Restoring old performer in the UK


 
T

TomPug

New member
Hi all, first post here and I love this forum.

I recently picked up this older performer for free and hadn't quite realised the extent of the rust when I got it. It's rusted through where the lid hanger attaches to the lower part of the bowl and looks like burn through in other parts.

I have read that the brackets on the performer bowls can be cut off and reused on a different bowl. Is this the only way or could I use some kind of angle bracket to attach a new bowl?

Can the plastic spacers that hold the lid be purchased separately as one is melted and one is melted.

Being in the UK I cannot get parts as easily as in the USA so I will try and make it right however I can.

I've attached photos for you all to see..any other advice would be much appreciated.
 

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That looks pretty weak shot to me, I’d look for a new bowl (or entire kettle) and get some new brackets, get a slide aside lid holder and simply reuse the cart. Sorry to deliver such dismal news.
 
Timothy F. Lewis said:
That looks pretty weak shot to me, I’d look for a new bowl (or entire kettle) and get some new brackets, get a slide aside lid holder and simply reuse the cart. Sorry to deliver such dismal news.
Click to expand...
I expected this and am fully prepared to fit a different kettle to the cart.

I will either use the red one I have or more likely my mastertouch.

Do you have any ideas which brackets I could use? Could it be just any old brackets from a DIY store?
 
There are aftermarket brackets available but, angle iron pieces maybe 1.5-2.00” drilled to bolt through the frame so the upper piece goes under the rolled lip of the kettle might be a little easier although you might to rig a third one to meet it a bit more stable. I bought a “BBQMall” aftermarket cart (suggested by the wonderful crew of enablers here😉) which uses that concept and I’m pretty impressed with that. Making it “non wobbly” is the critical thing. The slide aside lid holder is a nice modification so, I’d look into that. The red 22 you’ve got there would be nice!!
I’m not sure what “off the shelf“ brackets might be available for you but, worth a visit to the shop. I’m sure you will find something that will manage that, do you have any metal guys in your circle? Having the brackets made for a feast in return has helped with several of my “oddball“ projects. And it’s fun for the fabricator to see how the project has been put to use. Amazon has a set of aftermarket brackets which require drilling the kettle bowl and they are pretty much “drop in” for the original cart holes. Drilling the bowl isn’t hard but, does require a step drill to reduce the possibility of chipping of the enamel. Just a couple of ideas. I wish you good luck. Not hard, just be careful.
Where in England are you?
 
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The red would look great.

As I restored my dream SSP, I thought about doing this with a standard 22”copper kettle I already had but opted to buy a used Gen 4 performer that has the integrated brackets in the copper color I wanted. A side benefit is the Gen 4 Performer bowl is that it already included the wider bail that allows the lid to store straight up giving more access to the open grill. I now have my all Copper SSP and resold the Gen 4 Performer with the black bowl that was previously on the SSP.

I‘ve also heard of some folks cutting the bracket out of old performer bowls but that takes tools and skill.

In my research I found there are at least a couple of folks that make aftermarket brackets which look really good.

Bracket from R Shack BBQ (he has some really good How-To videos on how to modify regular kettle)
r-shack-bbq.com

After-Market Kettle Parts

“When Weber announced that after 20 years they were bringing back the famous Red Kettle for a Limited Edition run, I had a dream of buying one and throwing it into a Performer cart to make a …
r-shack-bbq.com r-shack-bbq.com

Bracket from BBQ Smoker Mods:
bbqsmokermods.com

Table Mounting Brackets for Weber Kettle by Unknown BBQ

This 2 piece, fully stainless bracket set allow for mounting a Weber Kettle in a custom table or BBQ island. High QualityFits ALL Weber kettle 18.5, 22.5 and 26" Never leave grill unattended and consult a professional or the part manufacturer to leave a proper buffer and air space between...
bbqsmokermods.com bbqsmokermods.com

one of R Shacks How-To videos:

Entertaining video of someone name Baby Back Maniac who installed R Shack Brackets:
 
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My recommendation is based on OP being in the UK and shipping with VAT might be prohibitively expensive to have shipped in but, if the Owens are available, the quality of the products are first quality!
 
Thanks all for your replies so far.

I think I am set on doing it with the red kettle but I would need to add the ash catcher to it I think.

I have found a company that produces the brackets so that will probably be an easier option than trying to save the existing ones although I may try just to test me skills!

I can imagine cutting the bowl would be awkward..I guess I could measure where the existing flange sits that bolt onto the cart then just do the same on the red bowl.
 
Good! Drilling the holes isn’t hard, mask the spot and mark it carefully and you should be just fine. Pilot hole to start. Step drill after that. I’d use stainless 1/4x20 bolts when you put it together.
I wish you good luck and post pictures when it’s done!
 
Timothy F. Lewis said:
Good! Drilling the holes isn’t hard, mask the spot and mark it carefully and you should be just fine. Pilot hole to start. Step drill after that. I’d use stainless 1/4x20 bolts when you put it together.
I wish you good luck and post pictures when it’s done!
Click to expand...
Great response thank you.

The way I suggested I mark it and measure it...doesn't that seem correct? Any other suggestions?
 
Just another thought..my red kettle has a handle on either side of the bowl.

Any suggestions on how to deal with that? Cut them off? I wonder if they can be drilled out?
 
If possible I would just order a new kettle in red from Weber for it unless you really don't care about how it looks. Sure, you can drill holes in another kettle and cut the handles off but it's just going to rust out that much faster and look suspect in the interim.
 
The handles are the same height as the bracket.
You could rotate the kettle and use them instead of a bracket.
Use a conduit or similar clip to hold it in place.
Your handles for the OTG sweep and ash pan will be in the back or front not on the sides like normal.
 
timothy said:
The handles are the same height as the bracket.
You could rotate the kettle and use them instead of a bracket.
Use a conduit or similar clip to hold it in place.
Your handles for the OTG sweep and ash pan will be in the back or front not on the sides like normal.
Click to expand...
Thanks for your suggestion..so are you suggesting using the handles to rest the kettle on top of the table? Or underneath and then use something to clip them to the table?
 
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