It's a cooker, not a looker

[HankB]

That's my rationalization for the results of my 'cleanup.'

This is my first Weber and was a wedding present in '74. IIRC it remained in the box for a year or two.  I finally got around to setting up and my first cook was some baby back ribs. Holy cow! They were terrific! I wish I had not waited to get started. I've been cooking on Webers ever since and recently the collection has been growing. Flush with the success of cleaning up the CGA destined for a trade with Brian, I set to work on this. I had tried once before and found that the rust on the lid was pretty stubborn. Here's a before and after picture. It does not have the sharp looks that I had hoped for when I began the cleanup, but it is entirely serviceable and should remain so for as long as I can get charcoal lit.




The ash pan got my first attention.



It was pretty dull and pretty dented up. I took a rubber mallet to it and got it surprisingly close to original shape. Then I started with the steel wool. I did succeed in getting some spots shiny, but the corrosion is really durable! After more and more scrubbing, I caved and decided it was good enough.  I followed the cleaning with a coat of Nu Finish - a silicone based car polish. Hopefully that will help to prevent further corrosion.

I took it apart and used some oven cleaner on the inside of the bowl and lid with particular attention to the vents. They were getting hard to move. I did polish the vents up with 0000 steel wool and then Flitz metal polish. I followed this up with a coat of Nu Finish. The results were better than the ash pan, but not that high shine I have seen others here produce.

I scrubbed the outside porcelain surfaces with steel wool. I also tried CLR (HCL solution) and some other rust removing solution. Nothing fazed the rust stains. The legs got the same steel wool, Nevr-Dull polish and Nu Finish treatment. I even bought a new 1" vinyl cap for the one leg that does not have a wheel.

I took a wire wheel to the triangle. There were places where I could still see some chrome, but for the most part it was just rust. I sprayed it with a rust inhibiting primer and then silver colored paint.

The next thought rant toward preserving the grill. I have a cover for it which should help. (Do not buy the non-premium Weber covers as the one I have already ha area  s cracks in it.) I note that oil provides a durable finish on cast iron cookware, particularly when heat is applied. I decided to use that to see if it would prevent further rust. I sprayed Pam (canola AKA rapeseed oil) around handles and leg sockets where the paint was chipped and across the pitted section on the lid. The area around the rim of the bowl also had considerable rust so I sprayed that too. The oil caused an almost magical transformation to the porcelain. The gray darkened to nearly the original black. This is an interesting phenomena and hopefully it will tell me when the oil needs to be reapplied.



Ready to cook! (*)



(*) I have the push on axle nuts on order and am using a couple zip ties keeping the wheels on in the mean time. I also have a lid handle coming for it from Brian. The bowl handles do not have holes in them so I presume they never had wood handles.

[pbe gummi bear]

Wow Hank nice job! There's nothing better than cooking on something with a story and that you put effort in. For the record Flitz is good stuff. Especially the paste in the tube. I've since switched to Knorrostol. I too am guilty of substituting a zip tie for the push caps, lol. Now get some meat on that cooker!

[Jeff]

WOw Hank, nice job.  Looks like 2 different grills!  Cook on!

[Bman]

THAT cleaned up well!

[Golly]

i thought you painted it at first glance
nice clean up
ps i was born in 74

[Hogsy]

Yeah I thought you had painted it too
Great job

[kaz]

Alot of hard work and love in that grill.

I much prefer the before kettle. That kettle had personality and a look that only that only 40 years of cooking produces. Except for the ash pan and dirty angle. But, I have a "thing" for patina. Its not hard to own a black kettle, but it's near impossible to reproduce that sunfade with perfect patina.

Crusty rust is bad but surface rust through the original porcelain is a thing of beauty. Don't be ashamed of it. It's a beautiful thing.

[Ted B]

That's awesome Hank. Sometimes I wish that I had a sentimental reason for my grills like you and Craig. I hope your kid(s) appreciate it long after you're done with it.

[Duke]

Alot of hard work and love in that grill.

I much prefer the before kettle. That kettle had personality and a look that only that only 40 years of cooking produces. Except for the ash pan and dirty angle. But, I have a "thing" for patina. Its not hard to own a black kettle, but it's near impossible to reproduce that sunfade with perfect patina.

Crusty rust is bad but surface rust through the original porcelain is a thing of beauty. Don't be ashamed of it. It's a beautiful thing.

I agree with Kaz, except I like the dirty angle. What did you uase to bring the balack back? Did it stay after the cook or fade back to glory?

[Craig]

That came out nice! It looks like two different kettles. I agree that the ash pans are the hardest piece to restore. I've been considering lining the old ones with foil during cooking sessions to keep them preserved. I just re-broke in my Easterner (Papa Vern) since restoring it. Its been front and center for the last couple cooks. I missed cooking on the old 18. They really are the perfect size for many cooks.

[zavod44]

The ash pans get the hot coals falling on them and it changes the color of the aluminum.  Nothing you can do...just shine them up the best you can and put them on....

[Duke]

If you really want to preserve an old pan get one from a new 18 and it will sit perfectly in an old 22 pan. You will hardly see it.

By the way, it's lacking an O'Neal   

[HankB]

Thanks all for the kind words.

What did you uase to bring the balack back?

Pam. I sprayed it with Pam with the expectation that it will prevent the rust from progressing.

The patina is still there. It's less visible in the picture due to back lighting and the darker color. It's not black, just a darker gray.

Brian has made a lid handle for it using an American Elm that I took down last year.

[G]

Nice work Hank.  I thought that was two different kettles. 

[1911Ron]

Nice work Hank!   I thought i read some where on here, some one used Armor-all on a faded black and it almost brought it back to black?