Colin ~~~>
"but I should think that at the moment, they would honour the warranty. For how long, who knows,"
Therein lies the pork rub.........
I do this a lot ( bank coals ), yet after these conversations I've begun to be more careful "how"....
I would suggest to anyone with a kettle that's an older one, being then not under warranty, to use your head, esp. when it comes to anything that might be considered a "higher heat"........
These things are built like a tank, esp. the older ones, but look at how many threads there are devoted to repair of all types......they're not indestructable..............