Advice on un-denting a Kettle lid?


 
C

ChadVKealey

TVWBB Pro
The lid of my 22" OTG was dropped or fell on the lid handle at some point by the previous owner, so there's a good sized dent in the center of the lid around the handle. I thought about taking it to an auto body shop and having someone experienced in dent removal bang it out, but I'm not opposed to trying it myself if I can find a good how-to on the process. Like, what tools to use, how to repaint, etc. Any tips or advice (even if it's "take it to a shop") would be appreciated.

 
Call Weber, they may send you a new one. Try popping it out from the inside but it may crack the porcelain. Rubber mallet.
 
My old one looked similar. I used a 2x4 and stuck it under the handle and was able to pop/pry it up. Try it from one side and then from the other, I was able to brace it with my knee, but you could clamp it down to a heavy workbench if you have one.

Tim
 
I had an aluminum patio cover fall on my old Weber kettle and found a leg that had "infiltrated" the bottom bowl of my old 22" kettle. I took a piece of wood (either a 2"x2" or 2"x4") and placed it against the bowl where the dent was. I took it easy on the bowl, but I got it back into shape with no damage to the porcelain. Don't be in a hurry and you'll be happy with the results!
 
If your wood blocks and mallet are not to your satisfaction, watch for a donor kettle from the curb or a cheapo on CL.
 
Good advice on looking for a donor on CL. It might take you a couple offers but you can eventually get one $20 or maybe free.
 
So, I finally had the time and inclination to tackle this today. I put the lid, top-down, on a large plastic trash can, got a short chunk of 2x4 and a hammer and got to work. About a dozen good and careful whacks got the dents pretty well out, but I had to persuade the handle back to a vertical orientation. Obviously, not a perfect fix, but it got the lid back to a more or less normal shape. The only time the dent was ever an issue was on Thanksgiving; I had to rearrange the turkey a bit to make things fit.
 
It appears that the area around your handle is rusted and getting weaker. I had the same issue on an old Weber grill and the handle would bend easily. Solved it by drilling holes in the handle tabs that were welded to the lid and putting stainless steel bolts through. On the inside of the grill I installed the biggest stainless steel washers I could find along with stainless steel nuts. Made the handle a lot more firm and the flex in the lid went away because the handle was secured by the giant washers rather than only the old metal.
 
JamieLamb said:
It appears that the area around your handle is rusted and getting weaker. I had the same issue on an old Weber grill and the handle would bend easily. Solved it by drilling holes in the handle tabs that were welded to the lid and putting stainless steel bolts through. On the inside of the grill I installed the biggest stainless steel washers I could find along with stainless steel nuts. Made the handle a lot more firm and the flex in the lid went away because the handle was secured by the giant washers rather than only the old metal.
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Seems like sound advice. The handle mounts don't flex too easily, so I think I'll just let it go for now. I'm keeping my eyes on CL for a cheap performer, after which I'll either hand this down to my nephew or put it on the curb. I only paid $40 for it, so...
 
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