Working on SS Performers- Gummi Bear build log, pic heavy

[mike.stavlund]

The SS looks great, Lawrence! Outstanding work.  Love those wood handles, too.

It's funny, I keep going to the trouble to use OEM Weber bolts to attach the bowl to the frame, because I think they look nicer from above, and kind of disappear from the front.  But every single time I do an SS, the bolt heads turn white after a few weeks/months.  Must be some kind of reaction of the black coating to the heat of the kettle.  Anyway, I'll be using stainless bolts like you did from here on out.

[pbe gummi bear]

Lawrence...looking sharp!  (The grill that is, I won't say anything about you and your green shoes!  LOL) 
I'm looking forward to seeing how you hinge up that extension...I have a spare table in my parts collection!
Did you dip the lid bail in the rubber/plastic coating?  I don't think I noticed it in your most recent pics.

I figured out conceptually how I'm gonna hold the table up last night. It's top secret right now but I am going for a floating table look with no externally visible supports once extended.  Yep, the entire lid bale is plastidipped. Looks good in black imo and doesn't scratch the lid. The only drawback is that it's more friction but you get used to unloading the lid pretty quickly. The reason you don't notice them is that my "recent" pics are actually old pics from the queue- This pic is the most recent- and I'm wearing my PBE Polo to boot!

[pbe gummi bear]

The SS looks great, Lawrence! Outstanding work.  Love those wood handles, too.

It's funny, I keep going to the trouble to use OEM Weber bolts to attach the bowl to the frame, because I think they look nicer from above, and kind of disappear from the front.  But every single time I do an SS, the bolt heads turn white after a few weeks/months.  Must be some kind of reaction of the black coating to the heat of the kettle.  Anyway, I'll be using stainless bolts like you did from here on out.

That's interesting, Mike. Have you tried paint? or maybe black oxide bolts? or if you rubs some oil on it every so often it will keep it black. I like the contrast of the stainless across the entire bbq- It goes well with the ss top and the black frame. The costs do add up though.

[pbe gummi bear]

Plastidip!

I wanted to preserve my lid as best as possible. Well loved performers will have these tiny scratches from the lid bail. I wanted this thing to outlast me, so I figured I would soften the bail with plastidip. I toyed around with the idea of header exhaust wrap and what not, but I decided to give plastidip a try. I also had spray plastidip but this dip get's it much thicker.

Here are some tips.

Make sure you mix the plastidip well with a skewer or something. When exposed to air, this stuff gets tacky almost immediately. Also when the bottle has been sitting oils and stuff go to the top and you don't get good coverage.

The key to getting a good coating is to pull it out in one continuous and slow motion. Watch out for the ledges and undercuts. Plastidip will pool there and clump up, look ugly and drip. Unlike paint, you really can't touch up this stuff.

I made a long and skiny through for that actual bail dipping since it was too long for the tube. This is really tricky because the large surface area causes the pool of plastidip to get tacky immediately. If you keep the bale submerged as you pull from one end to the other, you get nice and even coverage.

I did most of the parts in 2 steps so I had a place to dry them. I used paper clips and bobby pins to hold them up.



Notice how the top of this guy is streaky- That's what happens when you don't mix plastidip when it has sat for a while. I redid this piece.



Same streakiness seen on this part but I just left it. I overlapped the dipping on the other side so that there is only one seam in the middle It came out pretty evenly. The Z bend on this part is where the plastidip accumulates the most when dipping. It's still super thick there but I just dealt with it.





No closeups at the moment but you can see the blacked out bail on this pic.





Overall I like this mod but it does make the lid stick on the bail. You can't roll it in as easily as oem but I don't mind- no scratches on my lid from here on.

Total time: 20 min active time, but 2 coats are needed plus drying time.

[pbe gummi bear]

New accessories:

Reproduction Original Ash catcher bar for 7409 sweeps.



Available here: http://weberkettleclub.com/forums/weber-kettles-accessories/okay-who-is-really-interested-one-one-of-these/
Why you want one: http://weberkettleclub.com/forums/weber-kettles-accessories/diy-old-style-one-touch-gold-ash-catcher-bar/

OEM SS Performer Premium Cover:



Perfect fit!



The material is decently heavy duty. It keeps the water out during light rain. The only gripe that I have is that the table portion is flat and pools water and I wish that there was a bungee eyelet at the bottom to keep it secured.

[saxart]

Gummi Bear-
Is there something (probably made of plastic) that you can set on the SS-table which would keep water from pooling on your new cover?  (Maybe a smallish plastic bowl, or section of plastic rain gutter flipped upside-down?)

[pbe gummi bear]

Gummi Bear-
Is there something (probably made of plastic) that you can set on the SS-table which would keep water from pooling on your new cover?  (Maybe a smallish plastic bowl, or section of plastic rain gutter flipped upside-down?)

There is, but it barely rains here so it's not a big deal.