markdtn
is one Smokin' Farker
- Joined
- Jun 3, 2010
- Location
- Chattano...
I didn't know if this should go in the Bandera 101 or not, but I am posting it here.
Here are a few photos of my NB Bandera partial refurbish. I bought it new about 12 years ago at Academy Sports. I have never had a great place to put it, so it stays outside on the deck under the eaves. Earlier this year, I pressure washed it and noticed that 1 pair the shelf brackets on the inside of the chamber and on the close side of the firebox were eaten away at the bottoms. So I could keep going for the Summer, I cut out the bad brackets in the firebox and bolted an angle in. I used some stainless eye-bolts in the chamber to support the water bowl in place of the rusted off brackets. Also, the expanded metal on my grate disintegrated (my fault-I forgot and left ashes in it all winter) and the middle wall on the firebox side had rusted through and/or was thin-this was the worst part. The rest of the firebox is still pretty solid, just the 1 end was bad. The baffle that I made 5 years ago was showing it’s age, so while It was off I decided to replace it too. When I got ready to take it apart, all 4 of the bolts in the bottom of both chambers came apart and were still in good condition which surprised me. I ended up torching the 6 bolts that held the 2 chambers together, as there was not much left of them.
I got some new ¼” high-tensile scrap at work that was already bent with lips on it to use as the firebox end. It had come in bent wrong so they scrapped it. It had a few holes, but most were where the cross-chamber cutout was going to be. I did have 1 large hole through a curve that I had to patch. I found a nice piece of ¼” scrap already bent with a curve to use as a baffle. Also new-it comes in as a spacer and is cut out after a welding operation. I carefully cut out the bad firebox end with a grinder to use as a pattern. I welded the new end in. I had hoped that I could just do a butt weld all the way around, but just could not get the old thinner stuff to seal to the new ¼” up the sides without burning holes, so I used a piece of angle in 1 corner and a piece of square stock in the other. For some reason the bottom went fine butt welded without burning through. Not the prettiest welding I ever did, but it was square and it sealed. Should last me a few more years until I can save up for something better. While I was there in the firebox, I cut out the remaining 2 grate holders in the firebox and welded in a piece of angle opposite the other. I welded up the holes that left and then I painted the outside some nice Rustoleum high-temp black. For the new baffle, all I had to do was cut it off to length and drill holes. Last night I took the grinder and cut off the old expanded metal from the grate frame, and got a new piece and welded it on. As a side note, for those with Banderas that have never done the grate and the baffle mod-DO IT! It makes a huge difference in how it operates. I have a good Tel-Tru thermometer with 5" dial. I recommend it highly. I can see from across the yard what the temperature is doing.
I put it all back together with some stainless bolts. I used carriage bolts for the firebox so that the ash pan will sit level. Don’t know why, but that has always bothered me. I built a nice fire to season it last weekend. I need to build a fire on the new grate before I use it, but I’m not as concerned about it as I was about seasoning the new baffle and the end plate. Hope to use it this weekend and cook some good stuff. I have penny sample rubs from Oakridge and got my weed torch yesterday-won't need that lighter fluid in the background any more!
Here are a few photos of my NB Bandera partial refurbish. I bought it new about 12 years ago at Academy Sports. I have never had a great place to put it, so it stays outside on the deck under the eaves. Earlier this year, I pressure washed it and noticed that 1 pair the shelf brackets on the inside of the chamber and on the close side of the firebox were eaten away at the bottoms. So I could keep going for the Summer, I cut out the bad brackets in the firebox and bolted an angle in. I used some stainless eye-bolts in the chamber to support the water bowl in place of the rusted off brackets. Also, the expanded metal on my grate disintegrated (my fault-I forgot and left ashes in it all winter) and the middle wall on the firebox side had rusted through and/or was thin-this was the worst part. The rest of the firebox is still pretty solid, just the 1 end was bad. The baffle that I made 5 years ago was showing it’s age, so while It was off I decided to replace it too. When I got ready to take it apart, all 4 of the bolts in the bottom of both chambers came apart and were still in good condition which surprised me. I ended up torching the 6 bolts that held the 2 chambers together, as there was not much left of them.
I got some new ¼” high-tensile scrap at work that was already bent with lips on it to use as the firebox end. It had come in bent wrong so they scrapped it. It had a few holes, but most were where the cross-chamber cutout was going to be. I did have 1 large hole through a curve that I had to patch. I found a nice piece of ¼” scrap already bent with a curve to use as a baffle. Also new-it comes in as a spacer and is cut out after a welding operation. I carefully cut out the bad firebox end with a grinder to use as a pattern. I welded the new end in. I had hoped that I could just do a butt weld all the way around, but just could not get the old thinner stuff to seal to the new ¼” up the sides without burning holes, so I used a piece of angle in 1 corner and a piece of square stock in the other. For some reason the bottom went fine butt welded without burning through. Not the prettiest welding I ever did, but it was square and it sealed. Should last me a few more years until I can save up for something better. While I was there in the firebox, I cut out the remaining 2 grate holders in the firebox and welded in a piece of angle opposite the other. I welded up the holes that left and then I painted the outside some nice Rustoleum high-temp black. For the new baffle, all I had to do was cut it off to length and drill holes. Last night I took the grinder and cut off the old expanded metal from the grate frame, and got a new piece and welded it on. As a side note, for those with Banderas that have never done the grate and the baffle mod-DO IT! It makes a huge difference in how it operates. I have a good Tel-Tru thermometer with 5" dial. I recommend it highly. I can see from across the yard what the temperature is doing.
I put it all back together with some stainless bolts. I used carriage bolts for the firebox so that the ash pan will sit level. Don’t know why, but that has always bothered me. I built a nice fire to season it last weekend. I need to build a fire on the new grate before I use it, but I’m not as concerned about it as I was about seasoning the new baffle and the end plate. Hope to use it this weekend and cook some good stuff. I have penny sample rubs from Oakridge and got my weed torch yesterday-won't need that lighter fluid in the background any more!
