Need advice on which way to go, clean or paint lid/bowl?

[BlackVenom]

Second post here if you include my introduction.

I have read the restoration guides however I am still stumped on the condition of the lid on my kettle.



Full image gallery here. It just doesn't seem to be shifting at all! I have used hot soapy water and also a window scraper and no luck. If anything the surface feels really smooth which gives me the impression I am going to have to re-paint it.

Any advice would be very much appreciated.

Thanks in advance folks.

[Jeff]

To my eyes it appears you have a kettle that has sat outside in the sun for some time.  It's got some heavy fading and oxidizing beginning.  In that case, you can't do anything to make it look better with cleaning techniques.   Painting it ultimately won't hold up even if you use good prepping techniques followed with high temp paints.  After all its just a plain black 22".  Use it for what it is...a solid cooker.  It has plenty of life left in it.  The inside where it's flaking and peeling under the top vent will come clean with steel wool or a razor, but its really not that important to go through that efforts. 
My opinion is to just cook on it as is.  Wait for another kettle to come along that would be more deserving of your efforts!

[BlackVenom]

To my eyes it appears you have a kettle that has sat outside in the sun for some time.  It's got some heavy fading and oxidizing beginning.  In that case, you can't do anything to make it look better with cleaning techniques.   Painting it ultimately won't hold up even if you use good prepping techniques followed with high temp paints.  After all its just a plain black 22".  Use it for what it is...a solid cooker.  It has plenty of life left in it.  The inside where it's flaking and peeling under the top vent will come clean with steel wool or a razor, but its really not that important to go through that efforts. 
My opinion is to just cook on it as is.  Wait for another kettle to come along that would be more deserving of your efforts!

Thanks for the reply Jeff. After all the views, I was worried I may have been looking for a simple answer. I've already cleaned the inside of the lid (it's come up great) and started on the grates already, finishing them off tomorrow with a steel wool drill attachment (their coming up great too). I don't mind the hard work, quite enjoying it really.

Say I did want to re-spray the lid, what would the best way to prep and spay the surface?

[OGlenn]

Try wiping it down with some cooking oil or spray it with Pam, as that tends to bring the black back, at least short term. Painting porcelain is difficult, so this may be your best bet until you find a grill more to your liking.

[Cochise]

Don't paint it!  Its a cooker...not a looker. IMHO painted kettles never really look original. Just keep buying more grills and accept the disease.

[BlackVenom]

Try wiping it down with some cooking oil or spray it with Pam, as that tends to bring the black back, at least short term. Painting porcelain is difficult, so this may be your best bet until you find a grill more to your liking.

What's Pam?

[BlackVenom]

Don't paint it!  Its a cooker...not a looker. IMHO painted kettles never really look original. Just keep buying more grills and accept the disease.

Thanks. I may just use the cooking oil/Pam technique (once I find out what pam is) and see how that goes.

[MartyG]

Pam is a brand of spray cooking oil you find at the grocery store. Get the original, no need to treat your kettle to butter flavor.

[BlackVenom]

Pam is a brand of spray cooking oil you find at the grocery store. Get the original, no need to treat your kettle to butter flavor.

Cheers MartyG. We have similar low calorie cooking spray products over here in the UK. Luckily I have some in the cupboard I doubt SWIMBO will be impressed when I use whats left though

[einrej]

Welcome from Wisconsin, what's a SWIMBO?

                       Swimbo
acronym for one's wife or girlfriend, stands for: She Who Must Be Obeyed
"I won't be going to the pub later, swimbo says I'm to paint the baby's nursery today."

[BlackVenom]

Welcome from Wisconsin, what's a SWIMBO?

                       Swimbo
acronym for one's wife or girlfriend, stands for: She Who Must Be Obeyed
"I won't be going to the pub later, swimbo says I'm to paint the baby's nursery today."

Haha looks like someone has been on the UrbanDictionary!