As some of you know, I've been waiting to refinish an older Weber charcoal caddy I picked up late last October. It was in pretty rough shape...it never led a sheltered life to say the least. So with warm weather finally taking hold in the Chicago area, I've finally had some time to put towards this antique.
For those of you not familar with this charcoal caddy, the next few photos will explain a little bit about it.
(http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq142/A_Tame76/Weber%20charcoal%20caddy/DSCF9064_zps805594a3.jpg)
(http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq142/A_Tame76/Weber%20charcoal%20caddy/DSCF9067_zpsd8a11a36.jpg)
Here is a color photo of one in the background.
(http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq142/A_Tame76/Weber%20charcoal%20caddy/DSCF9062_zps69cf0ec8.jpg)
The next few photos are what it looked like when I brought it home.
(http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq142/A_Tame76/Weber%20charcoal%20caddy/DSCF9026_zps895a134a.jpg)
(http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq142/A_Tame76/Weber%20charcoal%20caddy/DSCF9734_zps400474a1.jpg)
(http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq142/A_Tame76/Weber%20charcoal%20caddy/DSCF9735_zps0bdfc81f.jpg)
(http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq142/A_Tame76/Weber%20charcoal%20caddy/DSCF9736_zps2fe2cb64.jpg)
(http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq142/A_Tame76/Weber%20charcoal%20caddy/DSCF9737_zpsf145617f.jpg)
As you can see from the above photos, there was some significant rust on the lid that was a little more than just surface. There was a lot of pitting in the metal. The body of the caddy wasn't as bad, but still had some pitting. The bottom of it was pretty bad as well as you will see.
Let the fun begin.
(http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq142/A_Tame76/Weber%20charcoal%20caddy/DSCF9748_zps7c9e5c8b.jpg)
(http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq142/A_Tame76/Weber%20charcoal%20caddy/DSCF9747_zpsb1db32d2.jpg)
(http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq142/A_Tame76/Weber%20charcoal%20caddy/DSCF9749_zps2a78dd20.jpg)
(http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq142/A_Tame76/Weber%20charcoal%20caddy/DSCF9746_zps027d4551.jpg)
(http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq142/A_Tame76/Weber%20charcoal%20caddy/DSCF9745_zpsd761ffe9.jpg)
Let the sanding process begin. I used a 1/4 sheet finishing sander during the whole process. I started with a 220 grit, and worked my way down to a 100 grit. All pits were filled and sanded with a 3M glazing and spot putty. It has an orange color than you can see in some of the photos.
(http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq142/A_Tame76/Weber%20charcoal%20caddy/DSCF9750_zps7ab98013.jpg)
(http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq142/A_Tame76/Weber%20charcoal%20caddy/DSCF9754_zps16ee185a.jpg)
(http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq142/A_Tame76/Weber%20charcoal%20caddy/DSCF9753_zpsadbe7bf4.jpg)
(http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq142/A_Tame76/Weber%20charcoal%20caddy/DSCF9751_zpse2597061.jpg)
Time to start shooting some primer.
(http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq142/A_Tame76/Weber%20charcoal%20caddy/DSCF9755_zpsf9d81dd1.jpg)
(http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq142/A_Tame76/Weber%20charcoal%20caddy/DSCF9761_zps324f8c39.jpg)
(http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq142/A_Tame76/Weber%20charcoal%20caddy/DSCF9760_zps09d122d4.jpg)
Now time to start shooting some of the final colors.
(http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq142/A_Tame76/Weber%20charcoal%20caddy/DSCF9756_zps34bb8366.jpg)
After I sprayed the copper color onto the lid, I realized there were LOTS more pits that showed up now that the final color was on it. Back to the glazing and spot putty to fill them. After I sanded the putty down, I re-primed and sanded (not shown)
(http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq142/A_Tame76/Weber%20charcoal%20caddy/DSCF9759_zps6cec0d1c.jpg)
(http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq142/A_Tame76/Weber%20charcoal%20caddy/DSCF9758_zpsf77a5695.jpg)
Last but not least, the final photos with fresh paint and new caddy support hardware.
(http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq142/A_Tame76/Weber%20charcoal%20caddy/DSCF9764_zps7194b5ab.jpg)
(http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq142/A_Tame76/Weber%20charcoal%20caddy/DSCF9766_zps805a59d8.jpg)
(http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq142/A_Tame76/Weber%20charcoal%20caddy/DSCF9770_zps70138681.jpg)
(http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq142/A_Tame76/Weber%20charcoal%20caddy/DSCF9772_zpscd6a0b51.jpg)
(http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq142/A_Tame76/Weber%20charcoal%20caddy/DSCF9773_zps6cc96a8e.jpg)
(http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq142/A_Tame76/Weber%20charcoal%20caddy/DSCF9775_zps754847c0.jpg)
And here is a somewhat period correct photo to show some scale of size. This caddy is bigger than you think.
(http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq142/A_Tame76/Weber%20charcoal%20caddy/DSCF9776_zps89b50e21.jpg)
Great job Jeff!!! Finished product looks brand new
Great write up too
Excellent fixup !!!
The finished pics look so nice, they're almost surreal.....very good job on something that may only come around once in a lifetime !!!!
Wow looks brand new, great job!
Jeff - that transformation is amazing. Thanks for giving a cool piece of Weber history new life and sharing it with us. Excellent job!
Winz
I passed on buying one of those at a local antique mall.
Now I think that may be grounds for a suspension from WKC for a day.
And no I won't say which antique mall!!
Hehehe!!!
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Nor will I say it was on the main level, in a corner. Damn near right in the center of the store.
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Jeff, Nice write up on the restoration of a sweet piece of Weber hardware. If you go to any meet ups this summer you should try to copy that cover artwork, a redhead with metal handles all the way around and period side table would be a top notch image. Oh and that beautiful blue kettle is amazing..
Quote from: mirkwood on April 13, 2014, 02:19:02 PM
Jeff, Nice write up on the restoration of a sweet piece of Weber hardware. If you go to any meet ups this summer you should try to copy that cover artwork, a redhead with metal handles all the way around and period side table would be a top notch image. Oh and that beautiful blue kettle is amazing..
Oh..I have big plans for that exact thing. One more project to finish, and a few wardrobe items are needed! Stay tuned! And I have lots more goodies to copy that cover and then some.
Outstanding work Jeff! Looks brand new right out of the catalog!
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Phenomenal job! That's an excellent restoration of a very cool item. Yet another product Weber should bring back into production!
Quote from: Jeff on April 13, 2014, 02:27:52 PM
Oh..I have big plans for that exact thing. One more project to finish, and a few wardrobe items are needed! Stay tuned! And I have lots more goodies to copy that cover and then some.
Dude that's so awesome I can't wait to see the finished product..
Absolutely Beautiful!...nice job..
Great save Jeff, it looks brand new!
Nice job! That really does look amazing especially when you have period correct kettle to match. Very nice!
QuoteOne more project to finish, and a few wardrobe items are needed!
You are going all the way and buzzing your hair, right?
Winz
Awesome work on that caddy! It looks brand new and will survive for many more WKC generations to come. I can't wait to see the remake of the old catalog it will be epic.
When you got into the project was there any evidence of the cover ever being that brass color? Do you think there were different colors?
Looks awesome...
Wow! Unbelievable. That's a great job. Cool item too.
Unbelievable restoration Jeff! Looks fantastic.
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Great job on the restore, jeff!!!
I see a fire blower in that catalog picture.
You got one of those, too?
I hope so, I want to see pics.
Great job! That looks show room new!
Quote from: zavod44 on April 13, 2014, 03:43:08 PM
When you got into the project was there any evidence of the cover ever being that brass color? Do you think there were different colors?
Looks awesome...
There was ZERO evidence of any copper color to the top when I got it. Even after I started sanding into it, nothing. I saw some black paint on top. It kind of matched the body of the caddy, but was very thin. I haven't seen many of these things to know if they DIDN'T come with a copper top. I went with the color anyways cause I think it looked good.
Quote from: BigRix on April 13, 2014, 04:36:43 PM
I see a fire blower in that catalog picture.
You got one of those, too?
I hope so, I want to see pics.
I don't have one of those. The only one I've even seen is the Rowley one that's in the Accessories section of our Vintage Grill Gallery. They are pretty cool though.
What an incredible amount of work and detail. It looks wonderful.
Great restoration and a very cool piece. Did you do anything to the inside?
It would look awesome next to a Copper SS..
Right WInz? Lol.. 8)
I've been waiting to see this... that thing looks amazing! Yet another great example of "Rescue, Restore, Respect". Thanks for posting... now get it to the Gallery!
Top notch work!
Now I want one.
I forgot to ask. How does it work? I have always pondered that. My guess is that you remove the lid and hold it low near the ground, then tilt/pivot the bottom over to fill the lid and dump that into the grill? Does it seem like that's the way it was meant to work?
Quote from: Heyjude on April 13, 2014, 07:17:48 PM
Great restoration and a very cool piece. Did you do anything to the inside?
It would look awesome next to a Copper SS..
Right WInz? Lol.. 8)
Hmmmm - let me know when you are ready to ship Jeff!
(https://dl.dropbox.com/s/09wbohyjjcngtlo/Copper%20Bin.png)
Fine work Jeff.....looks brand new.
Quote from: Heyjude on April 13, 2014, 07:17:48 PM
Great restoration and a very cool piece. Did you do anything to the inside?
It would look awesome next to a Copper SS..
Right WInz? Lol.. 8)
I gave the inside of the lid and canister a light sanding with the 220 grit. I followed that up with the same primer and black you see on the outside. I spent more time on the inside of the lid just because it was easier!
Awesome restoration. Also, I never realized Duracell batteries came in the milk tank size!
By the way, pbe posted that "GRAILS" image that shows two of these, and one of them has a red handle. Must have been at least a little variation while it was made.
Quote from: Duke on April 13, 2014, 08:10:49 PM
I forgot to ask. How does it work? I have always pondered that. My guess is that you remove the lid and hold it low near the ground, then tilt/pivot the bottom over to fill the lid and dump that into the grill? Does it seem like that's the way it was meant to work?
That's exactly how its designed to work. You grab the handle on the base of the canister, and tilt/rotate it upwards so that its parallel to the ground, or slightly more, and you hold the lid (which Weber calls the "scoop", underneath and pour the charcoal into it. Then just pour that into your grill. I'll try and get some photos later showing how the canister pivots back and forth along with the support and retainer setup.
That's orgasmic, Jeff. :D
It looks better than new. Beautiful... :)
What a great piece of restoration... you should be proud!
jeff, great job with the restoration!!
It looks badass!
Incredible save, seriously nice restore Jeff!
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Quote from: Winz on April 14, 2014, 12:49:01 AM
Quote from: Heyjude on April 13, 2014, 07:17:48 PM
Great restoration and a very cool piece. Did you do anything to the inside?
It would look awesome next to a Copper SS..
Right WInz? Lol.. 8)
Hmmmm - let me know when you are ready to ship Jeff!
(https://dl.dropbox.com/s/09wbohyjjcngtlo/Copper%20Bin.png)
Hey, I almost forgot about my copper 22. After looking at my picture though, it doesn't look as nice as your grills though! Must be the ugly plastic handles!
(http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq142/A_Tame76/Weber%20charcoal%20caddy/DSCF9808_zpsc36094e9.jpg)
QuoteHey, I almost forgot about my copper 22. After looking at my picture though, it doesn't look as nice as your grills though! Must be the ugly plastic handles!
I have often seen that copper M/T of yours in the "group shot" photos from the Chicago meet up. It was one of the reasons I converted my copper OTG to a copper M/T.
You just need to paint the legs of that kettle black, and put some matching steel wheels on it! That would be a great matching accessory to your amazing charcoal bin.
Winz
Quote from: Winz on April 16, 2014, 07:48:20 PM
QuoteHey, I almost forgot about my copper 22. After looking at my picture though, it doesn't look as nice as your grills though! Must be the ugly plastic handles!
I have often seen that copper M/T of yours in the "group shot" photos from the Chicago meet up. It was one of the reasons I converted my copper OTG to a copper M/T.
You just need to paint the legs of that kettle black, and put some matching steel wheels on it! That would be a great matching accessory to your amazing charcoal bin.
Winz
Funny you mention that about the steel wheels. I picked this set up early last year. They were actually on an old golf cart/caddy. They are the exact style of the steel wheel that Weber used back in the day. They were colored to match the frame of the golf club caddy, but wouldn't be an exact match to the grill. I wonder how they would look on the copper MT, and then some slick handles from Brian....hmmmm
(http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq142/A_Tame76/Vintage%20wheels/014_zpsa5a95806.jpg)
They would be totally awesome! Don't ya have some leftover copper paint, hmmm?
Every time I walk into a thrift store, I keep hoping to find an old golf cart with steel wheels..
Very Cool. 8)
Quote from: Jeff on April 16, 2014, 07:53:12 PM
Funny you mention that about the steel wheels. I picked this set up early last year. They were actually on an old golf cart/caddy. They are the exact style of the steel wheel that Weber used back in the day. They were colored to match the frame of the golf club caddy, but wouldn't be an exact match to the grill. I wonder how they would look on the copper MT, and then some slick handles from Brian....hmmmm
(http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq142/A_Tame76/Vintage%20wheels/014_zpsa5a95806.jpg)
That would look tasty! You know how much I like painted metal wheels on grills. AJ that's a weak avatar. :P
Awesome work and write-up!