Rust repair, best topcoat?

[Lance C.]

Hello. I've had my smoker for about 3 years now. I always keep it covered with the weber cover however i plan to start using a trash bag over the OEM cover to prevent water from getting in from here on out.


I only really clean it about once in the beginning of the season (the main section that is, the dome and bottom gets cleaned more frequently due to spills and usage) and then once again near the end if i do not plan on smoking over the winter.

Anyways, on the lid, the rim has developed a bit of rust in the rolled lip.

I have used some rust dissolver from the autoparts place around the block from me after sanding with some steel whool. However, I am unsure about my next move.

Should I just shoot it with some BBQ paint? should i use por15 or the like then top coat it?

I have also read about ospho (I believe it to be very similar to the phosphoric rust dissolver made by klean strip I am using now).

I am thinking of trying to locate some ospho, then top coat it with some rustoleum bbq paint (i can only find flat locally and thus my lid will look like some beat up pickup when i get done with it).

the other thought is to start seasoning the entire thing on the regular like a cast iron skillet like some many other real q'ers do.

My only concern is the potential for mold growth from this. Last season i didn't clean the smoker out well before the winter rolled in (shamefully, i didn't get a chance to bbq in the winter months due to school) and when i went to use it come spring i had all kinds of bread growing on the inside which required a serious cleaning followed by a long burn.

Any thoughts on paint? The lid and rim itself doesn't get very hot so I would really like to try something like por15 but my better judgement is to just stick with the bbq high temp paint and resolve to sanding and painting on the regular.

 

[Glenn W]

Por15 is some Awsome stuff, however I'm not sure if it would take the heat w/o giving off bad fumes!

 

[Lance C.]

It depends on what type of food I am cooking. For high heat cooks for turkey and chicken I do not. For pork shoulders I do not. I use water for ribs and brisket.

However, I do not see the relavence to my situation. The rust has deveoped on the edeges of the rim, in the rolled section. Mine is a pre-09 model if it makes a difference.

My main issue is deciding how to effectively treat the light rust that is there and then what topcoat I should proceed with. This is on the exterior o the smoker, not to mention the area I will be painting is so small ( literally just the area in the factory rolled lip) that I doubt any issues with safety in terms of paint choices. My concern is whether por15 or similar polyurethane paints will withstand the 200-300 degree lid temps.

More so, I do not want the rust to come back and wonder if going with the rust disolver system from Eastwood or osphos would be the best route of removing and encapsulating the problem areas.

I am also consider vht's high temp paints designed for headers and brakes. Those paints are designed and require you to bake them on after coating.

 

[John09]

I don't know what colors it is available in or if it takes a topcoat well but por used to offer header paint too. If it were mine I'd probably see what i could do with a little sandpaper and possibly a bit of naval jelly or other chemical rust remover.

I have a can of matte black krylon bbq & stove, I'd recommend against it. Even when applied to a very clean surface and heat cured, I've found a little bit of grease/oil and it wipes off.

 

[Lance C.]

John,

thanks for the input. I will keep the krylon grill/stove paint off the list.

It seems like the VHT paints may be a good choice. I remember painting my brake calipers a long time ago on my first car and the paint held up like a champ, even considering the extremely poor prep job i did on them.

 

[Lance C.]

well, i spent the last day or so removing the rust. I used a chemical rust converter called rust mort found locally as i could not locate ospho (another more popular converter) after physically removing as much of the rust as possible with sandpaper and steel wool.

After following the directions on the rust mort (apply with brush 3-4 coats, allow to dry 24 hours...wash).

I first rinsed the thing thoroughly with water + baking soda to neutralize any remaining acid. I repeated this step twice, rinsing with fresh water in between.

I then used a tsp substitute and a nylon brush to scrub and degrease the lid. I again performed this twice rinsing between with fresh water.

I let it dry. I then wiped it down fully with denatured alcohol with a microfiber towel to tack it.

I let it dry in the sun a good hour then pulled it into the shade and let it cool a bit before i painted.

I used the VHT flame proof paint which contains silicone and ceramic "technology".

I followed the directions on the can, multiple light coats with 10 minute dry time in between coats then finish with 1 medium coat.

I came back an hour later to see how it was drying and to my surprise there were sections that looked crazed/cracking already.

I am unsure what happened. Either there was residue acid/grease/stuff on these sections and the paint merely didn't stick or the paint just doesn't like the porcelain finish. I feel it is the former because it seems to have adhered well to 80 percent of the lid but not all of it. the bad sections can be lifted easily with a finger nail.

I am not going to bake on and cure what i can then sand down the sections that are not sticking, clean, prep and try it again with just the cheaper rustoleum grill paint.

Worst thing is that I will have to repaint it more frequently. Best case scenario is that the rustoleum product works like a champ.

I feel that maybe i didn't rough the porcelain finish up enough. I think maybe i need a special primer for bonding to the porcelain finish.

any thoughts.

Second..i might just get a quart of the rustoleum and a brush because you cannot spray that rolled lip and get a decent finish while covering all the metal.

The flat finish makes my WSM look real trailer trash but i don't care as long as it lasts.

 

[Phil Perrin]

The rustoleum paint works well. I skinned the lid up last year while taking my WSM on vacation. A little light sanding and paint,and it's good as new. If the finish looks a little different,that's ok. So longs as it cooks ok.

 

[Lance C.]

i am with you there. I am not looking to make a show piece. I just want the thing to last...its not like these weber's are made of 1/4 inch steel... and i see how fast rust can destroy sheet metal.

I am half tempted to paint the whole thing flat black...dampers, door, body, etc. Make it all skunk workx like those honda rice boys...LOL.