DrewZ
TVWBB Fan
“Aside from the length of the burners (and having a superfluous middle burner) would the natural gas burner/manifold work in the Junior? A rough eyeballing says everything lines up right.”
--Me, June 3, 2020
This is a recap / postscript of my experience with adding a third burner to a Genesis Jr.
Click here for the Original In-Progress Thread
Click Here for the Google Album of Pics
I’ve always been intrigued by the Junior -- particularly in red. There’s just something about their quirkily-odd proportions that I find endearing. I found one in late May on FB Marketplace and bookmarked it. I didn’t jump immediately because: 1) it was in Queens; 2) it looked a bit rough; and 3) I had never taken on a gasser project before. Several days later, the ad was still up, so I contacted the seller and eventually made the trip to pick it up. I was happy to see that the worst parts were shown in the ad photos. It was actually nicer in person. That said, it was missing the slide table and almost all of the wood slats. It also had some bad rust on the lower parts of the frame. We settled on $40. I disassembled it in the seller’s driveway and loaded it into my wife’s CX-5 . . .
. . . and continued back to NJ to pick up a Redhead NG 3000 for $35. I think I mostly picked it up for the wood, but I’m not really sure what I was thinking. It turned out to be a smart (more like lucky) pickup as I was able to sell off the lid and some other bits to make back the purchase price. I ended up using a good amount of the 3000’s frame for the project (left leg assembly, lower cross bars, control panel support . . .)
Partway through the project, I realized I still needed some things (slide table hardware, more wood, etc.) and began looking for another donor grill. I ended up with a free 1000 with what turned out to be black durawood. The durawood, slide table hardware and propane manifold went into the Junior and the remaining fully-functional (now natural gas) carcass was flipped the next day.
Eventually, I committed to adding the contemplated third burner to the Junior.
It’s been a couple of weeks since I watched all three burners light for the first time. In that time, I’ve cooked on it about a half a dozen times (London Broil, Sliders, Grilled Vegetables, Boneless Chicken Breast, Pizza, Rotisserie Game Hens).
90% of my cooks were Charcoal before the Junior; the remaining 10% were on my S-320 (NG). I still prefer charcoal, but the 3-burner Junior heats considerably faster than the S-320 and gets wicked hot. Plus I can wheel it into the shady part of my yard instead of being tethered to the house’s natural gas line. Even after the novelty factor wears off, I can see myself using the 3-burner Junior more than the S-320. I’m not sure that would be the case with a “regular” Junior.
Here’s my overall project summation along with some random thoughts.
Why did I ruin a perfectly good Junior firebox? This particular Junior was never going to be a complete, numbers-matching, historically-correct, concours-quality museum piece. Once I realized that, the decision to cut the box was a no-brainer.
Grills involved (6): 3 Gassers: Junior
, Redhead 3000 (frame pieces, control panel); Target Grey 1000 (Durawood, slide table hardware, 3-burner manifold); 3 Charcoal: One Touch Platinum (wheels); Gen 1 Performer (casters); New Blue Performer Bowl (thermometer).
Tools used (10): Angle Grinder (Flap disc, cutoff wheel, grinding wheel); Power Drill (wire brushes, spade bit, step bit); Orbital Sander; 7/16" wrenches/sockets; Screwdrivers; Pliers; Crescent Wrenches; 3lb Hammer; C Clamp; Cordless Impact Driver. MVT (Most Valuable Tool): Angle Grinder. I found myself calling it the “Omnipotence Machine.”
"Shop supplies": Rustoleum 2000 degree flat black (2 cans--firebox and lid sides); Rustoleum 2x gloss black (2 cans--frame); Red Caliper paint (unnecessary flourishes--emblem, lid bolts); POR-15; Member's Mark Grill Cleaner; Goo Gone Grill Cleaner; Purple power degreaser; Brake Cleaner; Evapo Rust. MVSS (Most Valuable Shop Supply): Members Mark Grill Cleaner--cheap and effective.
Best bit of luck:
Having a redhead donor grill sold out from under me . . . and on the same day finding the freebie Target 1000 with black durawood. Saved an imperial f*ck-ton of time by not having to cut and finish wood slats. Just cleaned them up and treated them with Armor-All. Honorable Mention 1: Finding a brand new control panel locally for $25. By the time the rest of the grill had been cleaned and/or painted, the faded 3000 control panel looked so very out of place. Honorable Mention 2: Having the Genesis Junior still be available as I wavered for days on whether to get it.
Worst bit of luck: None. Yet.
Happiest surprise: How easy it was to add the third burner hole to the firebox. Honorable mention: How easy it was to disassemble everything to get three different gassers home (including fitting two at one time into a Mazda CX-5).
Worst surprise: I forgot how long painting takes. By that I mean, disassembling, assessing, treating rust, light sanding, cleaning, drying, taping, hanging, actual PAINTING, drying, curing, cleaning up.
What would I do differently?
Nothing. Well, maybe I'd paint the sides with High Heat Ultra for a blacker, more satiny finish . . . or modify the stock control panel to accommodate the third burner knob so that the right side could accommodate a side burner . . . or . . . OK, maybe not nothing.
What would I do differently if I had more space?
I would have kept everything from the two donor grills to have on hand in case another gasser catches my eye. Having a BrucePile™ (or at least a BrucePile Jr.™) saves exponentially on time, cash and frustration.
Will I do this again?
Probably not. I did it because I've had an illogical and unhealthy crush on Juniors. That said, I still find myself looking at ads for older gassers, so you never know. My next project might just be my long-time S-320. Weber just sent me a free brand new lid under warranty, so it might be time to bring the rest of it closer to the condition of the lid. Looks like someone might have already started tinkering . . .
--Me, June 3, 2020
This is a recap / postscript of my experience with adding a third burner to a Genesis Jr.
Click here for the Original In-Progress Thread
Click Here for the Google Album of Pics
I’ve always been intrigued by the Junior -- particularly in red. There’s just something about their quirkily-odd proportions that I find endearing. I found one in late May on FB Marketplace and bookmarked it. I didn’t jump immediately because: 1) it was in Queens; 2) it looked a bit rough; and 3) I had never taken on a gasser project before. Several days later, the ad was still up, so I contacted the seller and eventually made the trip to pick it up. I was happy to see that the worst parts were shown in the ad photos. It was actually nicer in person. That said, it was missing the slide table and almost all of the wood slats. It also had some bad rust on the lower parts of the frame. We settled on $40. I disassembled it in the seller’s driveway and loaded it into my wife’s CX-5 . . .
. . . and continued back to NJ to pick up a Redhead NG 3000 for $35. I think I mostly picked it up for the wood, but I’m not really sure what I was thinking. It turned out to be a smart (more like lucky) pickup as I was able to sell off the lid and some other bits to make back the purchase price. I ended up using a good amount of the 3000’s frame for the project (left leg assembly, lower cross bars, control panel support . . .)
Partway through the project, I realized I still needed some things (slide table hardware, more wood, etc.) and began looking for another donor grill. I ended up with a free 1000 with what turned out to be black durawood. The durawood, slide table hardware and propane manifold went into the Junior and the remaining fully-functional (now natural gas) carcass was flipped the next day.
Eventually, I committed to adding the contemplated third burner to the Junior.
It’s been a couple of weeks since I watched all three burners light for the first time. In that time, I’ve cooked on it about a half a dozen times (London Broil, Sliders, Grilled Vegetables, Boneless Chicken Breast, Pizza, Rotisserie Game Hens).
90% of my cooks were Charcoal before the Junior; the remaining 10% were on my S-320 (NG). I still prefer charcoal, but the 3-burner Junior heats considerably faster than the S-320 and gets wicked hot. Plus I can wheel it into the shady part of my yard instead of being tethered to the house’s natural gas line. Even after the novelty factor wears off, I can see myself using the 3-burner Junior more than the S-320. I’m not sure that would be the case with a “regular” Junior.
Here’s my overall project summation along with some random thoughts.
Why did I ruin a perfectly good Junior firebox? This particular Junior was never going to be a complete, numbers-matching, historically-correct, concours-quality museum piece. Once I realized that, the decision to cut the box was a no-brainer.
Grills involved (6): 3 Gassers: Junior
, Redhead 3000 (frame pieces, control panel); Target Grey 1000 (Durawood, slide table hardware, 3-burner manifold); 3 Charcoal: One Touch Platinum (wheels); Gen 1 Performer (casters); New Blue Performer Bowl (thermometer).Tools used (10): Angle Grinder (Flap disc, cutoff wheel, grinding wheel); Power Drill (wire brushes, spade bit, step bit); Orbital Sander; 7/16" wrenches/sockets; Screwdrivers; Pliers; Crescent Wrenches; 3lb Hammer; C Clamp; Cordless Impact Driver. MVT (Most Valuable Tool): Angle Grinder. I found myself calling it the “Omnipotence Machine.”
"Shop supplies": Rustoleum 2000 degree flat black (2 cans--firebox and lid sides); Rustoleum 2x gloss black (2 cans--frame); Red Caliper paint (unnecessary flourishes--emblem, lid bolts); POR-15; Member's Mark Grill Cleaner; Goo Gone Grill Cleaner; Purple power degreaser; Brake Cleaner; Evapo Rust. MVSS (Most Valuable Shop Supply): Members Mark Grill Cleaner--cheap and effective.
Best bit of luck:
Having a redhead donor grill sold out from under me . . . and on the same day finding the freebie Target 1000 with black durawood. Saved an imperial f*ck-ton of time by not having to cut and finish wood slats. Just cleaned them up and treated them with Armor-All. Honorable Mention 1: Finding a brand new control panel locally for $25. By the time the rest of the grill had been cleaned and/or painted, the faded 3000 control panel looked so very out of place. Honorable Mention 2: Having the Genesis Junior still be available as I wavered for days on whether to get it.
Worst bit of luck: None. Yet.
Happiest surprise: How easy it was to add the third burner hole to the firebox. Honorable mention: How easy it was to disassemble everything to get three different gassers home (including fitting two at one time into a Mazda CX-5).
Worst surprise: I forgot how long painting takes. By that I mean, disassembling, assessing, treating rust, light sanding, cleaning, drying, taping, hanging, actual PAINTING, drying, curing, cleaning up.
What would I do differently?
Nothing. Well, maybe I'd paint the sides with High Heat Ultra for a blacker, more satiny finish . . . or modify the stock control panel to accommodate the third burner knob so that the right side could accommodate a side burner . . . or . . . OK, maybe not nothing.
What would I do differently if I had more space?
I would have kept everything from the two donor grills to have on hand in case another gasser catches my eye. Having a BrucePile™ (or at least a BrucePile Jr.™) saves exponentially on time, cash and frustration.
Will I do this again?
Probably not. I did it because I've had an illogical and unhealthy crush on Juniors. That said, I still find myself looking at ads for older gassers, so you never know. My next project might just be my long-time S-320. Weber just sent me a free brand new lid under warranty, so it might be time to bring the rest of it closer to the condition of the lid. Looks like someone might have already started tinkering . . .
get to move into our new (to us) house in Indiana. I have a Jr. project - thanks to the generosity of Bruce above - that I can't wait to get started on... a "brunette" which is still a favorite of mine. It also has the old wide wood slats that I am hoping to restore. Of course, those can be replaced if needed. It will be fun to contrast our grills if - no WHEN - I get mine finished. I think it will show some of the range of possibilities these old grills have.