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Restoring a fire pit that my son dropped off for safekeeping as he is relocating to Los Angeles.  Porcelain is in good shape but the rings and uprights are covered in rust.  My question is were rings and uprights originally aluminized or black?  I have seen various photos showing them to be silver in color and I am planning to use Rustoleum satin aluminum High Heat for the legs so that is the direction I am leaning.  However, the inside of the uprights appear to be smooth black.  Stainless hardware is ready to go and the temps are perfect for painting so I am hoping for some guidance.

They look to be unpainted - I'm assuming this is the style you're restoring?

Aluminized steel

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Agreed
Alum-steel no paint

If you come across an extra heat shield, let me know. Thanks!

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Thanks for the quick replies.  Sadly, no extra heat shield.  After disassembly of the rings/uprights and wire brushing by hand I can only assume a prior owner did a quality respray with black bbq paint something similar.  I am going to hit it with a wire cup brush and respray in satin aluminum high heat.

Someone once mentioned they were using a pizza pan to replace a shield on one of these, or maybe a WSM, don't remember which. 

Quote from: Red_5_Wrangler on April 20, 2020, 01:04:28 PM
Agreed
Alum-steel no paint

If you come across an extra heat shield, let me know. Thanks!

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I happened to have a SS serving plater that works great and probably better but my co-web 19 virus makes me want to keep looking for a 15.75 in ash catcher.

Quote from: PotsieWeber on April 20, 2020, 04:57:26 PM
Someone once mentioned they were using a pizza pan to replace a shield on one of these, or maybe a WSM, don't remember which. 

Quote from: Red_5_Wrangler on April 20, 2020, 01:04:28 PM
Agreed
Alum-steel no paint

If you come across an extra heat shield, let me know. Thanks!

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Quick update:  completely disassembled the fire pit, ordered fiber washers, cleaned all rust from the uprights and sprayed with three coats of satin aluminum high heat.  Today's task is making some new handles from some cocobolo (if I can find where I put the last stick of it in my shop) or white oak.

Quote from: mwmac on April 23, 2020, 07:35:10 AM
Quick update:  completely disassembled the fire pit, ordered fiber washers, cleaned all rust from the uprights and sprayed with three coats of satin aluminum high heat.  Today's task is making some new handles from some cocobolo (if I can find where I put the last stick of it in my shop) or white oak.

I had gorgeous brand new wood handles on mine.  They dried up and cracked on the first use.  It wasn't an extraordinary fire, just an average one.  I suggest you save the wood handles that are on your firepit and replace them with some reinforced plastic ones.

Maybe a taco handles setup might be better.
If the fire destroyed the wood handles it'll probably melt the plastic handles like on some kettles I have bought.
Could the wood handles you had that dried up were not the right wood to handle the heat?


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Quote from: foshizzle on April 25, 2020, 11:11:38 AM
Maybe a taco handles setup might be better.
If the fire destroyed the wood handles it'll probably melt the plastic handles like on some kettles I have bought.
Could the wood handles you had that dried up were not the right wood to handle the heat?


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No they are the right wood handles that came with the firepit.  Mine was brand new.  Others have reported the same issue, I'm surprised others haven't chimed in.  The plastic handles haven't been a problem and I use our firepit all the time. 

Quote from: captjoe06 on April 26, 2020, 03:11:56 AM

Quote from: foshizzle on April 25, 2020, 11:11:38 AM
Maybe a taco handles setup might be better.
If the fire destroyed the wood handles it'll probably melt the plastic handles like on some kettles I have bought.
Could the wood handles you had that dried up were not the right wood to handle the heat?


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No they are the right wood handles that came with the firepit.  Mine was brand new.  Others have reported the same issue, I'm surprised others haven't chimed in.  The plastic handles haven't been a problem and I use our firepit all the time.

Hey  CaptJoe, I have a vintage pit that I am restoring. Can you post a picture of your plastic handles? Just curious what style you are using.

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https://northeastbbqdotcom.files.wordpress.com/2019/05/58069507074__95382c29-ba79-4d0b-abdb-03a18935d5c8.jpg?w=527&h=&zoom=2 (https://northeastbbqdotcom.files.wordpress.com/2019/05/58069507074__95382c29-ba79-4d0b-abdb-03a18935d5c8.jpg?w=527&h=&zoom=2)


(https://northeastbbqdotcom.files.wordpress.com/2019/05/58069507074__95382c29-ba79-4d0b-abdb-03a18935d5c8.jpg?w=527&h=&zoom=2)

I've had wood handles on mine for several years. Never had a problem. I did add a taco shield last spring.


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Quote from: Bob BQ on April 26, 2020, 11:31:51 PM
I've had wood handles on mine for several years. Never had a problem. I did add a taco shield last spring.


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That's interesting. Mine was assembled brand new and both handles cracked on the first use. Maybe I had defective handles IDK

Quote from: captjoe06 on April 27, 2020, 12:40:53 AM

Quote from: Bob BQ on April 26, 2020, 11:31:51 PM
I've had wood handles on mine for several years. Never had a problem. I did add a taco shield last spring.


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That's interesting. Mine was assembled brand new and both handles cracked on the first use. Maybe I had defective handles IDK

Did you have one of the newer fire pits with the newer wood handles... I want to say they were made of bamboo...?  If that's the case, I could absolutely see having problems.  My F-I-L had a set of those... they cracked/rotted within a year.

When I got my firepit, the handles were a bit rotted, so I replaced them with some better condition wood handles from a flip kettle.... haven't had any issues.


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My experience from having a number of the fire pits is that the bamboo handles crack in kind of long pieces, like they are think wedges glued together (which is what I think they are).

Quote from: PotsieWeber on April 27, 2020, 01:55:53 PM
My experience from having a number of the fire pits is that the bamboo handles crack in kind of long pieces, like they are think wedges glued together (which is what I think they are).

That's how mine cracked. Went from brand new to cracked longways down the center. Could very well explain it. I still love my firepit btw. My favorite thing to do is sit by it with friends smoking cigars and drinking

Quote from: captjoe06 on April 28, 2020, 02:15:51 AM

Quote from: PotsieWeber on April 27, 2020, 01:55:53 PM
My experience from having a number of the fire pits is that the bamboo handles crack in kind of long pieces, like they are think wedges glued together (which is what I think they are).

That's how mine cracked. Went from brand new to cracked longways down the center. Could very well explain it. I still love my firepit btw. My favorite thing to do is sit by it with friends smoking cigars and drinking

I'm ready for some cigars and bourbon

Every time someone mentions sitting around a firepit with friends, I immediately picture the campfire scene from Blazing Saddles.

https://youtu.be/FXHkFZ-nG4Y

Quote from: Cellar2ful on April 28, 2020, 07:29:18 AM


Every time someone mentions sitting around a firepit with friends, I immediately picture the campfire scene from Blazing Saddles.

https://youtu.be/FXHkFZ-nG4Y

TOO FUNNY

Quote from: JEBIV on April 28, 2020, 03:04:15 AM

Quote from: captjoe06 on April 28, 2020, 02:15:51 AM

Quote from: PotsieWeber on April 27, 2020, 01:55:53 PM
My experience from having a number of the fire pits is that the bamboo handles crack in kind of long pieces, like they are think wedges glued together (which is what I think they are).

That's how mine cracked. Went from brand new to cracked longways down the center. Could very well explain it. I still love my firepit btw. My favorite thing to do is sit by it with friends smoking cigars and drinking

I'm ready for some cigars and bourbon

:)

FWIW this was the firepit handles that came on it.  Not sure if that's bamboo or not-


(https://northeastbbqdotcom.files.wordpress.com/2017/11/20171109_100517_hdr1323122486.jpg?w=600&zoom=2)

Finishing making new handles out of bocote and applied a teak oil finish.  Just need to finish rehab of upper and lower rings.  Will post a pic once complete.

Good info here.  I have one that I picked up last fall.  Used it a couple of times
then put away for the winter.  It has no handles, and I scored some NOS wooden
ones that I had planned to put on it.  However, seeing that some of yours cracked,
I will put on a set of handmade ones from a 18 I picked up last week instead. 

Done.  Also found a new Weber cover for it. :)

Before.

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Off topic a little but, are you supposed to put sand in the bottom of these to act as a heat sink?

Quote from: glend123 on June 29, 2020, 07:29:25 AM
Off topic a little but, are you supposed to put sand in the bottom of these to act as a heat sink?

Yessir


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