2018 Spirit II Bad Weber Fade


 
I have tried on a black lidded Genesis. Again you can MASK the issue by putting a light oil on it and buffing, or furniture polish, etc. I even tried a power buffer. Makes it cleaner sure but the fade is the pigment. And no you cannot "sand glass" as that is what the lid is technically made of. Glass fused to steel. It's why the lid will literally "shatter". If you look VERY closely you can see the pigment particles. Other colors don't show it as much but I am sure the UV does a number on them as well. It is what it is. I am sure too the later grills being made in China are made with even far worse pigments.
 
Hello all....I am just seeing this thread. So from what I am reading there is still no tested method that will solve the dreaded Weber fade.....is that right?
 
The only thing I can think of that might work for black lid Weber fade is maybe black glass stain/tint. I haven't experimented yet but I might. As far as possible permanent fix.
 
I cant wait for someone to finally break the code on this. The vast majority of black hoods that I get these days all have the dreaded Weber fade :( It makes reselling a bit trickier for sure
 
I'm definitely not smarter than those that came before me but I'm stubborn as a mule and relentless like no other and not smart enough to know when to give up.
So I'm saying there's a chance
 
There is no way to "break a code" on that. It's the pigments buried in the glass, so there is no way to "'solve" it than to have the porcelain stripped off and reapplied
 
I tried some "porcelain restorer." It admittedly was meant for porcelain tile, but I decided to take one for the team and give it a shot. I used the aggressive buffing techniques in the instructions. TOTAL FIASCO! I am glad I was just experimenting on an old hood destined for the scrap heap and not something I cared about.

At this point, the only thing that I have seen that will make a TEMPORARY difference is to coat with spray on Pam and sort of wax it on. I have been trying some of the plastic restorers for black trim applied the same way and have had some success - with less slimy results than Pam gives. I would like to get some of that Cerakote trim restorer and see if it is even better. Nonetheless, these are all just coatings that will come off. If you are studious about polishing with one of these, you can keep your black grill close to black, but I think you would need to give full disclosure on a flip grill telling a buyer what you have done and that it won't last without being frequently recoated.
 
I was thinking of going the other way and getting creative. I have always thought that was just the primer showing through and that the cover was acting like sandpaper over the years in the wind. But I wonder if we purposely spin a cool pattern on the top of the hood....or figure a way to apply a cool logo cover or shield......but Larry mentioned you cant sand glass so I assume and orbital sander wouldnt do a thing? Assume...?
 
I was thinking of going the other way and getting creative. I have always thought that was just the primer showing through and that the cover was acting like sandpaper over the years in the wind. But I wonder if we purposely spin a cool pattern on the top of the hood....or figure a way to apply a cool logo cover or shield......but Larry mentioned you cant sand glass so I assume and orbital sander wouldnt do a thing? Assume...?
The damage is underneath the glass/porcelain. You could sand down to the damaged finish, but then what?
 
Not sure......and if sanding down loses its rust protection that wont help either. I am just picturing in my head being able to take an orbital sander and do like 4 symmetrical circles on top of the hood.....or something like that...A nice clean pattern that looks cool vs the buyer looking at the dreaded Weber fade. Or creating an overlay of some kind that you could literally screw right into the hood. I know it sounds crazy.....just spitballin here
 
I will just toss in this observation: I recently bought my first new Weber kettle in years. It is a crimson (now discontinued) that I got from BBQGuys.com on a "scratch and dent" sale. I like the color, but, man, when you compare the finish to that on my 40 year old red kettle, the difference is night and day. Even though 40 years old - and with a few chips and scratches that show its age - the finish on the red kettle is THICK, shiny, and smooth as glass. In comparison, the new crimson has an almost flat appearance, and the finish has little of the feel of porcelain. More like painted metal.

I wouldn't give my new crimson much chance of being around 40 years from now, but I think my red kettle could make it to 80 if kept clean and stored properly. A sad story of how it is true that some things just aren't made the way they used to be. Whether this crimson will fade faster, I don't know. A lot of black gas grills and kettles, with nice porcelain finishes still fade. But, the finish on my crimson doesn't inspire a lot of confidence.
My Slate Blue Performer is the same.
 

 

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