Kettle questions

[91vw03]

Just picked up a 22.5" kettle on Craig's list for $20. It's inpretty bad but fixable shape.

I replaced the wood handles with some newer wood, cut from a 2x4 and soaked in water seal.

And I need to get a new grate. The one that is on there is really rusty.

Yesterday, one of the vents fell off. Can I buy the one-touch replacement parts and convert it to a one-touch. Or should I just buy a bolt and put the vent back on?

And the top has white spots on it like it faded. I tried washing it with soap, and also tried a polishing compound but neither made it look black again.

Last on the list is the leg posts and the top handle mounting points have a little rust. Which I plan on grinding out and hitting with some grill paint. Or would it be better to get some rust converter since the kettle is powder coated?

Should have photos this evening...

[BBQ Grail]

Okay, just my opinion here...

You could have an old Bar-B-Kettle. Wood handles and daisy wheels instead of the new fangled plastic handles and "on touch."

As a Weber kettle "purist" I'd try to keep it as it was. The older Bar-B-Kettles are getting harder and harder to come by. A small stainless steel screw will old that daisy wheel on.

Look at the daisy wheel on the lid. Does it have two letter code stamped in? If it does what code is it?

The most recent old weber I am working on is a 26 inch made in the early 70's. It had rust in several places and I just wire brushed it and hit with rust inhibitor BBQ black paint from Ace. After 4 coats of that I covered with a good engine black gloss black.

Swamprb has some great pointers on refurbing old Kettles. He's probably the best around so wait for his post.

[Single Fin Smoker]

Sounds like a good candidate for a UDS.

[swamprb]

Bolt or rivet the daisy wheel vent back on. I've had a couple black kettles so sun faded they turned grey, nothing I tried brought the color back. They tend to rust at all the spot welds, I would just mask off the area and paint the rusty spots with some BBQ paint or Engine block paint. JD did a One-Touch mod to his SJP but I think you get better control with the daisy wheels. Replacement grates are $10 - $18.
Weber has free shipping until 5/10/08 use MOM08 for the code.

[BBQ Grail]

Originally Posted by Single Fin Smoker

Sounds like a good candidate for a UDS.

There is that option.

[Harbormaster]

I rebuilt an old BarBKettle a few years ago. Pick up some stainless bolts, washers, and jam nuts (see jam nut note later) to reattach the vents. The jam nuts allow you to tighten far enough to keep the vents secure, but not so far that you can't operate it, and won't work itself loose.
There was also rust around the dome handle and the handle on the bowl. I drilled holes through the base of the handle and dome/bowl and fastened those with small stainless bolts. Small washers on the outside, fender washers on the inside, and jam nuts (not the kind with nylon in them, stainless jam nuts that are slightly "out-of-round"). It reinforces the attach points quite well.

[91vw03]

Here's the pics as promised.
There wasn't any numbers on the top vent.


Here's the bowl handle.

And the lid handle. You can see the surface rust, very minor


And the legs. again surface rust. They are all the same and I should be able to grind and paint with no problems. This is also the vent that fell off.


Home depot has the new grates with the hinge for $17, which I should be picking up maybe this weekend.

[BobBrisket]

Dang it, I can't see the pics at work. No letter stamp sounds like a Bar B, it should even say it on the top vent.

[Divemaster]

I would restore her back to her former beauty....

[Bbq Bubba]

Letter O right under Weber.......1992, good year!

Hit the Weber website and get all your replacement parts!

BTW....nice score!

[OSD]

I'd fix it up! Doesn't look in that bad of shape. You'll be glad you did and have a great grill to use.

[swamprb]

Originally Posted by 91vw03

Here's the pics as promised.
There wasn't any numbers on the top vent.


Here's the bowl handle.

And the lid handle. You can see the surface rust, very minor


And the legs. again surface rust. They are all the same and I should be able to grind and paint with no problems. This is also the vent that fell off.


Home depot has the new grates with the hinge for $17, which I should be picking up maybe this weekend.

If you are going to fix it up, might I suggest a little attention to the leg sockets? The rust and integrity of the spot welds look suspect. This is something I did to an 18" Red Bar-B-Kettle.




The sockets were basically toast, but I thought i could salvage it. I cut some thin sheet steel and drilled a hole in each tab of the leg socket, lined the backing discs up and secured them with pop rivets.



The rivets were temporary to see it the backing held up, it did and the rivets drilled out and nuts and bolts applied. I don't think I would have done it if it weren't a Red kettle, but you get the idea. You could use Fender washers on each tab on the inside of the bowl too.

I wouldn't paint the whole kettle, but rather mask off and spray the rusted areas to blend in. JMHO.





Nice work, and Welcome to the Weber Rescue League!

[smokeydog]

Go to gasgrills.com. They have a great selection of Weber parts at great prices. I refurbed my 22 1/2 with parts from them.

[Divemaster]

Originally Posted by Bbq Bubba

Letter O right under Weber.......1992, good year!

Damn boy, now I am impressed... Where did you find that info????

[Bbq Bubba]

Originally Posted by Divemaster

Damn boy, now I am impressed... Where did you find that info????

I knows my Webers!!

Actually i have a cheat sheet with all the model years on it, i think Brian posted it!