Fuel Door and other WSM Mods


 

Kenneth

New member
Hello,

Just want to share my list of "to-do" modifications. I wanted to get some opinions on fuel door modification. See below.

- Thermometer in lid (completed)
- Handles on barrel (completed)
- Handles on second grate (Work In Process)
- Double Brinkman water pan (WIP)
- Shorter screws on support straps for grates (completed)
- Add gasket to fuel door (WIP) (I thought of using tape but wanted a cleaner look)

Details for gasket are as follows;
Use Silicone Glue (Dow 736) to adhere a fiberglass cloth or silicone rubber gasket around edge of fuel door.
Items are from McMaster-Carr www.mcmaster.com
glue p/n 74515A34
cloth p/n 8813K11
silicone rubber p/n 1067A3

By gluing the gasket on I could conceivably still use the door (although not likely to ever be used).
OR
I could forgo the glue and rivet the door & cloth gasket in place. (I lift the barrel off to add charcoal, old habit)

I would prefer to use the cloth but think the rubber may be better suited.
The cloth is tightly woven.

Would there be any concerns about fiberglass strands floating around?

Comments?
 
Ken,welcome to the BEST how-to BBQ site on the web!
I am convinced that an ill-fitting door was the cause of my way hot temps for my first few Qs. No amount of bending as per the fix on "operating tips & mods" section here seemed to help.
icon_frown.gif

I finally fixed this by applying a few layers of silver hi-temp tape along each of the 3 edges to build up a gasket-like surface. This made a huge difference on controllable temps!
wsmsmile8gm.gif
 
Kenneth,

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content"> By gluing the gasket on I could conceivably still use the door (although not likely to ever be used).
OR
I could forgo the glue and rivet the door & cloth gasket in place. (I lift the barrel off to add charcoal, old habit) </div></BLOCKQUOTE>


I would miss my door if glued or riveted in place. I sometimes need the door to help get the temperatures up quick or leave it cracked for high temp cooks.

I thought you were riveting you door closed, but only riveting the gasket to the door.
 
Russell, I think what Sandee did was put the tape on that part of the bullet that the door pressed against, so that there was a better sealing surbface than metal on metal.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Russell Y:

I thought you were riveting you door closed, but only riveting the gasket to the door. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

to clarify the 2 options ...
gluing ($$)gasket onto door, this will keep the door functional.
or
rivet gasket and door ($ cheap).

the 2 reasons behind the madness were;
- controlled/improved airflow
- minimize leakage (smoke)

I have green Brinkman and it looks pretty nasty around door.
So with the arrival of my new WSM, I now have an opportunity to minimize the smoke damage and improve airflow.
 
I find that people often think that smoke leaking from the top of the door or between the lid and center section is somehow a tangible loss of resource. It's not. Consider that when you cook, the top vent is in nearly all cases wide open, smoke is constantly exiting from it, and still the meat acquires sufficient smoke flavor. I would urge anyone considering gasket materials for the door or any part of the WSM to revisit the troubleshooting section-- it only took me a minute or so to reshape my warped door. The most important points to watch are getting the vertical edges of the door straight, and then adjusting the curvature so that, when you go to latch the door, the left and right edges touch the body of the cooker first, and you have to apply a slight inward pressure to the knob to set the latch.

If you can close all vents on your WSM, top and bottom, and the fire extinguishes itself in 60-90 minutes, your cooker is sufficiently "sealed", for lack of a better word, against excessive uncontrolled air ingress, which is the only real problem a malformed door represents.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by SANDEE MCKINIVAN:
I finally fixed this by applying a few layers of silver hi-temp tape along each of the 3 edges to build up a gasket-like surface. This made a huge difference on controllable temps!
wsmsmile8gm.gif
</div></BLOCKQUOTE>

nice tip!
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Doug D:
If you can close all vents on your WSM, top and bottom, and the fire extinguishes itself in 60-90 minutes, your cooker is sufficiently "sealed", for lack of a better word, against excessive uncontrolled air ingress, which is the only real problem a malformed door represents. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Your points are well taken and duly noted.
Thanks
 
RICH, exactly correct. I guess I could have been clearer.
The door is not taped shut. I can still use the door, it just has a "gasket" around the 3 edges that requires a little push to close to compress the layers of tape.
 

 

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