First Restoration, *pics* first RRR complete....

[Santo]

Looking good so far!

[Idahawk]

Was the lid ( dome)  handle bolted on when you got it ?


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[bcmillerkcco15]

Was the lid ( dome)  handle bolted on when you got it ?

Yes sir @Idahawk
Here is the lid with code "P" stamped damper and the handle attachment before disassembly

[MikeRocksTheRed]

Wow, that is a major difference in color between the top and bottom.  My red SS (ER - 1996) is the color of your kettle, but when it gets hot the entire thing and more the lid than the kettle turns the color of your lid.

In case you need to replace your propane tank, Ace Hardware has one online I just bought for mine and it works perfectly.  http://www.acehardware.com/product/index.jsp?productId=21226816
My performer came with a larger tank that just sat on the wire shelf when I bought it used.  I've heard a lot of people having problems getting tanks refilled due to age and my tank looked very old, plus I wanted a smaller tank that would hang from the grill and not take up as much space.

[Harleysmoker]

Looking good!

Simple Green won't cut that baked on stuff. If you get a can of Oven Cleaner, Easy Off, (don't buy the cheap brand, it don't work as good), you could of had the lid and bowl done in a couple hours. Take the Aluminum ash Ring and bucket off so the oven cleaner don't mess it up. Spray it on, let it sit for awhile, then use an SOS Pad or scrape it off. Repeat if needed till clean. Wash with soap and  rinse it good with water. Makes the job so much easier!

[bcmillerkcco15]

Kettle is clean, lots of razor blades, 0000, and simple green. Pretty amazing how good these things look after years and years of punishment. Next will be cleaning, polishing and reinstall the ash sweep. I was very fortunate that the thumb screw came out easily. The ash sweep handle was a chore, lots of soaking in WD40 and coaxing with a hammer and flathead screwdriver. I purchased a 7444 to replace the existing sweep and handle, but after looking at the originals I think they can be cleaned, polished and reused. Do you guys prefer to use the new 7444 modified or reinstall original equipment? 
As always, thanks for checking it out and offering advice.

[crowderjd]

Wow that looks great!  Can you tell me what you did to get the vent looking so good?  I have a red that has some serious wear on the top vent, and I'd like to get it looking like yours.

[brewtownbeatdown]

Looking good so far. I've found the razor blade method effective, but on the tough stuff, I prefer a 10,000RPM wire wheel ($10) on a 45 degree die grinder. I look like I just stepped out of a coal mine, but the kettle looks like it just came outta the box.


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[pbe gummi bear]

That's looking great! It matches your toolboxes.

[bcmillerkcco15]

@crowderjd, thanks!  I used simple green and 0000 steel wool on the really tough spots and warm water with a heavy duty magic eraser on the rest. Around the letters and inside the stamped letters I used an unsharpened pencil tucked inside the steel wool to move around the letters and inside the engraving.

[bcmillerkcco15]

@brewtownbeatdown I used that method on my UDS project, I was sneezing and coughing up crap from inside that barrel for a week. I know the coal miner look, it does speed up the process.

[Tommy B]

man you really got after that thing! You could put that thing in a museum!

[brewtownbeatdown]

@bcmillerkcco15  "You should be using a partial mask". Oh wait, real men inhale the dust. Heck, I even take the safety shields off my cut-off wheels. Safety be damned when there's accuracy needed!!! 
I'll put the ShopVac hose in near where the dust is flying. Since that makes it a two-handed job, I rest the kettle in a plastic garbage bin.


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[crowderjd]

@bcmillerkcco15 thanks for the tips!  I have all that on hand and will be using it this weekend.

[bcmillerkcco15]

@pbe gummi bear love that red man, it all matches my red Weber 22in .....