WSM rescue, worth the hassle?

[Paul Isa]

It will clean up nicely; you'll see. Please show the after pics when you're done.

[Shanks Kop]

Hello good folk around the globe, thanks for the advice so far.  This one's been on the back burner a tad waiting for the warmer months.

Now with the stonkingly good weather over this side, actual BBQ'ing has taken precedence.  It's finally time to tackle this one. 

I want a cooker, rather then a looker.

I've ordered up:
Razor blades
Wire wool
New Charcoal Grate

Water Pan: Intend to use a clay saucer or old upside down lid, as recommended by folks here.

I don't have any electric tools and nothing besides the basic standard manual tools (minimal storage in  a rented one bed) and don't intend on purchasing any, if it can be avoided.

Here are some pics

[Shanks Kop]

Things to do:
Straighten the lip (mid section) - I've seen the piece of wood with a notch technique and I feel that's going to work a treat.

Gap between mid section and Dome (see pic): I can't seem to reduce the gap no matter how much rolling.of the middle piece. Any tips?

Grate straps: for love nor death, I can only release  one. I've tried WD-40 to no avail. They are all structurally sound and the only reason for removal was to clean the rust.

Any thoughts on how I can remove the rust whilst still attached to the mid section?

[pbe gummi bear]

Gap between mid section and Dome (see pic): I can't seem to reduce the gap no matter how much rolling.of the middle piece. Any tips?

Grate straps: for love nor death, I can only release  one. I've tried WD-40 to no avail. They are all structurally sound and the only reason for removal was to clean the rust.

Any thoughts on how I can remove the rust whilst still attached to the mid section?

You can fix the gap by doing the "bear hug" method. Take a measuring tape to measure the diameter of the middle/bowl,  find the direction which is longer and therefore oblong. Then hug the bowl/middle to your chest, applying slight pressure to fix the oblong shape. Go slowly and you'll get the feel for it.

Wd40 doesn't remove rust. Try soaking a paper towel in vinegar and laying it on the rust and keep it saturated for a while (hours). You can then use steel wool to knock off the remaining rust.

[CarrieAnn]

I have the exact same cooker in way worse shape. . Grate straps, buddy, mine are completely black and coated with creosote. I do absolutely nothing to them. If you can't get them to budge then they probably aren't going to fall off!  Lol

I remove rust from surfaces my food touches. Your food never touches the grate strap. That would be filed under "screw this, I'm cooking" and I'd pretty much never think of it again.

Many of the  Virtual WSM guys use the base of a flower pot (one of those orange terra-cotta ones) as the deflector. Some of them fill it with sand to use as a heat sink. Even if you want water and use a clay pot, you can always fill a disposable aluminum pan with water and use that. My water pan leaks - I use the aluminum loan in the water pan, bonus cleanup is easier.

Mine is a bit out of round and leaks air like a bitch. So it runs HOT. I mediate this by running a small snake around the base instead of filling the pan with coal and/or using the minion method. This works really really well and has again checked off another pain off my list. In the past I have also wrapped it with a fire blanket to help stop extra air from flowing in, but the snake works so well that's all I do anymore.

I did buy a Cajun Bandit door and consider that a very worthwhile investment.

At least your legs are straight!  Mine look like a kicked dog! 

Despite all that, she is a fabulous cooker and I'm about to fire her up right now. My philosophy is that cooking on this is an art, not a science. She takes a little more babysitting than most, and won't ever be set and forget, but I can still pull off an overnight and often leave my teens at home with the Maverick remote while I run to the store. They text me if the temp goes too high or low, mostly it's low because my snake ran out of fuel.

If I wanted something I didn't have to think about, I'd just go eat out. Fire that bad boy up, learn it's quirks and start producing fabulous bbq. You see people making smokers out of all kinds of junk and producing bbq. You have a leg up on them - yours was actually designed to do it!!


Sent from my iPhone using Weber Kettle Club mobile app

[LiquidOcelot]

To fix the mid section also get some rope, tie the rope to a long screwdriver and then twist. Should apply almost even pressure all the way around

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G928A using Weber Kettle Club mobile app

[pbe gummi bear]

To fix the mid section also get some rope, tie the rope to a long screwdriver and then twist. Should apply almost even pressure all the way around

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G928A using Weber Kettle Club mobile app

Have you actually tried this? I don't think this will work. You actually want to put the long part of the oblongation beyond where you want it because of springback.

[HoosierKettle]

Wsm is great. One of my favorite uses is top rack cooking and no water pan and all vents open. Put a make shift charcoal grate in and your ready to go as is.


Sent from my iPhone using Weber Kettle Club mobile app

[Shanks Kop]

Gap between mid section and Dome (see pic): I can't seem to reduce the gap no matter how much rolling.of the middle piece. Any tips?

Grate straps: for love nor death, I can only release  one. I've tried WD-40 to no avail. They are all structurally sound and the only reason for removal was to clean the rust.

Any thoughts on how I can remove the rust whilst still attached to the mid section?

You can fix the gap by doing the "bear hug" method. Take a measuring tape to measure the diameter of the middle/bowl,  find the direction which is longer and therefore oblong. Then hug the bowl/middle to your chest, applying slight pressure to fix the oblong shape. Go slowly and you'll get the feel for it.

Wd40 doesn't remove rust. Try soaking a paper towel in vinegar and laying it on the rust and keep it saturated for a while (hours). You can then use steel wool to knock off the remaining rust.

I've never tried hugging a BBQ before , but I'll give this a shot

Ps, I was thinking more the WD-40 to loosen the bolts, but they ain't budging

[Shanks Kop]

I have the exact same cooker in way worse shape. . Grate straps, buddy, mine are completely black and coated with creosote. I do absolutely nothing to them. If you can't get them to budge then they probably aren't going to fall off!  Lol

I remove rust from surfaces my food touches. Your food never touches the grate strap. That would be filed under "screw this, I'm cooking" and I'd pretty much never think of it again.

Many of the  Virtual WSM guys use the base of a flower pot (one of those orange terra-cotta ones) as the deflector. Some of them fill it with sand to use as a heat sink. Even if you want water and use a clay pot, you can always fill a disposable aluminum pan with water and use that. My water pan leaks - I use the aluminum loan in the water pan, bonus cleanup is easier.

Mine is a bit out of round and leaks air like a bitch. So it runs HOT. I mediate this by running a small snake around the base instead of filling the pan with coal and/or using the minion method. This works really really well and has again checked off another pain off my list. In the past I have also wrapped it with a fire blanket to help stop extra air from flowing in, but the snake works so well that's all I do anymore.

I did buy a Cajun Bandit door and consider that a very worthwhile investment.

At least your legs are straight!  Mine look like a kicked dog! 

Despite all that, she is a fabulous cooker and I'm about to fire her up right now. My philosophy is that cooking on this is an art, not a science. She takes a little more babysitting than most, and won't ever be set and forget, but I can still pull off an overnight and often leave my teens at home with the Maverick remote while I run to the store. They text me if the temp goes too high or low, mostly it's low because my snake ran out of fuel.

If I wanted something I didn't have to think about, I'd just go eat out. Fire that bad boy up, learn it's quirks and start producing fabulous bbq. You see people making smokers out of all kinds of junk and producing bbq. You have a leg up on them - yours was actually designed to do it!!


Sent from my iPhone using Weber Kettle Club mobile app

Carrie Ann, this made me smile. As that's more in tune with my thinking, but I thought I'd try my first tidying up of a neglected item. I already own a 57cm/22.5" WSM, so there was no real rush in getting this sorted.  Hopefully the maiden.voyage is this weekend.

[Shanks Kop]

Never did I think for a moment that it didn't need a little elbow grease, but I've accepted I like cooking more than cleaning.

So a salute and hats off to those that get grills looking pristine.  I just don't have the patience or perseverance to keep going.

A slight bathe and it was on to the cook. Thanks all those that helped me navigate the purchase and what was required to get her cooking again.

[jeffrackmo]

Gap between mid section and Dome (see pic): I can't seem to reduce the gap no matter how much rolling.of the middle piece. Any tips?

Grate straps: for love nor death, I can only release  one. I've tried WD-40 to no avail. They are all structurally sound and the only reason for removal was to clean the rust.

Any thoughts on how I can remove the rust whilst still attached to the mid section?

You can fix the gap by doing the "bear hug" method. Take a measuring tape to measure the diameter of the middle/bowl,  find the direction which is longer and therefore oblong. Then hug the bowl/middle to your chest, applying slight pressure to fix the oblong shape. Go slowly and you'll get the feel for it.

Wd40 doesn't remove rust. Try soaking a paper towel in vinegar and laying it on the rust and keep it saturated for a while (hours). You can then use steel wool to knock off the remaining rust.

I've never tried hugging a BBQ before , but I'll give this a shot

Ps, I was thinking more the WD-40 to loosen the bolts, but they ain't budging

PB Blaster works great for rusted nut and bolts.  If it loosens rust from the Minnesota Salty Roads on my trailer hitch... Ya know... is SHOULD loosen the little 1/4 X 20 rusty nuts... Worth the 5 bucks.  AND it works pretty quickly. 

My $.02 worth...

Good Luck!!

[Shanks Kop]

Gap between mid section and Dome (see pic): I can't seem to reduce the gap no matter how much rolling.of the middle piece. Any tips?

Grate straps: for love nor death, I can only release  one. I've tried WD-40 to no avail. They are all structurally sound and the only reason for removal was to clean the rust.

Any thoughts on how I can remove the rust whilst still attached to the mid section?

You can fix the gap by doing the "bear hug" method. Take a measuring tape to measure the diameter of the middle/bowl,  find the direction which is longer and therefore oblong. Then hug the bowl/middle to your chest, applying slight pressure to fix the oblong shape. Go slowly and you'll get the feel for it.

Wd40 doesn't remove rust. Try soaking a paper towel in vinegar and laying it on the rust and keep it saturated for a while (hours). You can then use steel wool to knock off the remaining rust.

I've never tried hugging a BBQ before , but I'll give this a shot

Ps, I was thinking more the WD-40 to loosen the bolts, but they ain't budging

PB Blaster works great for rusted nut and bolts.  If it loosens rust from the Minnesota Salty Roads on my trailer hitch... Ya know... is SHOULD loosen the little 1/4 X 20 rusty nuts... Worth the 5 bucks.  AND it works pretty quickly. 

My $.02 worth...

Good Luck!!

Thanks. I've started cooking on her and with the grease she's attracting.... I'm starting to forget how rusted it was.  I have a newfound admiration for the sticklers for bringing kettles back to original glory.

[Lew]

Just rehabbed a similar (1995 model) WSM.  It had been rusting in the corner of a deck for about 5 years.  The body was in pretty good shape but the straps and bolts were very rusty.  All the grates and the door were toast.  I called Weber and they made me a great deal on the parts.  I cleaned it up, sprayed the straps and rusty bolts with Pam, and fired it up.  $79 investment and I have a good as new WSM.  If the rusty straps bother you, they are $19 complete with all the bolts.