Good morning y'all. Sorry if I already covered these items, I just wanted clarity as I am at a real keyboard and not doing voice to text on my phone subject to AutoCorrect and whatever Google things I am saying.... :-)
The package from Amazon arrived yesterday. Washers were missing from one of the thermometers. (I got the 2 pack, they were inexpensive enough, and they work great!).
I installed the thermometer in the lid on the new to me EZ code kettle. Purists will hate it, but the kettle has dents, dings, and rust spots already, not exactly a collectible piece, and I LOVE having the thermometer there....
Drilling the hole was plenty easy. I used the Harbor Freight 1/2" Hammer Drill with the hammer function turned off. Not because I needed the power, but because it was on my bench already... A Quick Clamp to hold it steady while I drilled, and a Ryobi 3/8" TiN coated drill bit. I deburred the hole with a rat tail metal file (Stanley Proto IF anyone is interested).
I did NOT paint / seal the hole. The lid already has like I said, dings and rust... I am going to take this back off, do some light sanding and degreasing of the lid before I hit it with some VHT Engine enamel and I do that ONLY to slow down / stop rust progression on the lid!
The other item / mod that came in is getting to be a must have for me on a kettle, and that is a hinged cooking grate.
I was going to try to drop in as well, my old rusty Smokey Joe cooking grate as the secondary / 90 degree coal grate. I have the bailing wire and spinner to bind the two together into one unit , so assuming it fits, I am ready to go and make this work...
My Elotes from last weekend didn't come out as I had hoped. No thermometer in this kettle, no real idea about heat, and I was changing the way I cook them. I typically have dunked them in a cool water bath, let the husk soak up water, and then foil wrap them loosely to allow steam to escape, and smoke flavor to enter, and cook them over a medium / high coals for an hour turning occasionally. This time I just tossed them straight on the grill. After an hour, the kernels were still plenty raw. Not a good thing!
Today, not sure when, but at some point I need to run to AutoZone, or wherever I can pick up VHT, and get a can of gloss black engine enamel.
My remaining mods on this Kettle (these kettles if you could VHTing the holes in the lids) are..
#1. Degreasing, disassembling the related components enough to mask, lightly sand and VHT paint the following
a. Thermostat penetrations.
b. Rust spots at the handle weld points.
c. Rust spots where there are dents and dings on the lid, and bowl.
d. The surface rust on the tool hanger, and condiment rack, since I don't have access or the desire to get them replated....
#2. Disembowel the aluminum can, and shim the legs in the sockets to stiffen up the base of the Kettle. I do NOT like the idea of a wobbly kettle with burning material in it while there are kids, and pets around....
Again the purpose behind my modding has absolutely ZERO to do with cosmetics, and everything to do with function.