Working on SS Performers- Gummi Bear build log, pic heavy

[1buckie]

Yeah, was going to say at least put another hose clamp up near the "green" end.....those clamps are really for liquid instead of gas......

OK for temp. I suppose.....

[Heyjude]

Also, not sure about the green fitting, I though they were only used for high pressure?  It may just be to let you know what type of propane system is being used. AJ

[pbe gummi bear]

Gas regulator update

I've decided that I was going to give up the Gummi Bear option #4 and try to adapt this regulator to the new tank. Thanks, HeyJude and 1Buckie for looking out for me. I've seen some ghetto rigged propane setups from asian food carts but I'd rather be safe than sorry. I am going to order the complete regulator setup with the QCC1 connector Option #3 above for the following reasons:

-Current QCC1 connections are 1/4" NPT standard, not 5/16" like the input end of the regulator. There is barely any support for this size anymore, and I have been searching.
-Barb fittings are not reccomended for propane (Thanks, AJ!).  After doing so research the propane pressure is pretty high: http://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/propane-vapor-pressure-d_1020.html Note the Logarithmic scale on the y-axis pressure . Propane fittings and hoses are treated as high pressure fittings that should be threaded and sealed, or machine crimped. They are similar to hydraulic lines.
-Option 3 is plug and play and easy. It will also replace the 15 year old hose and regulator which is probably a good thing!

Here is the 11# tank I will be mounting:

[pbe gummi bear]

Resurfacing the SS table.

My table has a decent amount of scratches in it. Eww:


To remove the scratches I plan to use a progression of sandpaper. I have never tried this on SS so the grit I used will be experimental. Here are the supplies I will be using- Sanding block, wood straight edge, spray bottle with soapy water, clamps, sharpie, a paper towel, 220/320/400 grit sandpaper for wet sanding.



First mark up the table to make sure you don't miss any scratches


Now clamp your straight edge to the table, and start sanding! The water is good to prevent clumping on the sandpaper.


Make sure that you rotate your sanding block to make the grain even.

I hit it with the 320 and it was too fine to make a difference. So I used the 220:


The 220 is the  roughest I had. It removes all the oxidation and smaller scratches but the main ones were still there, although less noticable. I only did the large panel. Next time I am at the hardware store I'll pick up some 120/150/180. These are rougher than I am comfortable with so I'll have to take it easy.

Before and after



Full table. Note the streakiness.


The table turned out pretty well, but a little streakier and shinier than oem. It's a good look for it!The sanding block doesn't leave an even grain since it's rigid and small. I ended up finishing it by hand which improved it alot. I will even it out once I get the new sand paper and do the small ss panel.

[mike.stavlund]

Looks great, Lawrence. 

I wrote in another thread about ss repair, picking up on a tip I got from an old-world craftsman who does resto work on Viking ranges and other high-end stuff.  He, too emphasized the importance of straight lines, and the fact that you will not exactly *remove* large scratches with this method, but you will *disguise* them to a great degree.  More like camoflage, I guess.

The differences in the two methods were using SS cleaner as a solvent rather than water (which is probably a negligable difference).  He also cautioned not to go any coarser than 220 (he also didn't use finer paper than that).

I would also recommend removing the SS pieces from the frame if at all possible, because it's important to sand all the way past the end of the piece to eliminate sanding marks that come when the paper is stopped short of the end.  It looks like your caution was rewarded with a flawless result though.

Thanks for posting all of these great tips, Lawrence.  I especially appreciate the suggestion to mark out the scratches and pits with a sharpie.  All of your excellent posts are making me even more eager to get started restoring my red SS. 

[pbe gummi bear]

Looks great, Lawrence. 

I wrote in another thread about ss repair, picking up on a tip I got from an old-world craftsman who does resto work on Viking ranges and other high-end stuff.  He, too emphasized the importance of straight lines, and the fact that you will not exactly *remove* large scratches with this method, but you will *disguise* them to a great degree.  More like camoflage, I guess.

The differences in the two methods were using SS cleaner as a solvent rather than water (which is probably a negligable difference).  He also cautioned not to go any coarser than 220 (he also didn't use finer paper than that).

I would also recommend removing the SS pieces from the frame if at all possible, because it's important to sand all the way past the end of the piece to eliminate sanding marks that come when the paper is stopped short of the end.  It looks like your caution was rewarded with a flawless result though.

Thanks for posting all of these great tips, Lawrence.  I especially appreciate the suggestion to mark out the scratches and pits with a sharpie.  All of your excellent posts are making me even more eager to get started restoring my red SS.

Thanks for the comment, Mike! Yep, I was sanding past the ss, but scratching up the black frame in the process. I am repainting that whole thing as well so I didn't really care, but I would suggest at least masking it. I guess you could remove it too, but it seems like the frame gives it rigidity. If your buddy at Viking can't get the scratches out then I am gonna leave it @ 220 grit. At the end of the day this is a cooker and will get scratches on the ss.

Here are some more tips that I forgot to add in:
-moderate pressure is best. You will bend the SS if you press too hard, and won't sand anything if you don't press hard enough.
-Mask the frame with tape if you dont want to scratch it up and can't or don't want to unmount the ss.
-Be careful with the sandpaper! I wasn't paying attention and spun it on the surface to rotate it and scratched the ss to hell. I needed to redo those parts, lol. 

[mikeinctown]

Here is the 11# tank I will be mounting:

Last page you mentioned that the large hole for mounting in the cart was 90* off. Is this the handle hole we see in the pic? So that is supposed to hang on the supplied hanger on the cart? The tank looks almost too big for the grill, I can't imagine what a 20lb would look like in there.

If anyone has some photos of what the tank should look like mounted I would appreciate it. I've seen plenty where the tank is visible, but I do not understand how it hangs there. My cart has the brackets, I think... Just no tank or regulator assembly for me to visualize what should be there and how it exactly is mounted.

[pbe gummi bear]

Mike, on page 6 of the user manual:http://www.appliancefactoryparts.com/content/pdfs/135906-1.pdf

The tank hangs on the bracket part 52. The big opening on the collar goes on the top thing sticking out, and the bottom is supported by the lower thing sticking out. The bracket slides up and down by about 1.5" for easy access.

I hope this isn't a stupid question but did your performer come with gas assist? Is there a hole for the burner? Does it have casters on the other side?

I won't be using my old regulator. Do you want it? It was tested to work. Note that you will need to procure a compatible tank with the quick connect.

[mikeinctown]

Mike, on page 6 of the user manual:http://www.appliancefactoryparts.com/content/pdfs/135906-1.pdf

The tank hangs on the bracket part 52. The big opening on the collar goes on the top thing sticking out, and the bottom is supported by the lower thing sticking out. The bracket slides up and down by about 1.5" for easy access.

I hope this isn't a stupid question but did your performer come with gas assist? Is there a hole for the burner? Does it have casters on the other side?

I won't be using my old regulator. Do you want it? It was tested to work. Note that you will need to procure a compatible tank with the quick connect.

It does have gas assist but the only stuff left there was the burner and ignitor. I'm not sure either one works as I'm still trying to take everything apart for a good cleaning. The old burner tube screws are rusted solid so I want to remove them and install some stainless ones. Hopefully today I'll be doing that. The side panel for tank mounting appears to be there, but I'm not sure all hardware is also with it. As far as I know I'm missing the tank and regulator assembly.

[pbe gummi bear]

Mike, on page 6 of the user manual:http://www.appliancefactoryparts.com/content/pdfs/135906-1.pdf

The tank hangs on the bracket part 52. The big opening on the collar goes on the top thing sticking out, and the bottom is supported by the lower thing sticking out. The bracket slides up and down by about 1.5" for easy access.

I hope this isn't a stupid question but did your performer come with gas assist? Is there a hole for the burner? Does it have casters on the other side?

I won't be using my old regulator. Do you want it? It was tested to work. Note that you will need to procure a compatible tank with the quick connect.

It does have gas assist but the only stuff left there was the burner and ignitor. I'm not sure either one works as I'm still trying to take everything apart for a good cleaning. The old burner tube screws are rusted solid so I want to remove them and install some stainless ones. Hopefully today I'll be doing that. The side panel for tank mounting appears to be there, but I'm not sure all hardware is also with it. As far as I know I'm missing the tank and regulator assembly.

Cool. Those bolts grind or dremel right off. Good luck!

[pbe gummi bear]

Fixing dents.

So I managed to pick up another performer today. This one is green and has a huge dent in the lid.



There isnt anything special about fixing a dent. All you need is some patience and a hammer. YOU WILL MAKE THE PORCELAIN CHIPPING WORSE so it's up to you if it's worth the effort. My hammer is a 16oz ball peen i think, but you can use other sizes and vary the force. With small head hammers though it will be hard to get a smooth finish. EDIT- MAY 26. Jeff has had success with rubber mallets which might be easier on the porcelain.




Dent from the inside


Start hitting it at the worst spot first usually in the middle of the dent. I prefer to use a ball peen hammer because the round head doesn't crease the metal as easily keeping it smoot. It helps to place the dented portion right on hard ground (place cardboard between the kettle and the ground to prevent scratches) The hard ground acts as your anvil. If you hit the kettle too hard (I doubt you will) the hammer wont go past the hard ground and cause an outward dent. You will notice that the steel is very tough. Don't be afraid to hit it. Keep hitting the dent at the worst spot until its more or less back to normal.

At this point the dent may look like this:


The metal is back to where it's supposed to be, but it will be bumpy from the hammer. Hit the high spots from the outside, and the low spots from the inside (they will be a high spot inside) The flat side part of your ball peen is better here. Lightly tap only! It may also help to put the kettle on a bench or grass or something. You can use your free hand to muffle the kettle so your wife doesn't get annoyed by the pounding. You will notice that some creases will be impossible to get out, but do your best. Body shop repair guys use special hammers and dollies like this one that have a really flat head and curved anvils:



Even those guys don't get it perfect though and need to use filler so be proud of improving your kettle!

Note that the porcelain chipping isn't that much worse than it was before. But it depends on the shape of your kettle dent and how bad you are with the hammer. 

With some patience you will get it smooth:



The porcelain on the outside is about the same because it was already chipped and rusted but on the inside it's a little worse on the initial crease. ymmv.

Stay safe out there, folks.

Total time: 5 min

[Jeff]

Lawrence...you did a great job on that SS surface.

Regarding taking out that dent, I have used a rubber mallet with great success several times on dents similar to that green one.  You will cause WAY less damage to the outside finish.  The steel hammer just shocks the other side and will chip up the paint even more.

[pbe gummi bear]

Lawrence...you did a great job on that SS surface.

Regarding taking out that dent, I have used a rubber mallet with great success several times on dents similar to that green one.  You will cause WAY less damage to the outside finish.  The steel hammer just shocks the other side and will chip up the paint even more.

Thanks, Jeff. Ill give rubber mallets a try.

[pbe gummi bear]

This Green performer is a "P" from 1994. I noticed a few interesting things on it. First, the thermometer cover has a "patent pending" on it. Secondly, the regulator doesn't have the quick release. The regulator is screwed on with a fitting.

[Heyjude]

Is that the one on Craigs yesterday for $40?