Sequoia Restore Questions

[G$]

I hopefully eventually will restore this, so I am looking for some answers from Sequoia Experts.  Here are a few to start:

1) Based on the prior owner, the Sequoia was purchased by them in 1972.  Bottom bowl has small vent tabs.  Any other clues to confirm this bowl is from a copper mist Sequoia in 1972-1973?
2) As you can see, the lid with it was an F code.  I don't think it was original to this Sequoia. Thoughts?  Anyone have a spare PAT # brownie lid?
3) Which wheels should I be looking for, if keeping it original?  If it is an 84, I will go with the 8 inch weber white insert.   But what if it is a 1972?   The broken wheels I got it with are lawnmower wheels.
4) At some point it looks like it was sloppily refinished. For example there is stain/paint on the metal flashing ring.  Can I assume these originally came pre finished and this was a later paint job?  Or were you expected to stain it when you assembled it?
5) I will be looking for the lid hanger brackets.  The ones currently installed are hardware store L brackets.
6) This has had 8 "button snaps" screwed to the bottom frame, presumably to fasten a cover.  I assume this was a custom thing and weber never sold a snap on sequoia cover?
7) The carriage bolts (with butterfly wing nuts on inside) on this one  are slotted.  I am pretty sure these should be smooth round heads right?
B) I will need at least 2 replacement hinges.  The original hinges are distinct in that they have these 5  little decorative  flattened pyramid shapes on each part of the hinge. Rumor has it there is a source for these.  ( @pbe gummi bear ?)
9) The hinges also use these unique cool screws with heads shaped more like squares than round.  I have not looked but hope I can find them at Ace or similar.

[MartyG]

In a conversation with a Weber exec, I learned that the Sequioa carts were shipped raw, with instructions for how to apply stain. I'm sure some were never stained, some were done properly, and some were crudely done. Yours may be the later, or time and weather took a toll on whatever finish was used. I'd be tempted to strip off whatever remains (I've had good luck with Crud Cutter and a power washer, but be careful of raising the grain more that it already is) and sand it down, then apply a fresh coat of solid color stain.

Don't be afraid to improve on what you have. If you find better wheels, better hinges, better brackets or better wood, by all means use it. It's not close enough to NIB to worry about authenticity, but that's my opinion.

Keep us supplied with pics along the way, not all of us can luck into a Sequoia, so we might as well Restore vicariously through you.

Marty

[G$]

I hear you Marty.

Looking some more, it is clear the original owners stained this after assembly.  I just wonder if they only stained it once or if there was a recoat.  For example the picture below is the metal catch on the interior door, covered with red stain/paint.  This type of application is common on this piece.  The picture also shows how raised the table grain already is.  My plain is to power wash, then sand, then refinish.  There is some concern I will raise the grain more like you said.  I hope to be careful.

I like the original hinges, and do hope to find a few of those I need, but will probably settle for some heavy duty wheel replacements when I get to that part.  All my grills are cookers, but I do typically like them to be as original as possible. 

[1buckie]

If it is the earlier (1972 or about) this would be the wheel....
(can get a better pic, if needed)



I think that way Marty laid it out is the kind of thing that happens.....people might have assembled then stained....somebody that's more of a woodworker might stain everything then assemble.....these things are Americana...from Americans.
It don't get no better as far as I'm concerned !!!

Mine appears as if it was assembled, then stained....



Something you can see in this picture ^^^ are the little brackets the 2nd owner I got it from added....no original, but they lock the frame up tight as a drum.....if it wobbles at all, it won't after those.....they are not visible at all inside the doors (which did not come with this one)

And the wood is etched down a lot like yours....



Removing the metal to fix the wood I guess is the best course....that's what Hank & others have done...suppose you almost have to to get the coatings on all surfaces.....these guys had the horse sense not to paint over the metal.....



Here's those brackets.....seems also like they might have stained only the outside looking at this....

[1buckie]

Looked & looked for the statement / location about hinges & can't find it....there's an expansive woodworking place a few miles up the road that the wife got some fixtures from & they have drawers full of these kinds of things....I had matching hinges on a china cabinet that was laying around....they are attainable.......

Here's a pic of Jeff's lid holder, don't think there's any better pics around.....I don't have those......

c

[G$]

I think I have found someone with a few spare hinges - so I should be fine there.  When I put it back together I will definitely be adding some corner brackets like you have.

[pbe gummi bear]

@G$- These?

[pbe gummi bear]

Also can you please provide a closeup of that "square" hardware? Please @Mention me so I don't miss it. Thanks!

[MartyG]

Lid hooks:



"Square" hinges for @pbe gummi bear:



Keep in mind three different sources supplied carts to Weber through the years, (according to Weber) I'm sure they all would have put their own twist on hinges and such. I've seen at least a couple different hook and hinge styles. I'll look for others and add them here.

[G$]

Lawrence, those may be what you and buck1e were referring to, but you can see they are not a match.

The ones in the pic below are what I am referring to.  For sure these where the style on the early 70s I.S.  I am not sure if they used different hardware later.  Also included at the top of the picture is what the matching handles look like.  If you take a look, for example, at Jeff's in the gallery you will see the same hardware on his 72 brownie.





@pbe gummi bear

[1buckie]

Marty:
     "Keep in mind three different sources supplied carts to Weber through the years, (according to Weber) I'm sure they all would have put their own twist on hinges and such. I've seen at least a couple different hook and hinge styles. "

This is what I'm remembering.....there's at least two, maybe up to 4 different......

G$, the ones you have may be a little harder to find, but I bet somewhere those are still made & available...I have no doors at all, so I'll be looking for the exact thing.....for a '69~'70

[G$]

G$, the ones you have may be a little harder to find, but I bet somewhere those are still made & available...I have no doors at all, so I'll be looking for the exact thing.....for a '69~'70

I found someone with a few spares.  If you need some more I will keep checking.

[1buckie]

Eventually, but I may just use ones like Gummi found or look thru several sources I have....there's a really good cabinet hardware place online that I've got specialized stuff from & they have a ton of these kinds of things also..........have to look up that info sometime soon...thank you !!!

[1buckie]

One final thing from me....you asked about the age.....go by the small tabbed vents, ended 1974.....so it's most likely a replacement lid......nothing else about the bowl could really refine the date that I know of.....other than color.....