Can I get some help determining the age of my kettle? and is it even a Weber?
There are a lot of indications that it is a Weber from 1962-ish era, but my knowledge base isn't there yet to determine it for myself and need some help clarifying few things.
Here's the Kettle in question.
2 out of 3 bottom vents were missing and 1 remaining vent was stuck so I ground the screw head off to get it off(currently awaiting for replacement vents to arrive)
also the leg stands don't have any thumb screw or anything, just fits in there.
Handle on the bowl is missing, but it seems that it was a rivet/screw on style. I thought all Weber kettle bowl handles were welded on from factory?
Lid's vent also doesn't have any date code, so it is either really 1962 or older before any stamps were on the vent, or it has been replaced.
Char-Broil handle? This is what is getting me confused, but I'm sure it was just something previous owners had laying around or salvaged it to fix broken lid handle. and again, it seems like it's a screw on style, and not a weld on style.
^lid hook design looks odd, never seen one like that before, then again I never paid attention to any small details on weber grill before. but it works well.
The wheel is what got me thinking it's 1962+ model
what is the hole in the middle of the bowl for at the very bottom?
I bought Weber 7478 replacement handle cover so I can have a handle on the bowl, and the width of the flat metal bar needs to be 5/8th, and no local big box store sells 5/8th width flat metal and I could not believe it. it goes from 1/4, 1/2, 3/4, and 1 inch width. I even asked someone to help me find it and I got pretty angry with the dude that I picked to help me as he him self was in "I am not interested in helping you" mode so I stormed out of the store so find it online, and good god I had no luck in finding 5/8th flat metal bar so I calmed myself down a bit and went back in and grabbed the 3/4 bar. I will have to shave down where it will be covered by the handle cover, but my trusty angle grinder never turned down a party.
^(I've always been the "grill man" at parties and gathering, but never owned any charcoal equipment myself as I never owned a charcoal grill before)
I do have the ash tray, just not pictured. it's like this one
To make it easy for you to answer my questions WKC, I'll list the questions.
1. Is my red kettle even a Weber?
2. What year is it made?
3. What is the hole in the middle of the bowl for?
4. How big of a gap should I leave between the bowl and the handle? I'm thinking about 4 inches away from the handle.
5. I plan on adding thermostat on the lid(ordered Weber thermostat with beauty ring), where is the best location for it? next to the vent on the lid?
6. I noticed inside the bowl, there aren't any "stands" for the coal grate to sit on and it just lays there. I want to upgrade the coal grate to a modern one. what is the best way to attach little stand off's(will make it out of scrap metal, should be fairly simple) to inside the bowl without doing much damage to the coating?
Thank you WKC in advance. I will turn this into my ongoing "build" thread