How to mount non performer kettle to performer table

Started by rox05web, June 24, 2016, 09:03:09 AM

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rox05web

Newbie here, I have a 18 1/2 in one touch platinum that needed a new bowl.
I bought a used 18 1/2 kettle grill and of course it does not have the brackets to
mount to the table. What is the best way to make brackets. I thought of cutting off
the brackets of the old bowl and grinding off the metal from the grill.
Any suggestions?


zavod44

That would be the best idea.  The brackets themselves are actually a complicated shape.  If you could carefully grind of the old ones and bolt them on the new grill that would be fairly painless.  Just be mindful of where you put the bolts so it doesn't hang up your grates when you drop them in.  Use a  short profile nut maybe....

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haeffb

Quote from: rox05web on June 24, 2016, 09:03:09 AM
Any suggestions?

I recently bought a performer table with a non-performer kettle. If you're not too concerned with how it looks, this seemed to have worked for the previous owner:


rox05web

Thank you for the replies, haeffb I cannot tell from the picture how it is mounted.

haeffb

#4
He sat the handles of the kettle on the frame, then used two pieces of thin scrap wood and ran bolts through the wood and through the original holes in the frame. It was secure enough that it wasn't going anywhere.

Here's a pic of the hardware. Looks like two pieces of 1" by 1/4" or so oak trim.


rox05web

Thank you for the reply, the bowl that I have only has one handle. I am sure others have had this problem as the 18 1/2 bowl is discontinued from Weber with the table and frame

swamprb

Quote from: rox05web on June 24, 2016, 09:03:09 AM
Newbie here, I have a 18 1/2 in one touch platinum that needed a new bowl.
I bought a used 18 1/2 kettle grill and of course it does not have the brackets to
mount to the table. What is the best way to make brackets. I thought of cutting off
the brackets of the old bowl and grinding off the metal from the grill.
Any suggestions?

@rox05web

You could do that. I recently did it on a 22" Platinum.



The bowl was a rustbucket, so I located the 3 spot welds on each end the brackets, and drilled into the bowl to make them easier to remove. It was still a PITA, but doable. Wear safety glasses, because the porcelain coating will splinter trying to get them off. I sandblasted them and painted them Red to match the kettle.







I'm totally convinced you could use some L braces and they would be sufficient to secure the bowl to the frame.
I cook on: Backwoods Gater, Lang 36, Hunsaker Smokers, Pellet Pro 22" WSM, BGE's, WSM's, Cajun Bandits, PK Grills, Drum Smokers, Genesis Silver C, Weber Q's, Cookshack 008, Little Chief, La Caja China #2, Lodge Sportsman...oh yeah! Weber Kettles! Kamado restoration and pit modification hack!

rox05web

Thank you swamprb, that is what I was thinking to try but I was going  to cut it
out. This is a much cleaner and easier way.

zavod44

I tried once to use L brackets but the problem with that is depending on where you put the screws, it will start to make the bowl go egg shaped, and the lid wont fit.  I had this problem on the very first version of Mesa Azul.  It also the same reason that the brackets are shaped they way they are from Weber.  If you do use L brackets you should try to mimic the shape of the Weber ones as close as possible.....
Vintage Weber Grill raconteur and bon vivant.....and definitely Sir Agent X

DirectDrive

Quote from: zavod44 on June 25, 2016, 11:06:41 AM
I tried once to use L brackets but the problem with that is depending on where you put the screws, it will start to make the bowl go egg shaped, and the lid wont fit.  I had this problem on the very first version of Mesa Azul.  It also the same reason that the brackets are shaped they way they are from Weber. If you do use L brackets you should try to mimic the shape of the Weber ones as close as possible.....
With the aging fleet of Gen 1 SSP's out there someone with metal skills could provide those brackets so an old timer could get a new bowl.
Along with the older type handle frames that I currently seek.

zavod44

They are really complicated....

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Vintage Weber Grill raconteur and bon vivant.....and definitely Sir Agent X

ClubChapin

Quote from: DirectDrive on June 26, 2016, 05:07:54 PM
With the aging fleet of Gen 1 SSP's out there someone with metal skills could provide those brackets so an old timer could get a new bowl.
Along with the older type handle frames that I currently seek.


The new performer bowls fit the SSP frames.  I think all Performer bowls are interchangeable.


It'll be a long time before the "old timers" are left without bowls.

DirectDrive

Since I began my studies at Weber University, I have seen several SSP's in need of new bowls (rot, spalling, etc.).
More so than standard kettles, it seems.
If SSP replacement brackets were available, finding a cheap donor would seal the deal.

1ROW

The bowl on the otp project I did was shot too. So I carefully cut off the old brackets with a dremel. Probably went through 5 of those weak cutting discs but it did the job. Cleaned up the edges with a dremel grinding bit. On the donor kettle, I drilled out the welds for the handles using the smallest bit possible. Then, placing the brackets where the handles had been, a buddy welded the brackets on from the inside through the holes I drilled. Stronger than new. Only picture I have of the process...


pbe gummi bear

great work. Let's see the final product once you have a chance
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