WSM Door

I've seen a lot of messages here regarding the doors on the Weber Smokey Mountain. I have also seen 3rd parties selling a replacement door. I purchased my WSM about 3 weeks ago and smoked with it twice now. Before the 2nd smoke we sort of lightly re-shaped our door a little bit to make it fit a liitle better.

My question is:

Could you tell us the design intent behind the door? (i.e exactly how it should fit, why the light material, air tightness or lack thereof, etc)

THANKS!!!

Hi Carl... This is Mike who actually designed the 22".. The 18" had an established design. When we went with the 22, the necessary process for designing a compound radius and for engaging on a curved surface, well.. you need to have a master model maker design the die for it. You can't use Solidworks to predict how it will engage and form to a curve (the body of the smoker). Yet they insisted, "well we'll just scale up the 18" door." They didn't listen and that's what you got. I don't know if they ever pursued having a master model maker do the work, but when I left, that's where they left it. I guess they felt they knew better.

Happy cooking,
Mike

oooh.. sorry chris.. were we supposed to wait for Kevin?

Carl,
I agree with some of the concerns you have with the door of the 22.5 inch Smokey. I wish I could agree with Mike, I am sure there is some validity behind what he is saying. That being said I am not an engineer or draftsman so I cannot confirm or deny what he has written. I will check on it and if I find anything out I will let you know.

Kk

Kevin Kolman said:

Carl,
I agree with some of the concerns you have with the door of the 22.5 inch Smokey. I wish I could agree with Mike, I am sure there is some validity behind what he is saying. That being said I am not an engineer or draftsman so I cannot confirm or deny what he has written. I will check on it and if I find anything out I will let you know.

Kk

Click to expand...

Thank you sir.