Damper Tabs HOT...


 

Pete G.

New member
When I adjust the dampers sometimes those tabs or handles are hot!

Has anyone ever heard of any mod's for those? I was thinking of 'painting' on liquid plastic to resolve. Crazy??
 
3 possible solutions

1 Use a stick :)

2 Use your foot - with shoe on ;)

3 Use an ovenproof glove :rolleyes:
 
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I never grasp, just a quick tap of the finger on the edge and no burns.

I've always got a pair of tongs laying around, and those work, too.

Regards,
Chris
 
Pitminder or DigiQ II

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MikeZ
 
All purpose bbq tool (aka dandelion weeder):
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Use it for moving charcoal around, adjusting vents, and scraping gunk off the cooking grates.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Pete G.:
I was thinking of 'painting' on liquid plastic to resolve. Crazy?? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Then you would have to clean that up once it melted off the tabs. Those tabs are right up against the lit charcoal, and as you have found out they get hot. I use my hands but like Chris does, I don't grab them or want them to spend anytime at all against my skin. Tap them with your finger or as said, tongs work well also to move them. If you get yourself a good pair of welding gloves then you can hold onto them for quite awhile if you so desire.
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Thick leather welding gloves are really worth the $15.00 you would pay for them at True Value, Lowe's, or Home Depot.
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alright you babies. I not only have to close the hot vents with my fingers but I have to stick my finger in the hole real fast to see how far it is closed. No shoes, no sticks, no tongs. Now if you want you can stand on your heads and use your teeth.
 
I was just talking with a smoking buddy about this earlier this morning. I've had my WSM a few years now and, yep... first time out I learned those tabs are hot!!!

He said the same thing happened to him when he got his. First time smoking... ouch!!!

I use my welders gloves or the tongs to tweak mine.

Seems like everyone figures this out pretty quick, those tabs get smokin hot. Also the knob on the access door gets pretty hot as well.

Welders gloves are our friends...
 
Another possible approach: drill a small hole through the tab. Thread a jumbo-size paper clip through the hole. Use the paper clip as a handle - it shouldn't be hot enough to burn you. If you want something that looks nicer, find a better looking substitute for the paper clip, like a zipper pull. One with a Weber logo would be ideal,
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but I doubt there is such a thing.
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I normally use my foot, but Larry, you are a genius! I must have the new fangled tool you call a dandelion weeder!
 
You could call Weber Customer Service and order part #98051 which is the molded lid damper handle included on the Weber Performer. I can't imagine that it would be too expensive unless you wanted one for every tab.
 
The damper tabs as supplied from Weber will not work on the WSM tabs without modification.
The vertical part of the damper handle has two small holes which firmly snap over the two dimples on the tab of a newer grill like a 18.5" or a 22.5". Older grills (like my old red MasterTouch) do not have the dimples, so the tab rattles around a bit. I've added the tabs on a couple of my other grills and they work fine, I guess I could take a punch and make my own dimples or just drill thru the tab & damper handle and insert a small nut and bolt. I just took a quick look last night, but the WSM tab looks shorter (and narrower)than a standard grill tab also it is bent at about a 45 angle vs the 90 on a grill.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by James Stewart:
You could call Weber Customer Service and order part #98051 which is the molded lid damper handle included on the Weber Performer. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Unfortunately, that part is out of stock at present. I know because I ordered one for my <span class="ev_code_RED">red</span> home-brew OTG
 

 

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