Patience

[G$]

This story of kettle acquisition starts about four months ago. 

Or, depending on how you look at it, about 8 years ago.

Or ...  much longer ago than that.

Here is my post from July about:  the red grill and what kind of handles do you think they are?

This is most of the rest of the story...as it plays out.

Those pictures were taken from a DVD at a family get together in 2005.  This summer, 2013 my extended family was gathered, and one of the kids' favorite pastimes is watching these family movies that my mother (their grandmother) used to take.   For a period of about 10 years, she filmed everything at every family related event, and then her and my dad compiled them in to year end VHS tapes and then DVDs.  Anyway, as they were watching, I walked by, looked at the screen and yelled PAUSE!  I spied a red kettle in the back ground of a shot.



I took the DVD, watched it on the computer frame by frame, and captured the best available images for diagnosis.  It was pretty clearly a red MBH.

Now, this particular video was taken at my aunt's beach house.  I have been there literally dozens of times, once or twice a year for the last 10 or 15 years.  I have NEVER noticed a red Weber kettle.  And I was there that night the footage was taken.  To be honest, my aunt is not the type of person that I would expect owns, or uses, an old Weber kettle.  SO I was not sure if that kettle was long gone, there temporarily, etc.

Worse yet, my aunt was in the process of leaving that beach house, which is several hundred miles from home, and not exactly convenient to take things home from, especially things like rusty old grills. I feared the kettle was long gone, even if it was hers to begin with.  And if it was not long gone, it was certainly going to be trashed in the house clean up.

I asked my father to inquire on the status of said kettle.  The answer was "we may still have it but if we do it should just be thrown away".  That was in August.  A couple trips were made to the beach house, with no news on the kettle, until early this month, when I heard from my dad that yes, the kettle is there, and my Aunt will bring it back at some point in November.

Dad called this morning.  "I have a black garbage bag that I am told has a grill in it.  It must have been taken apart and thrown in this bag"

G$: Is it the red one, from the beach?
G$'s Old Man: I assume so, I did not look.  They gave it to me last night"
G$: Look!
G$'s Old Man: I will bring it by.
G$: Hurry!

So he pulled up, and I went and confirmed that yes, there is a black bag, with presumably a Weber in there:



I untied the top and, peering out, as if eager to escape, was this:





G$: This is better than I hoped!  I was assuming a 1981 or something!  (I yelled that part)
G$'s Old Man:   Must be good news.
G$: PAT PENDING.  That puts this about 1970, plus or minus a year.  (I yelled that part too)
G$'s Old Man:  That handle looks like it is in terrible shape though
G$: Handles can be replaced!  (still yelling!)

So unfortunately, I have meetings off and on today, and I needed to let him go, but before he left, I said, lets rip open one more part of the bag.

G$:  Let's look at the wheels.
G$'s Old Man:  You expecting wooden spokes and steel bands? (He is really really old) 
G$:  Metal Wheels!  Rubber tires and metal wheels! (Yes, yelling still)
G$'s old man:  So that's good?
G$: I am going to call it 1968 or 69!
G$'s old man:  That's older than you are.



So that is where it sits right now.  As I type this, you have seen what I have seen.  I am pretty sure this thing is in terrible shape, it was literally thrown in a garbage bag and tossed in the back of a truck.   

More to come!

RRR!

[Tim in PA]

Dude, the stories on this site are so awesome!

[AZ_MIKEY]

Oh oh oh I can't wait I can't wait I can't wait... this is gonna be goooood!!!!! Way to go G$. So cool that it is from a family member and the story is so great. It is the kettle that was under your nose for so long. Just so cool to have something like that stay in the family.

[pbe gummi bear]

Grillfella at it's finest. Great story. I can't wait to see the rest.

[G$]

Out of the bag.  That is squish in the lid. Most of the handles are chipped but solid.  Not too much apparent transportation damage...but she is not in pristine shape.....

[G$]

This is what living 50 feet from the Ocean does to you:







Wheels are solid. Rubber is more cracked than I would like.  The legs are simply coarse and dull.  But that triangle is gone.  Worse than the pictures make it look.

[G$]

Grates are TBD.  I hate cleaning grates.  And these have a ton of rust on them.  The rest fell in to the bowl.

[G$]

Last picture of the day. 

The sockets are solid.  Top vent spins a little freely, but is solid.  Bottom vents are stuck, but I am not at all worried about those, they will be perfect.  The bowl and lid are in round!  The top handle is crooked, will need a mallet readjustment unfortunately.  And, there are more dings than the pictures show.  Lastly, there are a few spots of crazing in small areas. 

In other words, this one is right up my alley! 

[pbe gummi bear]

That's a beauty!

[Thin Blue Smoke]

That is one cool kettle. I love the small bowl tab era.  The way I see it, every one of those marks are a memory from your family using it.  Very Cool! 

[Duke]

Great save G$!   It's just the way I like them too. Where is the beach house?

[G$]

Mexico.

I have not yet had a chance to figure out the story of where the Weber came from.  My guess is it was left there buy the guy that built the house when he sold it.

[OoPEZoO]

Considering it lived at the beach, I think that is in great condition. I figured that it would have rotted out years ago. Glad it has found a new home

[MaxBobcat]

great Story G$!  Looks to be in pretty decent shape after living at the beach for so long!  Nice one!

[Ken Mc]

Very cool G$ ! Great story as well.