In Missoula, Montana , I've contacted the seller a very nice lady who was very appreciative of the information I gave her about this classic grill , to be fair I told her to do some research both here and on webers site and then we could hopefully come to an agreement for purchase , and if not I at least know it's not going to be a fire pit :)
Amazing
http://missoula.craigslist.org/for/4630893919.html
Wow it looks pristine! Good on you Idahawk, I hope it ends up in your good hands.
Quote from: SixZeroFour on August 22, 2014, 12:46:22 PM
Wow it looks pristine! Good on you Idahawk, I hope it ends up in your good hands.
Wheels look shot but otherwise yes it appears to be original all around and in great shape
Original grates even!! Nice find!
Quote from: Craig on August 22, 2014, 12:50:57 PM
Original grates even!! Nice find!
She said it was her dads but she didn't know where he had gotten it
The curious upside down bowl handles again............. :o
Think that may have been assembled on a Friday after lunch?
WOW, that appears to be in great condition with no color fade. Good luck Ida....hopefully this goes your way.
Posting is gone. Hopefully you got it and will be posting some pics soon.
Buckie they are not upside down I don't think. I have a theory...Ernie and I discussed this. I believe the real early grills had a hole all the way through one handle on one side. We believe it's for hanging it for spraying the enamel before it gets fired. I think later they decided to put a hole on the bottom of every handle so there isn't two different part numbers it's all one consistent handle. So when they need to weld then on prior to hanging it up they could just grab any handle and weld it on they didn't have to desk with two parts. Plus you can still hang it and it looks a little nicer without a hole on the top on one side. I can almost guarantee that's why those holes are there to hang them up. That's exactly how we would do it at the model shop if we needed to paint something. It needs to hang, you can't set it on anything. The lid is easy it has a handle for hanging. That's mine and Ernie's theory and I haven't heard anything better...
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quite possible.....never thought of that....is it all the way thru?
Just seems like for the finished product though, wouldn't water collect inside the handle & cause problems over time if it's only on the up side?
Remember, they didn't have snazzy covers way back when...........
I got it , honesty is the best policy and she let me know that :) I asked her to email me the photos again in all the excitement and negotiations with the wife I forgot to copy them.
Honesty is the best policy! Congrats on a spectacular find... Can't wait to see more!
Quote from: Idahawk on August 22, 2014, 02:24:07 PM
...and negotiations with the wife I forgot to copy them.
However many dinners or spa treatments it cost it was worth it! ;)
Can someone link a pic of a similar grill? I'm dying to see this. Is this one of the buoy kettles?!
You guys are killing me all this talk of a WBMW kettle and no pics!!! Not even a mention of the colour!!!
It's a lot like Paul's from here :
http://weberkettleclub.com/forums/introduce-yourself/hello-from-socal/
.....only very nice dark Black finish....like it was stored inside most of the time...........
Thanks Buckie
Congrats Idahawk! Excited to see more of it!
Thanks buckie...so it's 56/7?
Quote from: Hogsy on August 22, 2014, 02:57:27 PM
Thanks Buckie
Quote from: charred on August 22, 2014, 04:10:10 PM
Thanks buckie...so it's 56/7?
Yeah, guess it'll be about like that.....wasn't close enough in the pics, even with a vent pic to be able to say, but a solid metal triangle, W Bros. vent so near to there.............
the finish looked like a 1970's Blackie....thick & glossy......
Hmmm...I thought the solid metal triangle was a solid tell.
Craig will know.....
I'm just the cook.............. :o
Can't wait to see the pics... congrats!
Congrats! I'll sit patiently for the pics but it sounds really interesting.
The anticipation of seeing more of this beauty is killing me!! :D:)
I NEED PICS
send them straight to my wank bank ??? :o :-[ :-X
Quote from: Golly on August 22, 2014, 10:25:04 PM
I NEED PICS
send them straight to my wank bank ??? :o :-[ :-X
Hahahaha I just woke my wife out of a dead sleep I just laughed so hard! ;D
Quote from: Golly on August 22, 2014, 10:25:04 PM
I NEED PICS
send them straight to my wank bank ??? :o :-[ :-X
Just another symptom of the itis
Oh dear...and I invited this guy to my home!
As promised I received the photos this am
It's 170 miles away , I'm heading out Monday morning for Montana to meet the sellers and pick it up .
(http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/08/24/6amahe8u.jpg)
(http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/08/24/usyhenep.jpg)
(http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/08/24/7ynevy9a.jpg)
(http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/08/24/8edeju7e.jpg)
That is beautiful, to say the least. :D
I have never seen a grill grate look so "heavy duty."
How do these things sit for 55+ years & still look like that?
Mother of God. What a glorious piece.
Just amazing!
Just damn beautiful that is all that can be said.
Just beautiful!! WOW
SWEET!!
Very nice.
I love the smell of a evening cook...
No way! That's awesome! Man, I'm happy for ya. That's like winning the lottery.
That is an awesome find. Congrats.
Oh yeah!!! What a find.... Looking forward to more pics and the restore
Shwing! Check out how thick the bars are on the grate..
8)
Quote from: Heyjude on August 23, 2014, 01:11:06 PM
Check out how think the bars are on the grate..
The grate is amazing! I'd love to know the complete weight of the kettle vs a new one ;)
Love it! Congrats!
Ok, so what year/s does the "WBMW" indicate?
Quote from: charred on August 23, 2014, 06:13:17 PM
Ok, so what year/s does the "WBMW" indicate?
I believe 56 to 59 , I haven't had a moment to research , please correct someone if I'm wrong
w0w.
nice work!
George Stephen bought out WBMW in 1958 and changed the name to Weber Stephen that year. The lid was redesigned to this style in 1956. This is a 1956-early 1958 kettle at best.
That cooking grate, that's a beast! That is totally restorable and useable from the looks of it. That's gotta be built like a tank! I also feel that the MLH lids are SLIGHTLY heavier than even the earliest Wood lid handled kettles.
Notice how the Chicago era kettles through the early Arlington Heights thumbscrews that the grate straps are in line with the bowl handles or in a "plus sign" configuration. Seems late in the late 1960s (1967-68 or just prior to PAT PENDING era) they switched to the present day "X" pattern grate straps.
Beautiful kettle - one I hope to find someday. Craig is right about the beast-like grate, and I thought it interesting to note that the earlier grate (I mean from the original kettle a few years before) had no handles on them. Same tank-like bars though. These things are heavy metal!
http://weberkettleclub.com/blog/2014/05/10/1952-georges-barbecue-kettle/#prettyPhoto[gallery-2425]/12/
Honesty and integrity win the day. Amazing score Idahawk.
Quote from: Craig on August 23, 2014, 09:39:59 PM
George Stephen bought out WBMW in 1958 and changed the name to Weber Stephen that year. The lid was redesigned to this style in 1956. This is a 1956-early 1958 kettle at best.
That cooking grate, that's a beast! That is totally restorable and useable from the looks of it. That's gotta be built like a tank! I also feel that the MLH lids are SLIGHTLY heavier than even the earliest Wood lid handled kettles.
Notice how the Chicago era kettles through the early Arlington Heights thumbscrews that the grate straps are in line with the bowl handles or in a "plus sign" configuration. Seems late in the late 1960s (1967-68 or just prior to PAT PENDING era) they switched to the present day "X" pattern grate straps.
Interesting... what about the bowl handles as compared to these? Do we know when they were changed?
(http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l255/vigbert/IMG_2026_zps4aeadef4.jpg) (http://s98.photobucket.com/user/vigbert/media/IMG_2026_zps4aeadef4.jpg.html)
Quote from: charred on August 24, 2014, 07:33:57 AM
Quote from: Craig on August 23, 2014, 09:39:59 PM
George Stephen bought out WBMW in 1958 and changed the name to Weber Stephen that year. The lid was redesigned to this style in 1956. This is a 1956-early 1958 kettle at best.
That cooking grate, that's a beast! That is totally restorable and useable from the looks of it. That's gotta be built like a tank! I also feel that the MLH lids are SLIGHTLY heavier than even the earliest Wood lid handled kettles.
Notice how the Chicago era kettles through the early Arlington Heights thumbscrews that the grate straps are in line with the bowl handles or in a "plus sign" configuration. Seems late in the late 1960s (1967-68 or just prior to PAT PENDING era) they switched to the present day "X" pattern grate straps.
Interesting... what about the bowl handles as compared to these? Do we know when they were changed?
(http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l255/vigbert/IMG_2026_zps4aeadef4.jpg) (http://s98.photobucket.com/user/vigbert/media/IMG_2026_zps4aeadef4.jpg.html)
The metal bowl handles on the 18.5's were always a version if the one pictured. Late in the Wood Dale years just prior to the change to teak lid handles, the welding points were more rounded off. Now metal lid handled 18s always had the same style lid handle as the 22s/26s.
Example of a "later" 18 MBH. From a PAT PENDING Cado 18.
(http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/14/08/24/562b693c1364af3e5fd027816344f607.jpg)
The metal bowl handles on the 18.5's were always a version if the one pictured. Late in the Wood Dale years just prior to the change to teak lid handles, the welding points were more rounded off. Now metal lid handled 18s always had the same style lid handle as the 22s/26s.
Example of a "later" 18 MBH. From a PAT PENDING Cado 18.
Ok....the Age Guide page here says '56 was the first year the kettle took its current shape. It also says the 56/57s are the only ones w/ the solid triangle base.
Does this mean 56s can be distinguished from 57s by the different bowl handles? For instance, Idahawk's black beauty is a 56 while my custom is a 57?
Lol.
@charred, I think your confusing the 22" and the 18". The 18" had the strap bowl handles, and the standard round handle on the lid..... the 22"s had the standard round handles on the bowl and on the lid. You have an 18". Idahawk has a 22".
WBMW= Weber Bros Metal Works
What a story, and what a kettle! Remarkable!
Awesome score! Looking forward to more pictures and the rest of the story.
Rolling out in the am , can't wait to see it in person , pics to follow
Amazing find!
Quote from: zavod44 on August 24, 2014, 06:33:29 PM
@charred, I think your confusing the 22" and the 18". The 18" had the strap bowl handles, and the standard round handle on the lid..... the 22"s had the standard round handles on the bowl and on the lid. You have an 18". Idahawk has a 22".
WBMW= Weber Bros Metal Works
Ahaaaaaaaa! Thank you. Now I'll be able to sleep. :)
I just reread the thread to see if I'd missed a mention of size. The vent location had me thinking Ida's was an 18. So, next question therefore is, when did they relocate the top vent on the 22s? Lol. Whoever is making the History of the Weber Kettle coffee table book, please hurry. ;)
There is a 1962 catalog that shows the vents located in the same location as Idahawks (perpendicular to the handle) and I believe either the 1963 or 64 catalog has them changed to the position that is in line with the handle. So an educated guesstimate is 63-64 changed positions....
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"Whoever is making the History of the Weber Kettle coffee table book, please hurry. ;)"
But....then all the excitement and mystery will be over........... :D
(http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/14/08/25/88f82a4ef027b1fd72dd940c5c82d941.jpg)
(http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/14/08/25/1effd071485bfd37bfdc87cee42d357e.jpg)
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Looking forward to seeing some pictures.
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What a great time and what an wonderful new friend I made
It's in the truck , I mean in the truck lol
A few shots to enjoy while I drive back :
(http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/14/08/25/847120fcecb963831cbca8f039780acb.jpg)
(http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/14/08/25/c55f325547bb25e3f762a0e849474ebe.jpg)
(http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/14/08/25/aee9a54ee569357a9b77d46b5d62d41d.jpg)
(http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/14/08/25/af5726993a283133c45f9bbb7f7b850f.jpg)
(http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/14/08/25/ee28ff0691079169c34c1a0189564144.jpg)
(http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/14/08/25/ef1f2cfb2f204405cc514fe32e8f030e.jpg)
Daisy wheels all turn , it's in great condition , I even think the hubs are original
(http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/14/08/25/a63393b370866bdb54b72bf0d3831333.jpg)
(http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/14/08/25/6ea7953fa1af4175b2776534d71bf1bc.jpg)
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Looks amazing!
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First and third R: Check. Middle R: can't wait!
One quick stop first :)
(http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/14/08/25/5c394d02fbd9b43d02319d9e6e7eb615.jpg)
(http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/14/08/25/d33bd774c29ad04b5007a84ef463c30a.jpg)
Little sample of oatmeal stout for breakfast , after all it's got oatmeal in it right
(http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/14/08/25/1f7b3a46ac3951d651f61d038a9b155b.jpg)
(http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/14/08/25/a6c3ba213e550b2b33ee709eb7923d4a.jpg)(http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/14/08/25/556a11f316094489dd5ba11da9c5c006.jpg)
A fresh growler of Trout Slayer and were gone , I got a grill and some beer and I'm alone in Montana ....might not see me until spring :)
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(http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/14/08/25/81c15f8e0784259fe952a63d8e5060c6.jpg)(http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/14/08/25/e214f794a928d962a7396821ea2ab2b3.jpg)(http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/14/08/25/4532c2bbf4c2683ccc604936879d54f6.jpg)
(http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/14/08/25/a8bede204ff5bd93aa0c04ca39023bb5.jpg)
(http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/14/08/25/27f201d045fe13469a860ed4c68a3349.jpg)
(http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/14/08/25/38da797ba1abc0d77bde4f7045cfd69c.jpg)
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Beautiful! Have a safe drive home... and congratulations!
Congrats! Now fire something up tonight on that bad boy.
Even the thumbscrews are rust-free! Awesome find man!
Thanks for the pics of gorgeous Montana- spent a few days there in 1998...stopped at the Big Sky Brewery too!
Seriously......see if you can fit this into your signature line..................
" I got a grill and some beer and I'm alone in Montana ....might not see me until spring :) "
Tremendous slice of history right there......glad it went well !!!!!
Grate work, 'Hawk!
Nice Kettle! So how does the Trout Slayer compare to the Moose Drool?
Quote from: 1911Ron on August 25, 2014, 12:36:47 PM
Nice Kettle! So how does the Trout Slayer compare to the Moose Drool?
It's a lighter wheat ale , my favorite of the regular lineup , I went in for an orange ale I'd heard about but it was tapped out :(
A quick clean up
A quarter size ping in the bowl and a nickel sized mar on the lid (http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/08/26/gumu4a2a.jpg)
(http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/08/26/u5uzyze7.jpg)
The front of the ash catcher is gone so the sellers dad many years ago added the old hinge to repair it , theres a strange piece of metal on the front leg its embedded into the leg , looks like the spout from a canister of salt , I assume part of the original triangle attachment , but I don't know
(http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/08/26/a9e4uqyj.jpg)
(http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/08/26/a3agurup.jpg)
Beefy axel and the grill grates are both 1/4 material
(http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/08/26/etary6ep.jpg)
(http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/08/26/jasurehu.jpg)
Both tires have the tread looks like they've just pulled apart at the seam both have a straight line across the width with fibers showing across the break
(http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/08/26/gepygyga.jpg)
(http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/08/26/re6ygy4y.jpg)
(http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/08/26/ga8y6ezy.jpg)
(http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/08/26/jazyjyju.jpg)
(http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/08/26/y5y3yru9.jpg)
(http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/08/26/anetuha2.jpg)
WOW !!!!!
That is as good as we thought, eh what?
The front leg attachment MAY be aftermarket?
Maybe that's why they stopped making them like that....too many broke off?
Nice looking grill, congrats!!!
Great find! Congrats!
Man!!! This is awesome! What a nice score and story to go along with it. Seeing it all cleaned up yet preserved as is makes it an awesome piece of history and a helluva nice cooker. You did good on this one! I actually like the way the old 50s-pre '63 kettle lids hang off the bowl higher up than the later kettles. Seems when Weber moved the hook at the same time they switched handle directions "towards" the lid vent, they made the lid hang lower. Those wheels look like they were originally red and that cooking grate.......it looks mean (in a good way) that thing has to be way heavier than even the 60s-early 80s one piece grates. Goes to show that some 58 or so years later, George Stephen & Weber weren't jacking around when they said it's BAR-B-Q-KETTLE will last you for years and years. 8)
Quote from: 1buckie on August 25, 2014, 04:59:20 PM
The front leg attachment MAY be aftermarket?
Maybe that's why they stopped making them like that....too many broke off?
I'm thinking so. Even when I made my "mock up" black Chicago/Wood Dale the weight of the bowl/lid/grates seemed to be taxing on the front leg. Hence why some surviving examples have been seen with the front leg or all three splayed from years of weight/pressure on the sockets. This one, looks like it was saved from that fate decades ago with the repair job. This kettle tells a story. :)
It's was bought at a rummage sale in Havre , Montana in the 60's , it's been to Canada and back again staying with the family the whole time , it's had a long life and now as I told the seller , it's legacy will carry on as a piece of history , it will likely out last all of us .
Quote from: Idahawk on August 25, 2014, 08:13:54 PM
It's was bought at a rummage sale in Havre , Montana in the 60's , it's been to Canada and back again staying with the family the whole time , it's had a long life and now as I told the seller , it's legacy will carry on as a piece of history , it will likely out last all of us .
Excellent and amen!
Just... wow! Seeing that with the minimal clean up that you've done... it's a beauty, for sure! Thanks!
Quote from: Craig on August 25, 2014, 06:54:19 PM
Quote from: 1buckie on August 25, 2014, 04:59:20 PM
The front leg attachment MAY be aftermarket?
Maybe that's why they stopped making them like that....too many broke off?
I'm thinking so. Even when I made my "mock up" black Chicago/Wood Dale the weight of the bowl/lid/grates seemed to be taxing on the front leg. Hence why some surviving examples have been seen with the front leg or all three splayed from years of weight/pressure on the sockets. This one, looks like it was saved from that fate decades ago with the repair job. This kettle tells a story. :)
The leg sockets are as solid as can be , I believe your right , the repair saved this from years of wiggling while being moved around , and it was moved around from Chicago to Montana to Saskatchewan and back to Montana , not even a wheel hub missing in all that travel . It's quite amazing .
That is absolutely beautiful.
It's in remarkable condition - congrats again on this monumental score Idahawk!
If you plan on straightening out the triangle pan edges I found these awesome long edge sheet metal vise grip clamps that have come in handy for me many times. I bet a set would be perfect for sharpening up the edge lines....
(http://images.palcdn.com/hlr-system/WebPhotos/29/291/2911/2911774.jpg?_v=5a94e708-b43a-47fc-b9d2-56110847a5a6)
http://www.princessauto.com/pal/en/Locking-And-Snap-Ring/IRWIN-VISE-GRIP-8R-Locking-Sheet-Metal-Clamp-Plier/2911774.p (http://www.princessauto.com/pal/en/Locking-And-Snap-Ring/IRWIN-VISE-GRIP-8R-Locking-Sheet-Metal-Clamp-Plier/2911774.p)
Also is the triangle hinge mount mod simply bolted to the original triangle? I can completely understand leaving it due to the history but if you decide to restore to original the pan appears somewhat complete?
A piece of history right there!
I'd like to install a small piece of tin to just replace the tip of the triangle , I need to see another up close to figure out how it attaches . I've got it in phase one soaking in PB blaster to be able disassemble it. The axel and tires/wheels all move as one piece , slightly rusted together, the tires won't come off the axel just yet ..
(http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/08/30/a5egeqeh.jpg)
Looks like an animal chewed on the tire a bit, lol ironic isn't it, something used to cook animals gets paid back , lol
(http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/08/30/yzu5ytug.jpg)
Mine isn't original, but I used a small piece of tin (duct) riveted to the bottom, then the vertical piece was rounded to fit the leg and screwed into a dowel inside the leg and using the original hole.
Just a thought.
Quote from: dazzo on August 30, 2014, 06:49:00 PM
Mine isn't original, but I used a small piece of tin (duct) riveted to the bottom, then the vertical piece was rounded to fit the leg and screwed into a dowel inside the leg and using the original hole.
Just a thought.
I'd like to see what you did , sounds like what I'm thinking about .
(http://i1289.photobucket.com/albums/b505/dazzo16/posts/tray/tray8b_zps8abac231.jpg)
(http://i1289.photobucket.com/albums/b505/dazzo16/posts/tray/tray9_zps666c6231.jpg)
http://weberkettleclub.com/forums/weber-kettles-accessories/my-three-step-weberitis-recovery-program/msg106635/#msg106635 (http://weberkettleclub.com/forums/weber-kettles-accessories/my-three-step-weberitis-recovery-program/msg106635/#msg106635)
Perfect ! Thank you for the help