring in two and I didn’t know what to use to repair them. So I just used wire for the time being. The wagon was in terrible shape too. I scraped the rust off with a steel brush and spray painted it a black. The original grate had shattered a long time ago. My old man replaced it with a stainless steel disc with holes drilled to it. That’s worked fine and I even have a spare. Some time later I decided to properly fix the cracked firebox and ring. Found a fireplace sealant from Bison from my local hardware store. Stands temperatures up to 1250 degrees Celsius (2282 degrees Fahrenheit). After that it was time to restore some of the metal accessories and parts. I used a rust remover product from CRC. http://www.tme.eu/katalog_pics/f/1/e...crc-rr_250.jpg Worked ok. It didn't get the most stubborn rust out but the rest I tried scrubbing off with a steel brush. Here's some before and after shots: Ye olde damper toppe After rust removal All done! Right now I'm in the process of painting the dome and base (and the ceramic damper top). Gonna make it red with black surface texture. Here's a sample of the original color found under the draft door. And here's what it looks like now. Before the black surface texture. Will add pics and text as the job progresses. It's slow due to child-caring-responsibilities. We had twins last December Then there's the 4 year old too... Sigh.. Last edited by Ron_L; 06-16-2014 at 08:30 AM..
	3 members found this post helpful.

09-06-2010, 05:26 PM	#2
citrus Full Fledged Farker Join Date: 02-04-09 Location: Lake Placid Fl	Lookin good __________________ Primo Oval XL, Ducane Gas Job, Propane Tank Pit Smoker, Old Truck Tire Rim

09-06-2010, 05:31 PM	#3
Johnny_Crunch Babbling Farker Join Date: 04-03-10 Location: Cypress TX	that thing is going to rock, can't wait to see the finished product! __________________ J Crunch

09-06-2010, 07:40 PM	#4
bluetang somebody shut me the fark up. Join Date: 08-06-10 Location: Stuart, Fl Name/Nickname : Mike	Ditto __________________ Homey, the Homegrown frier, 22" WSM, 18.5" Elderly(but not retired) WSM,Homegrown Electric, Weber gasserrrr,Weber Performer, Gravity feed smoker, Blackstone, Indisputably Fastest [COLOR=purple]Purple[/COLOR] Thermapen, SAI Satay Grill Avatar by landarc, thanky!

09-06-2010, 08:31 PM	#5
Skip is Blowin Smoke! Join Date: 07-24-07 Location: Wantagh, NY	Awesome work!! __________________ Yeah it looks good...but how does it smell? "you're eating tree RAT, tree RAT, you're eating RAT!" -- landarc

09-07-2010, 10:40 AM	#6
vr6Cop is One Chatty Farker Join Date: 12-18-06 Location: Nashville, TN	Keep those updates coming! Seeing these things come back to life is like watching the History Channel, DIY Network and Food Network all rolled into one! __________________ Cheers, Adrian Large Big Green Egg, BBQ Guru Pit Competitor for overnights, Weber One Touch Silver Jere Baxter-Edgefield Lodge 254 F&AM

09-13-2010, 05:53 PM	#7
W_2004 Found some matches. Join Date: 08-26-10 Location: Espoo, Finland	Got a little bit of work done last weekend. Removed all the rust from the bottom slide draft door. This was after the chemical rust removal. It left behind some stubborn rust patches. Used a wire brush bit for my cordless drill to manually remove the remaining rust. What a genius invention that is Some serious corrosion there. Then I gave it a few coats of black heat resistant spray paint. And there it is. Almost as good as new. Notice the original fraction markings that I taped over before spraying. Also derusted the grate just for the heck of it. Chemical remover was sufficient. And then it happened... The damn base cracked when I lifted it with one hand on the top rim, the other in the bottom vent. I immediately put it down and searched for any damage. Found an approx. 40 cm (16 inch) long crack starting from the upper right corner of the bottom vent. I was not happy. Decided to fix it with a heat resistant epoxy glue from Plastic Padding/Henkel. Also used some fiberglass tape as extra support. The glue is resistant up to 150 degrees Celsius (300 Fahrenheit). That should be enough, since the base doesn't even get hot to the touch when grilling. Added a few more layers of red on to the surface. Next I'll try to paint the surface pattern black. That's going to be a challenge. Last edited by Ron_L; 06-16-2014 at 08:39 AM..

09-13-2010, 06:20 PM	#8
Mister Bob Babbling Farker Join Date: 06-15-09 Location: Scituate, RI	Very nice work, and I love the color! __________________ Mister Bob, Pitmaster - Smokestack Lightning, Bad Ass Barbecue. KCBS CBJ #31759 - IMBAS Certified MOINK Baller

09-13-2010, 06:31 PM	#9
expatpig is One Chatty Farker Join Date: 02-20-10 Location: Cochrane, On.	A labor of love! __________________ "When I was in Canada, I had a lot of time to think."- Doug Sahm [B][COLOR=red]UDS x 5[/COLOR][/B] [COLOR=red][B]Weber Performer[/B][/COLOR] [B][COLOR=red]Napoleon Apollo[/COLOR][/B] [COLOR=#ff0000][B]GOSM[/B][/COLOR] [COLOR=blue][B][I]CSBBQA, KCBS, NOBS(Northern Ontario Barbecue Society)Professional Barbecue Team. USAJFKCENMA.[/I][/B][/COLOR]

09-13-2010, 06:49 PM	#10
Phubar somebody shut me the fark up. Join Date: 04-24-09 Location: Utrecht,TheNetherPharkinglands	Very nice job! Thanks for the pics and I hope you will have Phun with it!!! __________________ -TG -WGA (3) -UDS (S,M,L) All fueled by [COLOR=lime]Ecobrasa[/COLOR] Coco Briquettes [URL="http://lowlandsmokers.blogspot.com/2011/06/lowland-smokers-workshop-hei-en-boeicop.html"]Lowland Smokers[/URL] Dutch BBQ Champion 2011 - 2012 [URL="http://lowlandsmokers.blogspot.com/2011/06/lowland-smokers-workshop-hei-en-boeicop.html"]Lowland Smokers[/URL] Dutch BBQ Champion 2013 Low 'n Slow WGA Ambassador

09-13-2010, 08:50 PM	#11
Bluesman Babbling Farker Join Date: 01-01-10 Location: Planet Krypton Name/Nickname : Jon	That looks great. Wonderful job. Want to see pics when you get it all dirty __________________ 2010 22.5 WSM Weber Q200 1983 WGA 2010 Brick Red Touch n' Go Performer Kitchen stove

09-13-2010, 08:51 PM	#12
swamprb somebody shut me the fark up. Join Date: 10-27-06 Location: Bothell WA	Awesome work! I love it when folks restore a vintage Kamado-especially one that has been in family as long as yours! I hope it gives you many more years of fantastic meals and memories and even last to hand down to your children! __________________ 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

09-18-2010, 04:30 PM	#13
W_2004 Found some matches. Join Date: 08-26-10 Location: Espoo, Finland	Small update... I finally found the right kind of paint for the surface pattern. At least I hope I did. This is an alkyd paint called Miranol. Should be weather and heat resistant up to 120 Celsius (250 Fahrenheit). Lighter colors will turn slightly yellow with temperatures over that. Since I'm using black that probably won't be a problem. Used a small foam paint roller to apply it. Here's a sample of what the final color will look like. Did the damper top first in case it would suck. Last edited by Ron_L; 06-16-2014 at 08:43 AM..

09-18-2010, 04:54 PM	#14
milehigh is One Chatty Farker Join Date: 10-23-07 Location: Butte MT	Nice Restore! Can't wait to see her finished. Paul __________________ There is a huge difference between the guy who knows it all and the one who wants to know it all.

09-18-2010, 04:57 PM	#15
bluetang somebody shut me the fark up. Join Date: 08-06-10 Location: Stuart, Fl Name/Nickname : Mike	That is sharp, very nice __________________ Homey, the Homegrown frier, 22" WSM, 18.5" Elderly(but not retired) WSM,Homegrown Electric, Weber gasserrrr,Weber Performer, Gravity feed smoker, Blackstone, Indisputably Fastest [COLOR=purple]Purple[/COLOR] Thermapen, SAI Satay Grill Avatar by landarc, thanky!

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