OLD 26 found...

[Jeff]

Yeah...that is a coincidence. 

Hey Brian...you said Grandpa was getting some work last week?  Did you get the vents back on?  Any new pics?

[zavod44]

Okay so I got grandpa cleaned up and ready for dinner.       


By zavod44 at 2012-09-10



By zavod44 at 2012-09-10

Despite some rust in the bowl, it is very solid.  the rust is just surface rust.  Not really threatening the integrity of the bowl.  Plus once it gets a little grease it won't rust much more.

Here's grandpa all put back together, I added the ash pan off of my other 26. 


By zavod44 at 2012-09-10

Then a load of hardwoood....Grandpa is warm again after being cold for all these years, some might have thought him dead but.....HE LIVES!


By zavod44 at 2012-09-10


I just went easy on him, first some polish sausage. 



By zavod44 at 2012-09-10


Grandpa caught smoking....by Phoebe....



By zavod44 at 2012-09-10


A few burgers for good measure



By zavod44 at 2012-09-10


Now the smoke was rolling



By zavod44 at 2012-09-10



So the big thing I was interested in was the metal top handle.  Surprisingly it was not really hot.  Granted I just had a fairly light load of lump, but it was not really hot.  I'm sure if I did a bunch of coshell it would get too hot but I never found it an issue.  I'll do some more testing, but as for now....HE'S ALIVE!    HE'S ALIVE!


Brian

[Duke]

Fabulous pictures! It's sure good to see Grandpa out of that old rest home and back with the rest of his family.

[Heyjude]

Something about bringing them back to life, seeing those glowing embers and then a grill full of
meat..I think I'm gonna cry...sniff...snifff... Is it me or did I see Grampa smile just a little bit?
Bravo Brian, Bravo..

[Craig]

For Grandpa, it's like riding a bike, you never forget! Nice pics, Brian! 

Craig

[Troy]

that last pic is so dramatic. i love it!

[Duke]

It looks like the lid doesn't seat well. Is that true or did you just leave the lid ajar?


BTW Brian, what did you scrub Grandpas wobbly old legs with.

[Jeff]

14 sausages, almost a dozen burgers...and so much room left to add more food on!  I bet its nice to have another 26 in the stable!  The legs looked pretty shiney, and I saw one of the wheels looked alot cleaner on the whitewall!  Did you put the bottom 2 vents back on?  Glad to see Grandpa is still kickin again!

[zavod44]

I did not put on the the two bottom vents yet.  It still needs work but I was so excited to cook on it.  I shined up the legs with goo gone and some steel wool.  Then I use something called a sunshine cloth.  Similar to that never dull stuff.  I didn't want to make the legs super shiny but they did need something.  The lid doesn't seat great but I keep adjusting it and it is very close to being round again.  I had it fitting perfectly but when I was cleaning it I think I leaned on it a little and it went out of round again.  That's why I went with some burgers and polish just because the bottom vents and the lid fit really wouldn't matter.  I still need to noodle with the thumbscrews.  They were missing and I'm not sure if someone drilled all the way through and just put a nut and bolt.  So I don't know if the threads are gone for the thumbscrews or they are still there.  I can re-tap the holes if need be.

I had one other thought....if I were to repaint this grill and make it a looker not a cooker.  I could make it a Westerner.  Just like turning a LeMans into a GTO Judge.  I like the idea of just cooking on it but I was thinking a Westerner sitting around would be pretty sweet!

Brian

[Duke]

I think it's a bad idea to paint it and all that stuff.

You could however take an old 22 and make a mini westerner, or my choice would be that custom brown one with the animals on it. We never see those. I don't think they were that popular.

Leave Grandpa alone, he doesn't need a makover at his age!

[zavod44]

I don't think I really want to do that but it would be cool.  MAybe the mini westerner.  I need to put it on my Mini smoker!

Brian

[zavod44]

Does anyone have a good picture of that grill with the chickens and chops on it?



Brian

[Craig]

This one? Thats the biggest pic I could find of it.




Craig

[Jeff]

Brian
Where did you get that charcoal grate?  Was it from your other 26?

[Duke]

Brian
Where did you get that charcoal grate?  Was it from your other 26?

Just an FYI, Grill Mark actually makes a decent one for a 22 and a 26 these days since weber quit making the quality old ones without the hinges that I despise so..........