Painting control knobs isn’t a perfect fix...


 
Jon Tofte

Jon Tofte

TVWBB 1-Star Olympian
I have mentioned how happy I have been with the results of painting a light gray plastic knob black with Krylon Fusion. And it does work very well. Since I could not find a side-burner knob in black for my Skyline project, I really had no other option.

I haven’t even used the side burner, but I just noticed that the paint has come off the edge where the cover has been rubbing the knob when the wind blows:

4szkty.jpg


I am not sorry I painted this knob, but I have to admit that this shows that it is not likely you could keep a knob painted a very different color from showing through when subjected to serious cleaning.
 
I did my knobs on the 1000 when I first did it over been what a year and a half. I will get a picture but they still look as good as the day I painted them. Was not a black color and I used the Rusto Painters Touch paint which can be used on plastic. My cover does not rub the knobs so maybe that is why I don't have an issue. Did you clear coat those?
 
Brian B Atlanta said:
I did my knobs on the 1000 when I first did it over been what a year and a half. I will get a picture but they still look as good as the day I painted them. Was not a black color and I used the Rusto Painters Touch paint which can be used on plastic. My cover does not rub the knobs so maybe that is why I don't have an issue. Did you clear coat those?
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No, I did not think of clear-coating. I am not saying that paint is no good, but going from light gray to black is pretty hard. If you are just repainting old black or painting gray knobs gray again, a tiny scratch would not be noticed.
 
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Can one actually use one of the main burner knobs and cut off the stem to use it on the side burner?
 
I had a similar issue with a 3 gang toggle light switch which was only available in ivory while all our kitchen switches are black. While not spray, I ended up going with old fashioned Testor model paint. Took longer to dry, but has stood up intact for 10 years for a switch used daily. I used high gloss black, but they also have a flat black. You would have to hit a hobby store to find it or online.
 
Jon Tofte said:
No, I did not think of clear-coating. I am not saying that paint is no good, but going from light gray to black is pretty hard. If you are just repainting old black or painting gray knobs gray again, a tiny scratch would not be noticed.
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Jon, what I would do is rub them down with some 600 wet dry then respray them I have gone to the rusto for plastic and other stuff since the clear is their product also. A few coats of clear but let them set before the clear maybe 8 days to be safe.

Those knobs look like the have a grit on them unlike the 1000 knobs which are smooth but I don't think a 600 grit wet dry and make sure you keep dipping that paper in water would damage them. On the wheels in my Silver C that I did I bit the bullet and sprayed them with 2 coats of clear came out great and should be easy to clean down the road.

By the way I really don't think going from grey to black should be an issue if you used 3 coats actually going from black to grey would be harder but 3 coats should not make that an issue either.

On the Silver C those boring end caps which no matter how you try to clean them and I tried every method on the board still have stains meaning not the entire cap just blotches if you know what I mean. The tables will not be sprayed but the end caps will be with the Rusto Satin Stone Grey 3 coats then 2 coats of clear.
 
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In case this has not been posted yet, I found the part numbers for the black knobs.

87680 - Regular Control Knob
https://www.ereplacementparts.com/control-knob-p-1477037.html

87679 - Rocker switch for the igniter
https://www.ereplacementparts.com/rocker-switchbracket-assembly-p-1477039.html

87681 - Control Knob for side burner.
https://www.ereplacementparts.com/control-knob-black-p-1475634.html

According to ereplacementparts all three items are still available. However the knob for the side burner is special order and takes a little longer to deliver. For the whole set with 3 main knobs I calculated $38 including shipping.
Of course for that money one might find a whole grill with knobs. But the black ones seem to be very rare.
 
They are very rare. I think they were only used for one year on only a couple models of their grills.

You might want to forward those links to Jason so he can consider adding them to the WEBER PARTS LIST sticky.
 
The side burner one is very rare. I don't remember where I got it from, but I knew it was going to be gray. I didn't think you could even get a black one, and the delay mentioned makes me wonder a little if they won't come back and say "Sorry, no longer available."
 
I've had a few issues with ereplacementparts.com (aka "E"). I figure all they are doing (at least re my parts order) is ordering them from Weber then marking up the price, repackaging and sending them on to me. When I made the order for 4 of these OEM black knobs I received 4 knobs all right, but 2 did not match the other 2. hilarious. Returned all 4, refunded. Then I ordered a few black rocker/switch assemblies for my Skylines, as they indeed showed a few in stock. After 2 weeks (!) I was getting impatient, so I called their CS and agent let slip that they haven't received the materials from the OEM, and that now, the part(s) are no longer available. I cancelled the order, again got refund. Next day I called Weber CS, had a lovely agent, they were in stock, and they shipped the switches next day (she also gave me a discount). Point is I've had more than a few times when E's web site says "in stock" but it clearly ain't. Just sayin not hatin.
 
The problem I ran into with Weber some time ago was that they would not want to sell me parts which did not come with my model of a grill although it was an option they had offered on similar models. And I am not talking about safety stuff such as gas conversion. I just wanted to add a right side flip up table to my 2005 Silver B when you could still buy these tables. But they said they could not sell me one since my grill did not have one originally. Maybe I got the wrong person on the phone back then.
 
I have heard of Weber reps restricting purchases like that and experienced a couple that were difficult.

I have also had online sites cancel orders even though they show in stock. On the other hand, I have made some very good purchases from online sites, and like some others have sometimes had extra nice Weber reps. Timing - and tools - are everything;)!
 
I explained what I think is the issue as it was explained to me by a Weber CS agent once.

Like you, I wanted some hood hinge pins. He asked for what grill? I told him it was for a Genesis 1000. He told me I needed to have the grill registered so they could confirm the serial number and model to ensure I got the right part. I told him just pick any Genny 1000 and send me the pins for it. He said he could not and his explanation was that they used to do that, but too many customers were ordering parts and when they got them, they were finding out it was the wrong part. Then they would call up and blame the CS agent and demand a refund. Weber wound up eating too many incorrect orders or risk alienating loyal customers so they made sure the grill in question was registered so there would be no question what exact part was needed. I finally said just send me a pair of pins and I PROMISE that if they don't fit, I won't even bother trying to return them and he let me order them.

That was when I was first starting to rehab grills and didn't have any that I could register. The one in question didn't even have a readable serial/model number tag.
 
Oh, now there is an idea. If it doesn't work, it just peels right off. I actually have a can of black.
 
It is a spray on product that doesn't harden like paint. It can litteraly be peeled off any time. It is used a lot in the automotive world. Entire cars have been "dipped" and then completely restored by peeling it off.

I have used it on my truck to change the color of the Chevy emblems.

https://www.silveradosierra.com/exterior/a-guide-to-plastidip-t408410.html

Here is a video of them pulling the plastidip off of a car that was completely painted in plastidip.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0r7xvBSqhOE
 
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I bought a set of black knobs for a 3 burner Spirit. If they fit, I'll only need to paint or dip the ignitor switch and surround, unless someone has a black one they would like to part with.
 
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