Gen 2 Blue to Crimson officially under way!

[bigjeffb]

My original plan was to refurb my trash find blue Gen 2.


After a LOT of back and forth hemming and hawing, I decided instead to swap out the original blue with a Crimson. The new blue bowl and lid I acquired will just have to wait for another project....

And I figure I might as well follow the lead of @Samuel (if not blatantly copy) and make it not only crimson, but a crimson Limited Edition!

So I wrangled some deals here and there and got ahold of a new crimson lid and bowl, and got the hardware for a LE kettle, and added the famous taco-delete handle made by @Lilyankee and sent to me by @bladz .


So with the day off, kids in school, and Mrs. B cleaning, I FINALLY got to work....
Inspired by the vid made by Louis at R Shack I laid out my work area and started marking to find centerlines. I traced around the bowl, and found the center point using the intersecting lines trick, and then made a line perpendicular to one of the lines I started with.


And then I really got started....

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[bigjeffb]

First thing I had to do was come up with a template for the gas assist. So I took a narrow strip of paper, taped it to the outside of the blue performer bowl I had, and marked the paper off from the inside. My reference point was the bottom edge of the paper sitting as flat as I could get it inside the lip of the bowl.
Then I removed it, cut out the holes using a plain old xacto knife, and I had my template.


Little double checking never hurts.....


Next I eyeballed where my center axis would be by using the bowl handle and one of the leg sockets as a reference. I centered the bowl in my outline, did my best to line it up my centerline with the handle, and just to double check I tied a string to the leg socket and brought it down the side of the bowl to where I determined my center axis to be.
Is it exact? No. But good enough for government work.


Then I took my template, inserted the bottom edge into the lip, held it still with some more tape, and traced it out. So now I have a good enough layout for where I will cut and drill for the igniter! It was a little off when I took the pic but I really need it before tracing...




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[Lilyankee]

Love it!


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[bigjeffb]

Next I had to lay out where my mounting brackets would be. I bought an unused set of Unknown BBQ brackets off someone from the kettleheadz or Weber kettle fans FB page (can't remember....anyway....) at a GREAT price.
the brackets are 7 inches wide, so I marked the center point at 3.5 " to help line them up.


I noted that the top edge of the brackets on the blue bowl are an inch below the bowl lip. And it just so happens the tabs on the unknown brackets are exactly an inch.



Next I lined up the bracket I marked with the centerline I determined, and then I used it as the perfect spacer to locate the brackets one inch below the lip on both sides.
Five and a half years of college right there, fellas!



So I had the GA marked, and the brackets marked, and last but not least was the lid bale. This step was surprisingly more difficult than I thought. But mostly because for me measure twice cut once usually ends up measure twice.....then twice more....then just a few times more....

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[JEBIV]

That's some fine skills, perfection is your middle name I assume LOL

[bigjeffb]

The lid bale I had came from a Gen 4 I flipped not long ago after reshaping it following a wind storm which knocked it out of shape. So step one was to find where the center point is on the other side of the bowl. Challenge here was no handle for a reference. So I took my trusty string, ran it over the top of the bowl, and lined it up to the centerline on the other side.
I should note that the ONLY way my method works is if I DIDN'T move the kettle at all once I centered it in the outline of my work space.

Then it was back to my blue performer bowl for measuring and verifying.
I took an old tape measure (the kind used by tailors and seamstresses....can I say that any more? Seamstresses? Oh well..) and I tucked it into the lip of the bowl and I measured from about centerline of one hole for the bale, around the perimeter to about center of the other hole, and measured about 22-3/4".

The holes (which are about 1/4" for those keeping score at home) we're about 1/2" to center below the bottom of the bowl lip.


Then I used my superior math skills (remember...five and a half years) and measured 11-3/8" from the center string to either side, and marked 1/2" down and this gave me where the upper holes for the lid bale get drilled.
Then for the bottom support screw of the bale I measured up from the inside of the lip of the blue bowl to be about 9-3/4" to center. I marked it along the string line of the crimson, and that's all she wrote.


All there is to do next is to (try not to f*ck up when I) drill and cut everything I marked!

But that will be after dinner
and some liquid courage...

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[bigjeffb]

That's some fine skills, perfection is your middle name I assume LOL

Actually it's Danger.
I changed it from Lewis.
Pissed my mom off something FIERCE.

You'd think that as precise and particular I am actually capable of being that I'd actually be WORKING in my degree. But screw engineering when you can work rotating shift work lol

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[bamakettles]

Fun thread!  I'm enjoying the pictures as well as the commentary.  Can't wait to see it finished!  Have fun.....

[bigjeffb]

So I jumped in face first and started with what I thought would be the most difficult part of the mod which was cutting the gas assist.
I started with this to 1) rip the Band Aid off, and 2) if this gets screwed beyond all repair then there is no point in mounting the rest of it lol.
So I started off with a pilot hole and worked my way up to about a 1/2" bit.
It was after ALL that when I found my step bit lol.


Before going any further it helps to verify that my placement wasn't WAY off. Looked like lots of room under the grate to keep going.


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[bigjeffb]

The remaining pics are imgur links since I ran out of quota apparently....
Anyway I used a combine of a Dremel cutting disk to get the initial shape, and then grinding stone, carbide burr, and hand file to get the final shape.
NOT for the squeemish or unsteady-of-hand for sure!
From there I used my step bit to drill out the screw holes to 5/16" just to adjust for any play, but it aligned perfectly!
But she's a beaut, Clark!
The rest I will finish tomorrow....

[bamakettles]

Great progress!  The liquid courage worked well.


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[Vwbuggin64]

Awesome job so far


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[bigjeffb]

Today after dropping Thing 1 and Thing 2 off at school, I got started with the rest of the drilling.
Word of warning, depending on your drill bit age, this may dull them relatively quickly. Once I realized my 1/8 but was slowing down getting the rest of the pilot holes, I swapped to a 5/32 that I barely ever use and the difference was night and day. So.....SHARP BITS.
After I was done with that, a little swab of rust oleum high heat for grills along the cut edges (never hurts) and when that dries, it's assembly time.

[bigjeffb]

So I finally have it assembled! I opted to stick with the original hardware because it was all still in pretty good shape. I installed the brackets with the nuts outside (giggity) to reduce interference when removing the grate.
In a couple weeks I should be able to put it all together on the Gen 2 frame.
In the meantime, Little Man and I have to decide if we wanna try our hands at dyeing the original table or make our own.










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[Jules V.]

What's taking so long?
That job shouldn't take more than 2 hours  to complete