I shall call it "Marco"

Several months ago, I came across Don Marco's thread, My "WSM de Luxe". Ever since, my search for an OTP has bordered on obsession. After 3+ months, victory is mine.



Blue? Sure, I would have preferred matching black, but this Weber is in such extraordinary condition I decided I could live with the imperfect aesthetic flow. Besides, this grill will have a dual personality; it will also serve as one beautiful OTP.

Now the fun begins. With a generous collection of donor parts from a SJP and OTS, I'm off to mod my "Marco." Thank you Don (wherever you are) and the rest of the TVWBB community for the inspiration and your clever ideas. And thank you Will, for stumbling upon my craigslist ad.

Steve,
very nice... i too was lucky enough to nab a black OTP about a year or so ago.... and definitely recommend it... ive used it for low/slow overnighters as well as high heat cooks ...
FYI: i have not run into the " vent clogging" issue that has been mentioned in some of the other posts by the one touch cleaning system every couple hrs...
good luck with the new acquisition... i like the blue

correction: it should say "by USING the one touch cleaning system every couple hrs"..

sorry, always do that for some reason

I love the idea! I think Don got his inspiration from Jim Bloomfield, a member of this board, when he did his several years ago. I've been wanting to do this ever since but can't find a decent priced 18.5" Platinum..

Bill

So you're the guy looking for the 18" OTP. I always wondered if it was someone from the forums. Did you get a good deal on it? The grill looks like it's in great condition.

Good Luck and keep the pics coming.

Thanks, Evan. I like the blue too. It may look a little funky with a black WSM on top – screw it – I like funky. Shoot, who knows I might put blue handles on it to tie the whole look together.

It appears you're right, Bill. Thank you Jim Bloomfield, and to <Steve K> who it seems, was kicking around the idea a couple years prior to that. Each of these gentlemen are creative thinkers in my book.

And yes Branon, that listing was mine. My "Items Wanted" ad expired when I wasn't paying attention. When I did notice, I replaced it. Ironically, Will (from St. Peters) spied my listing while reviewing his own ad. He admitted he hadn't really used the Weber much and always kept it covered. Did I get a good deal? I paid $100. More than some have claimed to have shelled out, but as you said, it is in great shape. Like me, Will also owns a New Braunfels smoker, so we visited and chatted for quite some time about barbecue, as well as, the Model A he is restoring. Nice guy.

Mods have begun slowly. The first thing I noticed was that the (side lid holder) mounting hardware refused to allow the WSM center ring to seat completely into the bowl. A little drilling, tapping, and hardware switcheroo-ness has allowed me to retain the use of the side lid holder for those times when I'll be using the OTP as a grill. I've also replaced the center ring hardware with stainless steel, and purchased a stainless top grate.

Stll ahead:
A couple SJP vents (ala Don Marco) on hand to boost air intake. My plan is to start by adding one and then evaluate the airflow.
Guru eyelets (2)
I'm still evaluating my need for handles, but there are a few options.
Sand is definitely going into the foiled Weber water pan.
I've purchased a 2.5" stem thermometer for monitoring the chamber, probably mounted midway between the cooking grates.
I like my digital Pyrex for watching meat temps. And I dig scott zanders thermo holder, so I'm using his idea to inspire my own twist.

As I said before there are a lot of great ideas on this forum, and I appreciate each and every one of them. There's no way any one person could come up with all this stuff. Pics will trickle in occasionally. But, with my Bandera ever ready to smoke, I've the luxury of time to accomplish the mods I deem useful. That, and there's always plenty of other tasks that I've been putting off until tomorrow.

Any updates or pics of this projest?

Coming soon. I'll be cooking two briskets and a shoulder this weekend for my employer's open house... likely on the Bandera. With temperatures dropping, I've put off my "Marco" mods in favor of completing other, more time-sensitive outdoor projects. Saturday's favorable forecast, however, may find me pulling out the Weber, toolbox and camera while the scent of hickory fills the autumn air.

Thanks for asking.