Restoring a Brownie - your thoughts, please

[Uncle JJ]

So, I'm doing my first real restoration, and I'd appreciate your thoughts.  This is a beautiful old brownie that I recieved in a trade recently with a member here.  Below are some pics.

My questions:
1.  One of the leg brackets has come loose on one tab.  Can it be welded back on, or should I drill it and bolt it?
2.  The bottom vents are pretty rough.  How would you approach restoring these?  They are riveted on, and they turn just fine.  Should I try to remove them, clean, polish, and bolt back on; or just clean, reshape and polish?
3.  The ash pan has some major dents.  Any tips on how to reshape it?
4.  The wheels are banged up.  Should I just buy some new ones?  If so, where do I order these?

I've already begun cleaning up the legs, and they're coming out great.  And I got a new handle from Brian (man, is it nice!).  This is going to be an everyday cooker for my brother.  Anything else you can think of that might help on this restoration?

Thanks in advance!

[1buckie]

 Here's a thing for socket repair for this style cooker:

http://weberkettleclub.com/forums/weber-kettles-accessories/my-socket-repair/msg15802/#msg15802

Doesn't work quite as well for the One Touch as the nuts get in the way....

The ash pan & maybe the verts might benefit from an old fluffy towel laid over, then some shaping with a rubber mallet.......need to just spend some time on things like that & as you can see in Fink farm's post, he replaced the vent rivets with bolts also.......these are extra good thngs about the daisy wheels, that you can have the bolts go thru like that.....makes it a little harder to clean out ash, but not too bad....

On 2nd look, the vents don't seem too bad from the pics....they are at least still shaped to the bowl & still have the stop tabs, so just a clean & polish may work.....do they still operate OK?

[glrasmussen]

Looks great Uncle JJ.

On the leg socket, I would do the small bolt and fender wash fix.
On the Ash tray, I use a rubber mallet and a pliable surface to reshape.
Vents, I would just clean the best you can, since they are functional. Lightly tap with rubber mallet to tighten the fit.
I would go new wheels, still would be period correct.
Look forward to you finished product pictures.

[Uncle JJ]

Thanks, guys.  Yeah, the vents work just fine.  I think it'll be hard to clean them really well while they're mounted, but I'll give it a try.

[Uncle JJ]

Where do you buy the replacement wheels?  I see them at ereplacement - are they $14 for one wheel?

[SixZeroFour]

Ash pan, legs and triangle are in great shape - check out some tips here:

http://weberkettleclub.com/weber-charcoal-grill-restoration/triangle-restoration-rust-removal/
http://weberkettleclub.com/weber-charcoal-grill-restoration/cleaning-and-polishing-old-aluminum-legs/

I'm currently working on the ash pan write up and hope to have it done by the end of the week.

Great save and can't wait to see the results!

Matt

[Uncle JJ]

Thx, Matt.  Did I read somewhere that I can use 0000 steel wool to clean up the outside of the bowl?

For the ash pan, I'm using the CLR method I found here.

[SixZeroFour]

Yes super fine #0000 steel wool is safe for the bowl both inside and out!

[1buckie]

be a little careful with the CLR.....I think I remember seeing stuff about not leaving it soak too long as it will etch into the surface?

I could be all wet (or covered in CLR?)

[Hogsy]

I picked up and yellow a while back that was in need of some new vents although they were functional they were a bit loose and one had come off so I decided to replace them as I intended to use it as a cooker/looker. Weber sent out the vents for free and it was pretty easy to install the new ones

After

[SixZeroFour]

Curious - Has anyone attempted riveting the replacement vents back on rather than using the provided bolt and screw?

[1buckie]

Curious - Has anyone attempted riveting the replacement vents back on rather than using the provided bolt and screw?

Yes, but it's been a long time ago.....before photography was invented here......worked fine......

This is the nicest thing I've seen:

the main reason i started thinking about how to modify the lid is light! not worrying about wing knocking over my performer. I have my grill where its protected from wind, but the lid acts as a ez-up blocking the flood light at my house, and i end up setting the lid on the ground, or using a head lamp now with the new mounting hook theirs no shadow. I'm going to build a new hook this time ill use a thread tap on the hook so i can use a 1/4"-20 nut to back it(lock it in) then ill be able to set how tight the lid vent would be. i can build some extras if people want them.     

Excellent idea to tap the strap !
 As you know, there is a problem when trying to get a lock washer to work in this application.
For a normal daisy wheel repair, a Gripco nut is a good solution.


The cleanest-looking fastener that I've found that will fit in the rivet nest is a 1/4-20 button head cap screw. The same O.D. as the rivet...

Here's the SS "button head" machine screw on my daisy wheel repair.





I think it looks pretty good.
Same OD as the rivet head.

That looks very nice, what sized drill bit did you use to drill it out?

I think It was about 1/4" 19/64" (pro-type 135 degree) and I didn't want to blast through and take the chance of damaging anything.
I used that bit because it was sharp and large enough to cut away at the rivet flange (inside the kettle). Go slow and lightly tap with a center punch (and hammer) to check progress.
Do not drill through with this size bit...the hole in the kettle needs to remain at 1/4"

Instead I went slowly and just thinned the rivet flange until I could manually push it out.
The bit never touches the kettle.

The 135 degree business describes the cutter angle on the bit....consumer grade bits are "pointier" and are not a good choice for this.



 

Also did you use a lock washer on the underside to keep it from coming loose?

No, the better solution is a lock nut and a cut (flat) washer for it to ride against.
I used a Weber lock nut which looks like a Nylock nut except no nylon insert.
A lock washer would be OK if you were never going to move the daisy wheel....the back and forth action might loosen it, otherwise.
Even the lock nut could loosen, I suppose.

Another way to look at is that you are trying to simulate a rivet flange, so you want all the locking to occur at the nut.

[weirleigh]

That looks like it was stock very nice, I have to devote this to memory in case I need to remove a vent

[GregS]

Doesn't work quite as well for the One Touch as the nuts get in the way....

couldn't it be done from the inside out on a one touch so the blade slides over the top of the round headed bolt? 

[1buckie]

Yeah, maybe....but I would think after hitting the "bump" a bunch of times, it's just going to mess w/ the wings......

In re-attaching LEG SOCKETS, I've used small self-tap sheet metal screws, smaller drill hole, very tightly fit, then ground off the tip from the inside....that actually worked good & was almost flush with the surface so it didn't impede the sweeps............