On May 23, 4:17*pm, spamtrap1888 > wrote:
> On May 23, 9:44*am, John Kuthe > wrote:
>
>
>
> > On May 23, 11:37*am, sf > wrote:
>
> > > On Sun, 23 May 2010 09:28:43 -0700 (PDT), John Kuthe
>
> > > > wrote:
> > > > We cleaned up and fired up an old Weber charcoal grill last evening,
> > > > but found that the bottom louver controls were rusted off, leaving the
> > > > bottom louvers open and uncontrollable. I looked on the Weber website
> > > > and here's a pic of what should be in the bottom of this Weber kettle:
>
> > > >http://www.weber.com/assets/en-us/fe...d18_diff_2.jpg
>
> > > > I searched the Weber site for repair parts but found nada.
>
> > > > Anyone have experience repairing such a problem? What approach did you
> > > > use (besides buying a whole new Weber kettle) and where did you get
> > > > parts?
>
> > > I'm surprised that part rusted out before the kettle did. *My
> > > experience was just the opposite. *Check your kettle carefully for
> > > holes, you probably need a whole new unit.
>
> > Well, from the bottom visualizing from outside the kettle, the
> > external adjustment arm and shaft to inside the kettle looks all rusty
> > and is immobile, but I'm not sure about the actual metal of the
> > kettle. If the kettle metal (which is supposed to be ceramic glazed
> > and rustproof) is OK, then all I'll need is a replacement louver and
> > control assembly. Or so I'd think.
>
> After 20 years, the bottom of our Smokey Joe just rusted into
> unusability. That was the model with three separate vents as well as a
> lid with a real wooden handle, which I would steel wool and touch up
> with tung oil every so often. Its passing hurt.
>
> The replacements have a single vent, and an ugly grey plastic lid
> handle.
>
> I thought the three-legged gizmo you show was just for sweeping ashes
> out the bottom. If you just wanted the bottom airflow adjuster, could
> you fabricate one out of sheet metal, with tin snips and a nibbler?
> Maybe a hole saw and a file, too? Then you could attach it with a nut,
> bolt, two flat washers, and a split ring to hold the tightness.
>
> My Smokey Joe airflow adjusters survived the demise of the kettle
> itself. But they were scaled down for the Smokey Joe's kettle *size.

I used to use a Smokey Joe for years. Yeah, mine had the real wood
handle too. And it had adjustable louvers top and bottom just like the
bigger Weber kettles, but unlike this full sized one the Smokey Joe
louver adjustment was outside the kettle wall metal. Made a whole lot
better send to me too than the "ash sweeper" adjuster on this full
sized kettle.

John Kuthe...