It occured to me a while back why this part was shaped so funnily but I didn't think too much of it until a recent post by Mike.Stavlund. I thought that you can make this part with only 4 bends instead of 6 that make it looks like a "W" and Mike's new performer has one! Thanks for the revelation, Mike!
The ash catcher bar has the following functions:
1. hold the ash catcher and ash up
2. allow the ashsweeper handle to rotate freely
3. not obstruct airflow
4. allow ash and ember to fall down into the pot.
#1 is obvious. If its rusted to sh!t, it will break bend, and fall off. But you also get less vertical deflection for the same load with the beam at an angle.
#2 Unlike the "H" style ashsweeper, this bar does not rotate with the ash sweeper handle. The bar is also bent to have just the right clearance so that the handle doesn't hit it at full open and close. Great attention to detail by the weber engineers. Note the clearance here:
#3/#4 were not obvious to me until I saw what a simplified ashcatcher bar is like. A recent pickup by mike.stavlund shows one that has 4 main bends- going straight into the tabs on the collar.
Here is a pic of that, I hope he doesn't mind i repost it here:
original thread:
http://weberkettleclub.com/forums/weber-kettles-accessories/the-reward-at-the-end-of-the-rainbow/This part looks sturdy, functional, and easy to make. Stamping out that complex part wouldn't be an issue for Weber so I think that those bends exist to preserve airflow and allow embers and ash to fall easier. Once I get my workstation up I'll make a template for the simplified ash bar. Thanks again for the inspiration, Mike!