My first Smokey Joe and I have a question...


 
Joe Anshien

Joe Anshien

TVWBB Platinum Member
I just picked up my first Smokey Joe. It has the letter M, I am guessing a 1990. It is in very nice shape but has this metal piece I have no idea what it is for. Please check pictures. It is the metal part sticking out from underneath20220314_180516.jpg20220314_180520.jpgScreenshot_20220314-165426_Messenger.jpg by the legs. Any idea what it is? Thanks
 
Joe Anshien said:
I just picked up my first Smokey Joe. It has the letter M, I am guessing a 1990. It is in very nice shape but has this metal piece I have no idea what it is for. Please check pictures. It is the metal part sticking out from underneathView attachment 47171View attachment 47172View attachment 47173 by the legs. Any idea what it is? Thanks
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Joe, it is to hold the lid. It is mounted upside down so flip it over and swing the handle down to interlock with it. The lid can then slide down into it like on a master touch premium. I will try to find a pic of mine for you.
 
Richard in NS said:
Joe, it is to hold the lid. It is mounted upside down so flip it over and swing the handle down to interlock with it. The lid can then slide down into it like on a master touch premium. I will try to find a pic of mine for you.
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Thanks - I will try that tomorrow. It seems to be a nice grill for 32 years old.
 
Joe Anshien said:
Thanks - I will try that tomorrow. It seems to be a nice grill for 32 years old.
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The first pic shows the position of the lid bail position when clipped in the bracket and the second with the lid positioned in it. Sorry I don’t have one showing how it clips. I can try and dig it out and take a pic if you can’t figure it out from these. Just let me know.

CDB0421F-AEE5-49C5-A12B-189BEF974CD5.jpegF914B00D-513B-4633-BFA4-579114D0E08A.jpeg
 
Richard in NS said:
The first pic shows the position of the lid bail position when clipped in the bracket and the second with the lid positioned in it. Sorry I don’t have one showing how it clips. I can try and dig it out and take a pic if you can’t figure it out from these. Just let me know.

View attachment 47185View attachment 47186
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Thanks That is so clever! I think I will have to take mine apart and de-rust the bolts and put it together the correct way.
 
I am with George. I got SS bolts washers and wing nuts to use on all of mine. I stuck the rusted ends of the legs in my jug of Evaporust for a few days and they cleaned up quite nicely. Used a wire wheel in the drill on them first. The angle grinder was a bit too coarse for them.
 
Brett-EDH said:
IIRC, that’s a Smokey Joe Tuck-n-Carry. Looks like my first grill did back in college. Loved it! Wings and burgers. A college kid’s dream.
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Yeah Brett, they called it the Smokey Joe Gold for awhile too and now it is the Smokey Joe Premium. I guess renaming every few years gives it an extended life.
 
Joe Anshien said:
Got the lid bale working and now to find cool mods. Check this out.
In that one he links to another video showing the accessories in detail.
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Joe, I have made a Weber Mini Smokey mountain with one of mine and I think I can use the charcoal basket from it with a diffuser plate to make a setup like his. Thanks for posting that video.

Edit: I think it is too high so I might have to make a cut down version. You can at
least see how I made it. Bent the sides to the diameter of the charcoal grate and bolted them together. Cut the bottom to fit the grate as well and wired it to the sides. Got a scrap piece of expanded metal from the junkyard for a few bucks so it was not expensive.

156FA82D-3A8A-469B-A511-3A56AE03343B.jpeg9556B7CD-197D-443E-B31D-EF5C77EBC025.jpeg
 
Richard in NS said:
Joe, I have made a Weber Mini Smokey mountain with one of mine and I think I can use the charcoal basket from it with a diffuser plate to make a setup like his. Thanks for posting that video.

Edit: I think it is too high so I might have to make a cut down version. You can at
least see how I made it. Bent the sides to the diameter of the charcoal grate and bolted them together. Cut the bottom to fit the grate as well and wired it to the sides. Got a scrap piece of expanded metal from the junkyard for a few bucks so it was not expensive.

View attachment 47308View attachment 47311
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Genius. Nicely played.
 
Ed P said:
Pretty sure Joe is going to use this once and then flip it.
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You never know. I do like the design of the WGA better. I have it ready to "bug out" with gloves, coal, chimney, etc, all stuffed inside. I was thinking of using the SJ in the new house on the porch when I just want to cook up a few burgers, dogs, chops. I did read that the air flow on the "premium" with the side vents that I have is not as good and doesn't get as hot at the regular model with the dial vent in the bottom. I saw a video of a guy actually ad a vent to the bottom to get it hotter / stay lit better. I cleaned it up and will have to try it out one of these days. I figured for $12 it was hard to go wrong.
 
I have both and the Premium is not as hot as the regular. The lid bail hold it all together and the side vents make less mess when transporting. I bought mine specifically to make a SJ mini smoker so the lower temperatures of the side vent was a plus.
 
Joe Anshien said:
You never know. I do like the design of the WGA better. I have it ready to "bug out" with gloves, coal, chimney, etc, all stuffed inside. I was thinking of using the SJ in the new house on the porch when I just want to cook up a few burgers, dogs, chops. I did read that the air flow on the "premium" with the side vents that I have is not as good and doesn't get as hot at the regular model with the dial vent in the bottom. I saw a video of a guy actually ad a vent to the bottom to get it hotter / stay lit better. I cleaned it up and will have to try it out one of these days. I figured for $12 it was hard to go wrong.
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Unless you turn the SJ into a mini-smoker, I see a lot of overlap between the SJ and the WGA, and in my view the WGA packed up may just be the ultimate portable.
 
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