Joined the 26er club

[jkolantern]

It isn't a flat top or a colored one, but is only the second 26 I've seen for sale around here.  I got optimistic when I saw two back to back listings in the same town minutes apart for Weber kettles at different prices.  Clicked on one, and it was a standard black OTS.  Clicked the second, and behold, 26.75" new non-taco style.  Agreed to buy it without haggling.  The woman held it for me and took the ad down after she started getting a lot of responses.  $65 and I got a cover with it.  That's the most I've ever paid for a kettle by quite a bit, but I look at it this way.  I read online about people raving about the performer and how grate they are and didn't understand it, but I found one cheap, bought it and now I totally get it.  I read the same things about people with 26ers, so when the opportunity arose, I figured, what the heck.  I'll give that a shot too.

Dad picked it up this morning for me and he said "It's big. I don't know what you needed one that big for" (But he also doesn't know why I want to have a bunch of old grills anyway). Mom looked at it in the back of Dad's car (it wouldn't fit in the trunk) and said "You know those pots that you see in old movies that they cook people in?  It looks like one of those"

I haven't seen it yet, except in one online picture.  Apparently, it has a baseball sized dent in the bowl, and rust around each of the leg sockets also roughly baseball sized.  I'm hoping that it is just surface rust but it moderately concerns me.  The grates are supposed to be in good shape.  I don't know about the ash sweeper.  It has a thermometer and ash catcher but is an EE code according to my Dad.  That's interesting to me because I know that @Nate has an EE flat top. 
http://weberkettleclub.com/forums/weber-kettles-accessories/should-be-picking-up-a-26r-this-morning/msg158905/#msg158905
I guess if I confirm mine, that they changed styles mid-year.

I'll post pics when I take possession.

[pbe gummi bear]

nice pick up! I think you did the right thing picking it up for that price. I've pounded out a few dents from kettles before and you can usually get them pretty close with a rubber mallet and ball peen hammer. The porcelain around the dent will likely crack off though.

[MINIgrillin]

Do what you can with the dents. They don't effect cooking at all unless they are on the rim. 26rs are the sh!t.. get yourself some fire bricks and get ready for some kick ass indirect cookin

[Idahawk]

I've used a technic with sand and a bowling ball for dents , I haven't lost any porcelain yet , but with a 26er you'd need a big tub of sand


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[MINIgrillin]

I've used a technic with sand and a bowling ball for dents , I haven't lost any porcelain yet , but with a 26er you'd need a big tub of sand


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Wtf?! Please do tell.. please share this one. Pics plz

[Idahawk]

I've used a technic with sand and a bowling ball for dents , I haven't lost any porcelain yet , but with a 26er you'd need a big tub of sand


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Wtf?! Please do tell.. please share this one. Pics plz

It's so hillbilly I'd be embarrassed


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[pbe gummi bear]

I've used a technic with sand and a bowling ball for dents , I haven't lost any porcelain yet , but with a 26er you'd need a big tub of sand


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

This is actually a great idea! I'd put some fabric between the kettle and the sand so it doesn't scratch the porcelain

[Idahawk]

Yes a towel for protection is needed , basically get the bowl or lid hot , I just use charcoal for a  heat source 400-500 degrees usually , put the dented portion in the sand as flat as possible and use the ball to gently roll out the dent , working the ball in all directions until smooth , the sand keeps the dent from exploding back out to quickly I guess   For smaller bowls and lids  a billiard ball or the top of a rubber mallet , anything smooth and round , just work quickly .
Ive done this 3 times including a lid with a pushed in handle , so far so good , but I'm not making any claims and your results may vary .


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[MINIgrillin]

Hmm. Interesting. I got a good dent in my 18otg. Sounds like a good opportunity to "work the ball in all directions until smooth"

[GregS]

congrats!  26'ers are awesome.  enjoy! 

[jkolantern]

Thanks!  So having seen it today, I was sort of wrong about several things.  First, it is a DE not an EE, so a 2009.  So it has taco handle.  The rust around the leg sockets is very strange.  The sockets themselves don't have any rust and have all of their porcelain.  The big circles around them, however, have no enamel.  This is also where what my dad called a dent. It is concave around 2 of the sockets.  I think it was some kind of defect from a potentially hot fire or something.  The lid has a few scratches and a little rash, but is in pretty good shape.  Ash sweep and catcher are in great shape.  The grill has a bit of the gangster lean and the front leg has a little ding in it.  I think that the lean could be caused by the odd defect where the socket meets the bowl. Charcoal grate has a bit of wear but is in good shape.  Cooking grate seems good. I'm going to try to get it hot this weekend.  I cleaned it quickly but can do it better maybe this weekend.

Before picture of lid.


The weirdness around the socket. Has anybody seen anything like this before?


Reassembled
after a quick rinse.

[1911Ron]

Congrats  and welcome to the 26er club! That is weird around the socket, it looks like someone wire wheeled around the socket.

[Troy]

That leg was crushed in severely,  and then pounded back out. Porcelain is gone,  that is rust.



Sent from my SM-N910V using Tapatalk

[jkolantern]

Thanks @Troy. I appreciate the insight. Any ideas what would have crushed all 3 legs? And only one of them looks like it was potentially pounded out. The other 2 still have the dent (and porcelain loss)

[jcnaz]

That kettle will clean up nicely.
You will want to get the grill as level as possible. I had good luck massaging some leg sockets back into place with a rubber mallet. Ida's bowling ball technique sounds interesting too.
The surface rust will clean off with some effort and naval jelly. Black brake caliper paint will keep the rust from coming back.
Hard to beat for $65!