So, I went and picked this up from our friends on the Central Coast over Christmas Break. The whole thing was spray painted from top to bottom, with the exception of the legs. Even the ash pan had a light coating of spray paint! The triangle is still covered in chrome spray paint, and as soon as I find a dirt cheap donor kettle, I'm switching it out. The positive is that the spray paint prevented any further damage, as it had lived its life two blocks from the ocean. If you've never been to Los Osos or Morro Bay, CA, they have fog VERY frequently. This explained the previous owner's actions.
That being said, I got started scraping spray paint. And scraping. And scraping. There are VERY few assorted specs still left on the bowl and lid, that may be removed on a later date. There are a few patches of spray paint on the lip of the lid, but it largely covers areas of rim rash.
After using the scraper around the lid handle to get some globs of JB Weld off, I moved on to using a grinder attachment to remove the gunk both inside and outside of the kettle. As I ground away, I was surprised to find that the welds on the handle were secure! So I ground more greedily. Finally I found a hole in the lid that had led to the JB weld being applied in the first place. CRAP. So...what to do...cover the hole back up with JB weld (of course) and gently paint with high heat green grill paint.
Overall, I think I did a good job. I refinished the handle, but it is only loosely on the lid, as I used some wood putty in the holes to keep it attached to the screws. Any thoughts as to reattaching an original two rivet handle would be much appreciated.
I'm pretty sure this is one of the earliest dark green MBH kettles, as they were introduced late 1978, which is what this kettle is, and considering its life near the ocean, it's got a lot of years left in it.
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AFTER
Topic: 1978 Green MBH restore (Read 3740 times)
