New member here. As stated in my intro, this is my first Weber Kettle. I also have two Kamados - a Bubba Keg and a Goldens' Cast Iron Cooker.
My neighbor had placed a grill out at the curb with the trash. Trash day came and went, grill wasn't picked up. It sat for two more days and it was bugging the heck out of me. On closer inspection, I realized it was a Weber. Do I need a third grill? Not really. Do I hate seeing a Weber being tossed in the trash like that? Absolutely. Am I up for a restore? You bet. Oh yeah, and free is good!
It's an 18" Kettle, code DU (2002), in tough shape. I referenced the topics on this site about restoration and set to work. Never realized a razor blade, some #0000 steel wool and some of my auto detailing supplies would do the trick.
Before shots -
Legs aren't properly attached (axle flats are positioned backwards) and the legs are in the wrong locations, causing the handles to be improperly positioned and the grill to not be level. Cooking grate needs to be tossed. Charcoal grate is ok, but I replaced it with a new one.
It so happens I've had a Craycort Cast Iron grate hanging in my garage that I haven't used in years. I won't bore you with the cleanup, you've seen it before, but this cooker cleaned up quite nicely!
After pics -
My three grills (Bubba Keg has just been restored also) -
I also bought a Slow N Sear Charcoal Basket for the Weber, used it for the first time last night. Seems to work well. You'll notice in the pics there's also a tool rack hanging from the base.
To avoid burning my fingers on the vent control when gloves are not handy I fabricated this in my wood shop this morning -
It's Meranti wood, finished in Teak Oil. Friction fit. But now I'm thinking I should probably start on matching handles. I know they can be purchased, but there's great fun in making my own.
And that's it for this restoration and a Weber saved from the trash.
I'm happy to have joined the Weber family. And yes, it cooks every bit as good as I expected. Still some learning to do regarding vent control, but not much different than my other grills.
Thanks for checking out this post!
Regards,
-Dom