My "Weber" Restoration (Spoiler: HappyCooker)

[Timothy F. Lewis]

Hey, I just trying to see someone’s project get finished! Mine has been going since May! My nephew is doing the welding and his work schedule can be pretty erratic so, that throws time to the wind. AND, I seem to continue to think of little tweaks to make things more elegant

 

[Kalibos M.]

Hey, I just trying to see someone’s project get finished! Mine has been going since May! My nephew is doing the welding and his work schedule can be pretty erratic so, that throws time to the wind. AND, I seem to continue to think of little tweaks to make things more elegant

I feel ya! Once I get some suitable wheels and this front leg sorted I'll be in the final stretch. Then, I don't know what I'm going to do with this thing. I really want a Weber, so I'll probably see if I can't get a decent trade for it.

 

[Joe Anshien]

I feel ya! Once I get some suitable wheels and this front leg sorted I'll be in the final stretch. Then, I don't know what I'm going to do with this thing. I really want a Weber, so I'll probably see if I can't get a decent trade for it.

Bummer too much work for a trade or flip. If you were closer I would suggest bringing it to Tom Horseman (YouTube channel) to add to his "Land of Grills" as he has a lot of lost classics.

 

[Kalibos M.]

Bummer too much work for a trade or flip.

The work itself is reward enough for me. I'm enjoying doing it. I'm not a collector of grills and such, but I would really like a Master Touch. I figure this project could go a long ways towards that goal.

If you were closer I would suggest bringing it to Tom Horseman (YouTube channel) to add to his "Land of Grills" as he has a lot of lost classics.

I'll look up his channel, don't know if he'd be interested in something like this or not. I'm finding out that this grill is actually really rare, especially in the condition it's in, so who knows, right?

 

[Timothy F. Lewis]

If I were putting in the work to restore the thing, I would NOT give it to anybody! I will admit I gave my platypus to my nephew but, I had not done a full resto on it either. He needed a bigger grill, and he’s doing the welding on my build project.
You are going to have a pretty cool little piece of cookware in that thing! Use and enjoy it!!

 

[Kalibos M.]

The 3D Prints are out!



The prototype (grey) is fitted for 8 inch wheels. The carbon fiber print (black) is fitted for 6 inch wheels. Since I don't know which size wheel came with it originally I'm going to try out both. If the prototype fits and looks better I'll paint it and use that.

I was able to source a set of 8 inch wheels and 6 inch wheels on FB Marketplace for $5 for all four. Best part is they were literally a block away. The guy also has an old Master Touch he's willing to part with for $30 but it's in bad shape. It looks like it's been dragged. So, I'm just taking the wheels for now.

--- 500 hours later ---



Tried the 8 inch wheels, also tried a 3/8 inch rod and some rod clamps I got on Amazon to try to mount them. With the Prototype Leg it's got good cooking height, but it looks kinda goofy. Also didn't like the rod going all the way through, it made it look like a coat hanger.

The 6 inch wheels weren't too bad, but one of them was a little chewed up. I had ordered a set of non-Weber wheels on Amazon but they were so embarassingly badly made I sent them back without posting an update.



I found some 3/8 inch axle bolts I had for repairing my wife's Honda Lawnmower and decided to see how they worked... And BOY did they work. I really like how it looks.

Also cake:



My order from McMaster-Carr arrived and it had this little Olive Knob:



I fixed the rivet on the hood so now it doesn't just fall off anymore but it can still be removed for cleaning, and I manage to preserve the original rivet.



Here's the original grill. It has an enamel coating on it, but it's got some marring and chips. Don't think I've ever seen one like it before.



Got the hood put back on and the ash pan with a new charcoal grill I picked up at Ace. It's for an 18" Weber Original Kettle, but it fits this beautifully.



And with both grills inserted:



And that's it. It's "Done!"

I think I'm going to order some fresh new wheels, either Weber or a high quality generic. If anyone has any recommendations, I'm all ears. I guess I was closer to done than I thought. Once the prints came off it was pretty quick to get everything in order.

 

[Joe Anshien]

Wow - Really outstanding. You may want to take that Mastertouch just for parts and test cooks to see how you like it. Depending on what parts are good you may be able to turn a standard kettle into a MT?

 

[Timothy F. Lewis]

That looks great! Good for you Kalibos! I’d be proud to cook on that!

 

[Kalibos M.]

Wow - Really outstanding. You may want to take that Mastertouch just for parts and test cooks to see how you like it. Depending on what parts are good you may be able to turn a standard kettle into a MT?

Thanks, on your advice, I went back and bought it. $25, but it's pretty garbage. There's huge chunks of enamel missing from the bottom of the kettle. I'll see what I can do with it. It did have the riser thingy, so bonus!

That looks great! Good for you Kalibos! I’d be proud to cook on that!

I realized I didn't put a finished picture up! It got dark outside so I told my wife I was going to take pictures of it tomorrow and she was like, "Why don't you bring it in the house and take pictures under the Devos?" Can't argue with that logic, so here it is:





That's a 46 year old grill. I'm thinking for some finishing touches later on, some white walls on a fresh set of wheels and maybe some 3D printed handles that have embossed lettering to match the Happy Cooker logo and font.

That's it guys. Thanks for takin' a look at my project!

 

[Steve Hoch]

Really nice job, it looks great!

 

[Joe Anshien]

Wow - Looks like it belongs there inside! It is nice when things are built to last, even if they need some help along the way. Nice work.

 

[Timothy F. Lewis]

Very well done! Now, get happy cooking!