q's and plastic

was cookin up some brats the other day. as usual, my brain is always on overdrive. so i look at the bolt holding the lower housing to the plastic cradle. i wonder how hot it is so i touch the bolt and of course i burn my finger. then i think "wow, that is sooo hot there". then i realize that is where the plastic meets the housing. so i touch the plastic and yep, burn myself again. now i have some experiance with heat vs plastic. no good results with that. so i'm wondering how long it will take before we read/hear about the plastic craddle cracking or breaking.

Some plastics can withstand high temperatures. I am willing to bet that the Americans that designed the Q grills thought it through properly. Some folks here have put a lot of cycles through theirs without any issues.

i hope so. the auto industry uses a lot of plastic and have had issues with a lot less temp. warpage for sure but also complete breakdown of the plastic. considering how long these last i'm sure there will be some issues in the future.

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by george curtis:
was cookin up some brats the other day. as usual, my brain is always on overdrive. so i look at the bolt holding the lower housing to the plastic cradle. i wonder how hot it is so i touch the bolt and of course i burn my finger. then i think "wow, that is sooo hot there". then i realize that is where the plastic meets the housing. so i touch the plastic and yep, burn myself again. now i have some experiance with heat vs plastic. no good results with that. so i'm wondering how long it will take before we read/hear about the plastic craddle cracking or breaking. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

The plastic on my Q has melted and the screws are no longer centered in the hole. Never thought of it until your post.
I am going to see if the machine shop at my old trade school will make me some aluminum replacements... I will post pics if I get them made.

got pics ?? no warranty ?

When I cleaned up my Q, I removed the bottom clam shell from the frame. I almost didn't notice the little spacers that separate the mounting lugs on the shell from the plastic frame. They reduce thermal conduction to the bolt itself. The bolt will conduct heat, of course, but a lot less than direct contact with the bottom shell. If you ever disassemble your cooker that far, be sure you do not overlook the spacers like I almost did.

My Q is over five years old and used four or five times per week. Recently I cleaned it up to give it to my daughter and I didn't see any melted plastic on this old warrior.

This is the original Q. I purchased it when it first came out. These 2 are the worst.

well, that sure answeres my question ! i'd bug weber for new parts !