Latches to secure body to charcoal bowl


 
J

John Lesperance

New member
New guy here with a slight problem that I need help with. I just got a new to me 22-1/2 WSM this past weekend. I smoked some short ribs and a couple hours into the cook I wanted to check the progress. I took the lid off and looked then put the lid back on. In a few seconds I see smoke pouring out all over the place and the temps shooting up at a rapid rate. I looked to see what the problem was and found that I had put the lid on crooked and had somehow moved the body off of the charcoal bowl. This allowed a lot of air in hence the smoke and climbing temp.

Now somewhere either on here or some other site I have seen a WSM that had latches that secured the body to the bowl. Can anyone point me in the direction of where I can find some of these latches. I know I can just be more careful and observant but I'd rather just not have to be concerned with this again. Thanks in advance.
 
If replacing the lid caused the main body to move off the charcoal bowl, then the main body must not have been situated properly in the first place. Or you replaced the lid with a lot of force.

Either way, replacing the lid shouldn't cause the body & bowl to misalign. Something else must have been going on.
 
Matthew AB said:
If replacing the lid caused the main body to move off the charcoal bowl, then the main body must not have been situated properly in the first place. Or you replaced the lid with a lot of force.

Either way, replacing the lid shouldn't cause the body & bowl to misalign. Something else must have been going on.
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Yes sir I agree. However I am one to try to make something as idiot proof as possible. I have seen the latches I'm talking about in pictures but just don't remember where. Obviously this has happened to others as it did with me.
 
Len Dennis said:
As you said, been asked before (but once it's loaded, it is pretty heavy and requires an even heavier hand to disturb it). In any case

http://tvwbb.com/showthread.php?560...charcoal-chamber-to-main-body&highlight=hinge

Won't be much help though as it's not (generally) an issue.
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Thanks Len for the reply. Those pics give me some ideas. I think my problem was that the heavy meat was all on the top grate coupled with the heavy dome made the thing somewhat top heavy.
 
John Lesperance said:
Thanks Len for the reply. Those pics give me some ideas. I think my problem was that the heavy meat was all on the top grate coupled with the heavy dome made the thing somewhat top heavy.
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Interesting... even with 15 pounds of brisket on the top grate, I've never felt the slightest bit of instability in the barrel-to-base connection.

Perhaps something isn't seating properly on your cooker?
 
I saw in the archives a few years ago a member here added latches to his WSM. The latches were CJ style jeep hood latches like these: http://www.quadratec.com/products/13004_10X_PG.htm . He connected between the charcoal bowl and middle section. Looked really cool and they are stainless steel. Heck with these and an unknown lid hinge this would solve some of those transporting upright issues too...

Found the link to the old thread: http://tvwbb.com/showthread.php?27917-Modifications-I-find-very-conveinant&highlight=Jeep
 
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