Can this be repaired?

[Joel Z]

Found this damage poorly repaired under all the dirt and grime. Otherwise lid is pretty good. Can this be repaired cost effectively or is it time to move on from this one?? I have another red one but I hate to give up on this one unless it's going to stick out like a sore thumb! Thanks!

 

[Jeff MA]

Joel,
I wouldn't give up on it. While the porcelain is chipped I bet with a little work it could be more than presentable.

I would begin by leveling the area with either Quik Steel or JB Weld and then lightly sanding the area and finishing it up with some red high temp VHT or Thurmalox paint. It will never be totally perfect but then, what is?
Jeff

 

[Bruce]

You can put some high temp red paint and top it off with some clear coat high temp, but it will only be temporary and won't match up all that well. The lid is certainly still useable like that, but if it bugs you, move on. I personally wouldn't monkey around with that lid.

 

[Jon Tofte]

I am with Jeff on that one. If the chip was in the front bend, I might be less inclined. But since it is in the back and not as visible, I think it is worth trying the method Jeff suggests. I plan to use it on a horribly disfigured, but very rare old 26" red kettle. Look at some red caliper paints. There is one, I can't remember at the moment, that is pretty close to Weber red. I like Bruce's idea of then clear coating on top of that. You just want to tape and gently buff out edges so that there is almost no over-spray on the good porcelain. Use JB's Ultra High Heat.

It will take a little work to do all those steps, but I think when you are done, you will be happy enough with the results to make it a "keeper."

This is a red kettle with an ugly scar that I repaired WITHOUT doing all the steps above. Not a nearly good as I believe is possible if you go the whole nine yards, but even so definitely an improvement in my view:

 

[Bruce]

I guess with 4 or 5 red lids in the back yard, I look at them as more disposable than some do.

 

[Richard in NS]

Yes Bruce, red lids for 1000-3000 are like hens teeth up here.

Joel, I think I would try to repair it since it is in an inconspicuous spot as others have said.

 

[Joel Z]

Thanks for the tips.. it's great to have someone like you guys to bounce this stuff off of. For 20 bucks I'll try a repair,, I just can't see pitching this lid as they won't be around for ever..

 

[Chris Allingham]

Here’s a link to a lid repair a guy did on a WSM. Might give you some inspiration.

Porcelain Repair - The Virtual Weber Bullet

How to repair a dent in the porcelain finish of a Weber Smokey Mountain Cooker. Supplies needed include JB Weld epoxy putty, sand papers, and spray paint.

www.virtualweberbullet.com

There are a lot of Weber fans who view these dings as battle scars, as part of a grill’s life story. This one’s not on the front of the lid and it doesn’t affect performance. If you’re flipping this grill, I’d put a band-aid over it as a joke but stress to the buyer the actual or potential rarity of these grills, especially red!

 

[LMichaels]

You can use a bit of red paint. I have done it on a lid I dropped. I found the best match is International Harvester red paint (the color in high temp). It's what it's called. Got it at Farm and Fleet. I doesn't last though. You will need to to touch it up every few cooks. But, until you can get a new lid it works

 

[Jon Tofte]

Here’s a link to a lid repair a guy did on a WSM. Might give you some inspiration.

Porcelain Repair - The Virtual Weber Bullet

How to repair a dent in the porcelain finish of a Weber Smokey Mountain Cooker. Supplies needed include JB Weld epoxy putty, sand papers, and spray paint.

www.virtualweberbullet.com

There are a lot of Weber fans who view these dings as battle scars, as part of a grill’s life story. This one’s not on the front of the lid and it doesn’t affect performance. If you’re flipping this grill, I’d put a band-aid over it as a joke but stress to the buyer the actual or potential rarity of these grills, especially red!

I have definitely noted that the big majority of kettle fans. including our friends at the Weber Kettle Club, are against any kind of repaint and instead advocate keeping a chip mark well oiled. I can see this viewpoint, but having been active on the gas grill section of this board - where I have learned most of what I do about grill restoration - I am more in the camp of trying to make a tired old grill look as nice as possible. That doesn't mean ignoring its age and history, but I still think there is merit in making an old grill look closer to new.

 

[Joel Z]

Attempting to repair.. applied quick steel. Going to wait until tomorrow to sand down.

 

[Joel Z]

I broke one of the push nuts removing the emblam. What do you use to reinstall??

 

[Pat-SoCal]

I broke one of the push nuts removing the emblam. What do you use to reinstall??

Search for 'tinnerman nuts'.

 

[Timothy F. Lewis]

Tinnerman nuts! Never knew that one, I have one of those sideways electrical plug/switch plates and I never remember what the silly thing is called! Thank god, I have only needed to replace it once!

 

[Bruce]

I use red high temp Red RTV to put them back on.

 

[LMichaels]

Yeah just use high temp RTV. It works GREAT and the next time you want to remove it simply slide a plastic putty knife under the emblem. Re, repairing that lid, forget it. Once the porcelain is "broken" like that there is nothing you can do for it except find a donor lid. I had the same thing happen to my treasured original red head. I was cleaning it and it was slippery with cleaner. Slipped from my fingers and fell backward on the garage floor. Shards of porcelain all over the place. I used some high temp gloss red but was redeemed when neighbors set their red head on fire so bad it totally burned the fire box, spread to the deck and fire dept had to be called. Thankfully the red head was only "scorched". Judicious cleaning and the donor one looked like brand new. The chipped one went in the garbage