I am Trying to Save a Red Head. (With Pictures)


 
Bill B said:
Not at all.
Your two cents is gladly accepted!

This is as clean as I can get it.
I blasted everything with a red (pencil) tip nozzle on my 3600 PSI gas pressure washer that could easily amputate a toe.
I also hit the back with a wire wheel which got most of it but was no fun.

The main thing I wanted was to remove the previous owner's crud and replace it with my own.

I think I'll quit, give it another long hot heat soak and concentrate on finishing the project.

Thanks,
-BB
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It sickens me that I can't remember who it was, but for quite some time, I ignored their advice and kept using my handy drill and a wire wheel to try and clean out the firebox. At some point, probably after slaving away for many more hours on a cookbox and making little headway, I said "**** it" and went to Harbor Freight and bought the $10-$15 4.5 inch angle grinder and a cup wire brush that this person had suggested.

It was Life changing. Fireboxes take less than an hour now and all the larger flat surfaces get taken to gleaming aluminum. The only thing left to figure out is what to use in corners and nooks/crannies.
 
Last edited:
I'm a slob. I just clean the fire box out pretty good.

It immediately gets re-coated, so I don't think it's such a big deal.

But again, I am a slob!
 
Thyde: I hear you there, but for those that are refurbishing the grills for resale, it makes a buyers eyes light up when they see that bare bright aluminum inside the cook box.
 
Almost Done.


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Bruce said:
I hear you dave. The angle grinder and wire cup brush are worth every penny X 10.
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Yep. I figured that the cheap HP angle grinder would die very quickly, but then figured WTH, I probably spend $15 on cleaners and solvents on each restore, so if I had to buy a new one each time, it would still be worth it. Lo and behold, I'm on my 7th one with the same grinder AND cup.



THyde said:
I'm a slob. I just clean the fire box out pretty good.

It immediately gets re-coated, so I don't think it's such a big deal.

But again, I am a slob!
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Bruce covered the resale angle. But even for personal, in my view, it kind of depends on the level of the restore. When someone goes to the trouble of taking the grill completely apart including disassembling the lid / side panels, cleans everything up and gives it all a few new coats of paint, replaces the grates and bars with nice shiny new steel from RC, why not go ahead and get the inside of the lower firebox clean as well >?

It's different if you are doing just a quick kind of touch up / refresh.
 
Yeah, and I have cleaned the lower firebox, but then you can't get it really really perfect what with the nooks and crannies, so ...
 
Then you done good. It isn't going to be a museum piece. Getting to gung ho is a waste of time IMO. Like washing your shirt just before you go out to clean out another grill....pretty much pointless.
 
I mean when I'm just cleaning the grates before putting food on, I stand to the side. It's been a habit for 30 years, after I realized that scrubbing grills right in front of them, you get soot all over your shirt!
 
I just wanted to check back and thank everyone for the help and comments
and add a few parting shots of my "new" Red Head.

Regards,

-Bill

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