Need Advice for Sealing my Offset

djeppert · 06-26-2011, 12:54 PM

Ok Brethren, I need some help with this one. I have tried 2 times now to seal the cooking chamber door on my offset. The most recent attempt was using Rutland High Temp. Gasket Cement, black. Both attempts have been big time failures. When I put the coals in the fire box to see if the door seals well, it appears to work. After several hours, when the smoker cools down, the seal becomes very brittle and falls off.

What am I doing wrong, and what sealant should I be using. I've spent $20 so far sealing this thing and still don't have a sealed cooking chamber. Please help, any advice or suggestions would be greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance.

CarolinaQue · 06-26-2011, 01:07 PM

I used high temp RTV gasket making silicone from the auto store. Haven't had a problem. Are you applying it correctly?

ssbbqguy · 06-26-2011, 01:12 PM

Try using either a rope type or flat gasket held in place with rivets(soft alum.) or high temp. silicone. It will seal in all temps and not turn brittle. Also to get good adhesion, one must clean the area very good to get any material to stick. Good luck. Steve.

djeppert · 06-26-2011, 01:51 PM

Maybe I'm not getting it clean enough. Is it best to use a grinder and get down to the bare metal? I just ordered some of the Rutland high tem red gasket making silicone since that seems to be the common theme by everyone here. Hopefully I'll get it this time.

CarolinaQue · 06-26-2011, 02:58 PM

How are you going to apply it? I'm not sure if you need to gring it down to bare metal, but a wire wheel wouldn't be a bad idea.

djeppert · 06-26-2011, 03:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CarolinaQue

How are you going to apply it? I'm not sure if you need to gring it down to bare metal, but a wire wheel wouldn't be a bad idea.

I was just going to use a caulking gun to put it on. Then, from what I have read you put wax paper over it and close the door to create the seal you need. Once it sets, peel the wax paper off and it should be good to go.

Boshizzle · 06-26-2011, 05:10 PM

Clean the area that the silicone is being applied to with naphtha and put Vaseline on the moving part that will be touching the silicone. Let is sit for about 2 days then separate the parts and clean off the Vaseline. The silicone will cure and the Vaseline will prevent the parts from sticking together. That's all you should need to do.

purplestarrider · 06-26-2011, 05:40 PM

once you get this done will you take pics?? I would love to see how you do it. i am needing to do some sealing as well on mine and i don't want to screw it up

CarolinaQue · 06-26-2011, 06:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Boshizzle

Clean the area that the silicone is being applied to with naphtha and put Vaseline on the moving part that will be touching the silicone. Let is sit for about 2 days then separate the parts and clean off the Vaseline. The silicone will cure and the Vaseline will prevent the parts from sticking together. That's all you should need to do.

^^^What he said^^^

FatDaddy · 06-26-2011, 06:58 PM

SO for this, would u want to apply the gasket material to the doors themselves or to the pit? I am thinking of doing this with my big off set, since it is far from being air tight lol.

CarolinaQue · 06-26-2011, 07:03 PM

The door.

djeppert · 06-26-2011, 09:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by purplestarrider

once you get this done will you take pics?? I would love to see how you do it. i am needing to do some sealing as well on mine and i don't want to screw it up

I will do that. Hopefully it will turn out better this time.

Quote:

Originally Posted by CarolinaQue

The door.

My first 2 attempts I put it on the cooker instead of the door. Is that possibly why it came off?

ssbbqguy · 06-26-2011, 10:40 PM

Unless you can sandblast or get all the soot off the surface nothing will stick. Wire brush and solvent will work, but it has to be clean. Personally I don't like using anything that stinks around my food. Silcone and high heat bondo stinks. That's why I'm an advocate of using gasket material. I've used high temp silicone for longer than I like to admit and never found one that doesn't stink. Even after curing. The gasket material I use has adhesive on the back and I use soft rivets to insure attachment when I powerwash my pits. To each their own, but that's my .02. Steve.

06-26-2011, 12:54 PM	#1
djeppert Knows what a fatty is. Join Date: 06-10-11 Location: Des Moines, IA Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	Need Advice for Sealing my Offset Ok Brethren, I need some help with this one. I have tried 2 times now to seal the cooking chamber door on my offset. The most recent attempt was using Rutland High Temp. Gasket Cement, black. Both attempts have been big time failures. When I put the coals in the fire box to see if the door seals well, it appears to work. After several hours, when the smoker cools down, the seal becomes very brittle and falls off. What am I doing wrong, and what sealant should I be using. I've spent $20 so far sealing this thing and still don't have a sealed cooking chamber. Please help, any advice or suggestions would be greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance.

06-26-2011, 05:10 PM	#7
Boshizzle somebody shut me the fark up. Join Date: 01-26-10 Location: Virginia Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	Clean the area that the silicone is being applied to with naphtha and put Vaseline on the moving part that will be touching the silicone. Let is sit for about 2 days then separate the parts and clean off the Vaseline. The silicone will cure and the Vaseline will prevent the parts from sticking together. That's all you should need to do. __________________ Jambo Pit - UDS - Lang 60 (Sold) 18.5" & 22.5" Weber Kettles - Smokey Joe and Mini-WSM - Bubba Keg - #2 La Caja China Chargriller Outlaw Impeccably Accurate BLACK & RED Thermapens KCBS CBJ Operation BBQ Relief Founding Member I am Obsessive Compulsive about BBQ. Google it.

06-26-2011, 05:40 PM	#8
purplestarrider Full Fledged Farker Join Date: 05-23-11 Location: Arvada, CO Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	once you get this done will you take pics?? I would love to see how you do it. i am needing to do some sealing as well on mine and i don't want to screw it up __________________ Jess-NBBD (still learning) Imperial Kamado (restoring) MES 30" Digital

06-26-2011, 06:58 PM	#10
FatDaddy is One Chatty Farker Join Date: 04-04-06 Location: Wichita Falls, Tx Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	SO for this, would u want to apply the gasket material to the doors themselves or to the pit? I am thinking of doing this with my big off set, since it is far from being air tight lol. __________________ HALF DIAMOND RANCH BBQ Home made 5' reverse flow smoker Lg BGE WSM 18.5 WSM 22.5 Weber Kettle 22 1/2" silver series Weber Copper Smokey Joe Gold 14.5" GPS trackable RED super fast thermopen http://www.facebook.com/jtempleton2

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06-26-2011, 01:07 PM	#2
CarolinaQue is Blowin Smoke! Join Date: 06-23-07 Location: North Berwick, ME Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	I used high temp RTV gasket making silicone from the auto store. Haven't had a problem. Are you applying it correctly?

06-26-2011, 01:12 PM	#3
ssbbqguy is one Smokin' Farker Join Date: 10-09-07 Location: carthage,mo. Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	Try using either a rope type or flat gasket held in place with rivets(soft alum.) or high temp. silicone. It will seal in all temps and not turn brittle. Also to get good adhesion, one must clean the area very good to get any material to stick. Good luck. Steve.

06-26-2011, 01:51 PM	#4
djeppert Knows what a fatty is. Join Date: 06-10-11 Location: Des Moines, IA Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	Maybe I'm not getting it clean enough. Is it best to use a grinder and get down to the bare metal? I just ordered some of the Rutland high tem red gasket making silicone since that seems to be the common theme by everyone here. Hopefully I'll get it this time.

06-26-2011, 02:58 PM	#5
CarolinaQue is Blowin Smoke! Join Date: 06-23-07 Location: North Berwick, ME Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	How are you going to apply it? I'm not sure if you need to gring it down to bare metal, but a wire wheel wouldn't be a bad idea.

06-26-2011, 07:03 PM	#11
CarolinaQue is Blowin Smoke! Join Date: 06-23-07 Location: North Berwick, ME Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	The door.

06-26-2011, 10:40 PM	#13
ssbbqguy is one Smokin' Farker Join Date: 10-09-07 Location: carthage,mo. Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	Unless you can sandblast or get all the soot off the surface nothing will stick. Wire brush and solvent will work, but it has to be clean. Personally I don't like using anything that stinks around my food. Silcone and high heat bondo stinks. That's why I'm an advocate of using gasket material. I've used high temp silicone for longer than I like to admit and never found one that doesn't stink. Even after curing. The gasket material I use has adhesive on the back and I use soft rivets to insure attachment when I powerwash my pits. To each their own, but that's my .02. Steve.