Well, it's just a couple of months shy of 3 years since I picked up this Chariot Seville. For those of you that haven't seem my original thread from 2017; here is a link to the post:
http://weberkettleclub.com/forums/index.php?topic=28034.0The wrought iron cart and kettle had been terribly neglected and abused. Separated from the cart, the original lime bowl had been used as a fire pit for several years. This misuse not only caused horrible crazing but the four grate straps had rotted out, leaving 4 gaping holes in the bowl.
I swore when I acquired it that one way or another, I was going to find a way to cook on this Chariot Seville using it's original bowl. Well, the stars finally aligned. This was last night's cook of rotisserie lamb kebabs.
The best fix I could come up with was to entirely re-sleeve the inside of the bowl, using another kettle bowl. I initially sourced a old MBH that the leg sockets had broken off. Once I ground the handles off I, I found there was quite a bit of rust and rot behind the grate straps. I decided to not use it as I felt it was going to eventually have the same problem with the grate straps rusting out. It took me another year to find a suitable three wheeler. I found it about two blocks from my house, set at the curb with a Free sign on it. It was a black L Code daisy wheel kettle in really nice shape.
After cutting/grinding the leg sockets and bowl handles off, I dropped it into the crazed bowl where I encountered an unforeseen obstacle. It would only go in part way, leaving about 3 inches of it sticking out the top. I took it to a welder/metal fabricator guy I have used in the past. I felt if he cut off the rolled bead on the top of the newer, black kettle and cut a couple of slits into the bowl, it would more than likely fit inside the crazed bowl. Picking it up from the welding shop, I found he did have to cut off the rolled top bead and make two 3" cuts in the upper bowl for it to fit.
He also welded the bowls together by making a weld about every two inches around the top of the bowls.
Using a internal ash pan from a Happy Cooker will keep the ashes from getting in between the two bowls.
Using steel wool, I removed all the rust from the outside of the bowl and oiled the bare metal with olive oil. I also added some vintage correct bowl vents.
This has been the most involved and longest restoration I have undertaken. It was worth every minute and dollar spent.
@Hell Fire Grill @Darko @WNC