Weber Kettle Club Forums
Grill Talk => Weber Grill Forum (Grills, Accessories) => Topic started by: zavod44 on August 05, 2014, 08:18:10 PM
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So I came into possession late last year a very special grill. It was an old, ultra rare red 18" Wood Dale. These are very hard to find and I knew I had to fix this one up. This grill was in one of the club members family for a ling time. It had been used for many years and fell into disrepair and was left for dead. Do to this site and some dedicated Weber enthusiasts it was rescued. Now I heard it came from the dump, but I'll let that story be told by the men who rescued it. I took possession after most of the pieces were salvaged. I got it and it was in very bad shape. It was a project for sure. I wasn't sure what I was going to do but I vowed that it would stand again and it would cook again.
Here is what it looked like when I got it. The legs and vents were totally rusted through, there were just giant holes where the vents and legs were once attached. The legs were rusted off and the legs were stuck in the sockets. The thumbscrews were fused and rusted to the sockets as well.
(https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-UBU9T-vwzl4/U4pt7Kavh5I/AAAAAAAANKk/2AlJcZMbNBw/w933-h525-no/IMG_20140531_190317120.jpg)
I had to sort out where the legs were supposed to go.....
(https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/RXHpALPJEfVZFv01dTLd5RFbTa0LSItUQl49-CSw2GI=w933-h525-no)
(https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-JMQ44bTzD0c/U7m4CdxDGRI/AAAAAAAAP0k/4LxLI1wbfus/w296-h525-no/IMG_20140706_155540566_HDR.jpg)
(https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-45ZXYDPLvf4/U7m4Ad5x6qI/AAAAAAAAP0c/gOqOYAwT4vU/w296-h525-no/IMG_20140706_155533884_HDR.jpg)
I was able to start scrubbing the dirt off the bowl. The bright red color was starting to shine through.
(https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-Aj-QX2hb8K4/U7nBOK7UH-I/AAAAAAAAP14/JmszFIsAwUM/w933-h525-no/IMG_20140706_163513819_HDR.jpg)
I drilled out the rusted thumbscrews and retapped the holes with a 1/4 20 tap.
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-B5rzRUI9Hxg/U7m4DzFw0FI/AAAAAAAAP0w/i12ctoNZX50/w933-h525-no/IMG_20140706_155546008_HDR.jpg)
I really wanted to preserve what was there. I didn't want to replace anything unless it was absolutely necessary. I decided to just leave the legs in the sockets but i needed to reattach the sockets to the bowl. The best I could do was use large washers on the outside and the inside. That would sandwich what was left on the bowl and the legs could go back where they are suppose dot go
(https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-35YYE8FCTLs/U7m7MYy5DnI/AAAAAAAAP1A/D-MRFI23dGE/w933-h525-no/IMG_20140706_160950934_HDR.jpg)
(https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-Aj-QX2hb8K4/U7nBOK7UH-I/AAAAAAAAP14/JmszFIsAwUM/w933-h525-no/IMG_20140706_163513819_HDR.jpg)
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-jb5UpPyHaKM/U7m7TzEWxXI/AAAAAAAAP1Y/W9GMmb9_LKA/w296-h525-no/IMG_20140706_161006477_HDR.jpg)
Once I got the legs all attached I had to do the same thing to the vents. Again there were just giant holes where the vents once were. The vents were totally missing so I got a set of donor vents from Harris. I had to use giant washers to find some meat to attach the vents to. Once these were attached I had to turn to the wheels. THey were totally dry rotted and they were in multiple pieces. I was able to put them back together like a puzzle. I put black caulk and wound them with black electrical tape to hole them in place while the caulk dried. I learned that the electrical tape looked almost exactly like the tread so I ultimately just left the tape in place.
(https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-exxSYu_cvRw/U7trXqbG3_I/AAAAAAAAP3o/vxGXbw95aXg/w296-h525-no/IMG_20140707_225321780_HDR.jpg)
I scrubbed the lid up and put new caps on the axles and there she stood again, like a Phoenix that rose from the ashes.
(https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-YBNBNrz21wY/U7wLjbOepjI/AAAAAAAAP4M/_H5yb3pKNWg/w933-h525-no/IMG_20140708_101630235_HDR.jpg)
I used a donor ash pan because the original was gone.
(https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-QJAlVnL6878/U7wLqWUBeII/AAAAAAAAP4k/Uod_6SJf6Ok/w933-h525-no/IMG_20140708_101643957_HDR.jpg)
(https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-DH03qKUuliQ/U7wMSzP0KTI/AAAAAAAAP44/Y_sgId4L7pw/w933-h525-no/IMG_20140708_102017341_HDR.jpg)
(https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-FPEVj_-RrjE/U7wMYWvSNDI/AAAAAAAAP5E/cVPUfPPM_2M/w933-h525-no/IMG_20140708_102034408_HDR.jpg)
(https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-kZfvzmJ1uJU/U7wMsvbxFAI/AAAAAAAAP5c/IcFASKbC8Ms/w933-h525-no/IMG_20140708_102050385_HDR.jpg)
Here he is among the rest of his Wood Dale brothers.
(https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-7S8cQ1PKCmA/U7yAB6pwkCI/AAAAAAAAP6A/WLFCTztZapc/w933-h525-no/IMG_20140708_183358003_HDR.jpg)
At the Chicago meet up
(http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq142/A_Tame76/2014%20WKC%20Chicago%20Meetup/DSCF0319_zps91a1bd6c.jpg)
(http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq142/A_Tame76/2014%20WKC%20Chicago%20Meetup/DSCF0249_zps2cb9ab1f.jpg)
I was very happy to get this piece of history back together. I didn't get a chance to cook on this at the meet up, but it is high on my priority list. I want to thank Harris on this one, he was the one that was instrumental in saving it and getting into my hands. I believe this came from NY Dan in the first place, maybe he can shed more light on the early history. I'm glad I was able to help write the later chapter of this legendary grill, but definitely not the final chapter. A real example of Rescue Restore Respect.......
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Great job on the resto. Awesome collection.
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Excellent rescue and restore Brian - thanks to your efforts that red's breathin' fire once again!
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Wow. Great job man
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Very nice! There is much care, time, and skill invested in that restore - it shows!
Winz
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Phenomenal !!!!
It occurs that this:
I had to sort out where the legs were supposed to go.....
(https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-JMQ44bTzD0c/U7m4CdxDGRI/AAAAAAAAP0k/4LxLI1wbfus/w296-h525-no/IMG_20140706_155540566_HDR.jpg)
(https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-45ZXYDPLvf4/U7m4Ad5x6qI/AAAAAAAAP0c/gOqOYAwT4vU/w296-h525-no/IMG_20140706_155533884_HDR.jpg)
...might have been much harder to do if they had installed it caddywampus in the first place...... :o
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Awesome Job Brian!!!
Great to see it didn't end up as scrap metal
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Great job on the restore! Could you get a shot of the bottom vents to get an idea on how you did that? Thanks.
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Awesome, just awesome!
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Amazing restore Brian you set the bar with this one.
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I'll get some more pictures tonight. There aren't many colored Wood Dales out there, I was glad to save this one
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Congrats on an awesome restoration!
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Wow, absolutely amazing! Thanks for sharing the rebirth of "The Firebird".
Well done.... ;)
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Wow! What a breathtaking restore. It shows hope for even the most badly bruised kettles. Great Job!
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Nice job on the rescue.
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Very nice job on the restore. I'm amazed that is able to be brought back from near death but looks like some time in the ICU at Brians house did the trick. ;D
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This is a particular kind of amazing.
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There aren't many colored Wood Dales out there
I have one. It's black in color. Some would say black is their favorite color. A black-colored Wood Dale looks amazing!
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Brian,
Thank you so much for posting the photos and story of this restoration. I am so excited to see this grill back together, I cant wait to show your photos to my grandparents. This grill is the reason that I found our wonderful club and is ultimatly responsible for me getting into collecting Weber kettle grills.
Here is the story behind this grill: It was purchased by my great grandfather and given to my grandparents for their first wedding aniversary in 1962. They used it for many years at their home in Connecticut and then gave it to my parents here in NY in the 1980's. At some point my parents got a new weber and this one was sent to an area in the back 40 of the farm known as "The Junk" (an area where old farm equiptment and old household appliances have gone to die for the past 4 generations.) The grill sat in The Junk for many years and eventually fell in a heap until I rediscovered and rescued it.
Here are some photos from the day I found it:
(http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p192/ddeysenroth/488BB49A-BF8B-47F2-B3DA-2735C7BB276A_zps86f2vxzc.jpg) (http://s128.photobucket.com/user/ddeysenroth/media/488BB49A-BF8B-47F2-B3DA-2735C7BB276A_zps86f2vxzc.jpg.html)
(http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p192/ddeysenroth/6133BE2A-7E7C-48AB-B6FA-BB230BC9018F_zpsy9tit5a9.jpg) (http://s128.photobucket.com/user/ddeysenroth/media/6133BE2A-7E7C-48AB-B6FA-BB230BC9018F_zpsy9tit5a9.jpg.html)
(http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p192/ddeysenroth/A9D0E09B-61BB-48F8-A0DA-18631AB21152_zpshombckcv.jpg) (http://s128.photobucket.com/user/ddeysenroth/media/A9D0E09B-61BB-48F8-A0DA-18631AB21152_zpshombckcv.jpg.html)
(http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p192/ddeysenroth/748D9775-EFCB-4C0E-B62F-814F263A33ED_zpsruwmw2mr.jpg) (http://s128.photobucket.com/user/ddeysenroth/media/748D9775-EFCB-4C0E-B62F-814F263A33ED_zpsruwmw2mr.jpg.html)
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Nice job! I thought that I went above and beyond the call on this one, but you've exceeded the challenge!
(http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t310/swamprb/Ugly%20Drum%20Smoker/Weber/100_2301.jpg)
(http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t310/swamprb/Ugly%20Drum%20Smoker/Weber/100_2300.jpg)
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Wow, nice restore, to preserve some Weber history!!!
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Wow, absolutely amazing! Thanks for sharing the rebirth of "The Firebird".
Well done.... ;)
That's it it's "The Firebird"
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Holy moly. Well done!
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Freaking unbelievable rescue! Congrats and thanks.
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So as I vowed to do, tonight the Firebird got the call from the bullpen. I had some potatoes in a foil bag that an 18 inch grill would work perfect on. So I fired it up and put it into action
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Ac-RZvtqblU/U-fliEdzE1I/AAAAAAAASSo/z1c2mQwahPA/w856-h482-no/IMG_20140810_163426924.jpg)
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-r6277dgRuMM/U-fnRhl9F-I/AAAAAAAASTE/8UZJK97dS8c/w856-h482-no/IMG_20140810_164203322_HDR.jpg)
It was part of a larger cook, my buddy just got back from fishing in Canada. So he wanted to fry the fish up so I got the Ranch going, overkill....yes, but it worked out because there were a bunch of people helping so there was a lot of space for people to move around and do there thing. I needed a table to use with the ranch. Of course the nod went to the vintage wood table because I can adjust the height to fit the grill. Anyhow here are a few pictures of the whole ordeal.....
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Zj5JoM9XhKY/U-fnfDE3m2I/AAAAAAAASTo/j1XCvZXt79s/w856-h482-no/IMG_20140810_164302599.jpg)
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ISMSWnoQ1C0/U-fqaCtrOPI/AAAAAAAASVQ/0w2UU52nVPU/w856-h482-no/IMG_20140810_165509986.jpg)
I even cracked out the old vintage fiberglass TV tray for extra room
(https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-f0vFouXuFvo/U-fqy-yGR9I/AAAAAAAASVc/tccuHjoXksg/w856-h482-no/IMG_20140810_165656660.jpg)
Some Walleye and Trout ready to go in the fryer
(https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-aYQxLYpGBrA/U-fwCwAH-II/AAAAAAAASWs/PlolCVdPJL4/w271-h481-no/IMG_20140810_171835451_HDR.jpg)
The frying fish had to fire up some coshell to get the oil going hot....
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-mmeJxLF82Kg/U-fwMcKqh4I/AAAAAAAASW4/CDW7HEAf4As/w856-h482-no/IMG_20140810_171841176_HDR.jpg)
Smoke rising again from the firebird
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-xhWBprJdC4A/U-fzU0zALkI/AAAAAAAASYQ/IzLCA2kpM-g/w856-h482-no/IMG_20140810_172847506.jpg)
This was a long journey to get to this point. It definitely not the final chapter, but another chapter indeed.....
Oh and I was happy it didn't fall over too ;)
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I was also thinking now that every other guy in the club has a custom now, this is the only Red 18 Wood Dale We know of at this point. So here's to the one and only Firebird.....
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Just awesome! That meal cooked on Weber Kettles that have over a hundred years combined history. To me that is WOW!
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Thanks for sharing, Brian. THAT is what it is all about!
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What an awesome rediscovery by Dan and an epic rehab by you Brian! The Firebird turned out beautifully! I especially love to see it back in service.
I love to see the old cookers doing what they do best... Being a cooker! :-)
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That's awesome that you were able to turn what you had into what you have now. Awesome resto!
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Awesome cook! I love the Firebird (raising glass)...
I never thought about frying fish outside on the kettle. Keeps the house from smelling like fried fish for a month!
BTW... Now you have me wanting a vintage fiberglass TV table. :o LOL
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The frying fish had to fire up some coshell to get the oil going hot....
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-mmeJxLF82Kg/U-fwMcKqh4I/AAAAAAAASW4/CDW7HEAf4As/w856-h482-no/IMG_20140810_171841176_HDR.jpg)
How is your stock of Coshell doing?
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Dwindling!
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Nice work Brian. I'm real bummed I missed the meet up and didn't get to see it.