I recently modified my Smokey Joe Silver to include a hook on the lid to hang it on the bottom bowl. Some larger Weber kettle charcoal grills have such a hook and obviously that helps manage where to put the lid, freeing up a hand. Just wanted to mention a few tidbits in case they end up being helpful to other people.
I got the parts from Ace Hardware. I used a “rope hook” which is a hook with a flat piece with 2 holes. The receipt says .236?x2.56?. It cost $1.29.
The hook was galvanized steel. I removed the zinc coating (which supposedly releases toxic chemicals when heated) by soaking the part in hydrochloric acid (a.k.a. muriatic acid) for about one minute. The zinc dissolved very rapidly, and emitted a lot of hydrogen gas in the process. It looked effervescent, like dropping an Alka-Seltzer into water. After several seconds, the bubbles stopped and the hook came out clean and perfectly free of zinc.
I didn’t want the hook to corrode so I decided to “season” it as if it were a cast iron pan. I coated the metal rope hook in lard and hung it inside my oven, set to 550 F. I let each coat cook for about an hour. After one coat, the hook looked reddish-brown. After several coats, it took on a polished hard smooth black finish. (The white spots in the photo are actually specular reflections of lights in the room; the hook itself has a smooth, continuous black coating.)
I used stainless steel (round philips head) 10-24 hardware (2 bolts, 2 washers, 2 hex nuts, total cost: $1) to attached it to the lid. Although it was all stainless I decided to “season” it anyway to give it a black finish so it would resemble the black Smokey Joe lid I have.
I placed the screw holes under the handle, such that the hook itself is almost directly under one of the “struts” of the handle. I chose this location for 2 reasons: symmetry and the fact that when hanging, the lid was a little higher up. I hoped that the lid might provide some wind-screen effect, like what the Platinum provides (albeit using a different mechanism). In retrospect I should have mounted the hook closer to the rim so that more of the lid would hang below the cooking bowl because the placement I chose ends up making some of the lid lean a little more over the cooking area than I prefer.
I drilled the holes using a cobalt bit. Just like other people used for their mods, I put masking tape on the bowl and used a hole punch to dent the steel so the bit wouldn’t walk.
The round head goes on the outside under the handle so it doesn’t snag on your fingers.
I also used a tiny bolt cutter (actually a combo crimp/bolt cutter tool meant for electronics, which has a special 10-24 threaded “port”) to make both bolts exactly the right length; no excess on the inside of the lid. I figured that would keep the whole thing cleaner. Barely any thread is exposed.
Although these low-quality pictures do not make it look very good, in person the whole thing looks like it belongs there; it doesn’t look like a mod.
I’d recommend this mod to somebody who struggles with their Smokey Joe Silver lid. The only thing I’d change is the hook placement; should be nearer to the lid rim.
Hope this helps.
I got the parts from Ace Hardware. I used a “rope hook” which is a hook with a flat piece with 2 holes. The receipt says .236?x2.56?. It cost $1.29.
The hook was galvanized steel. I removed the zinc coating (which supposedly releases toxic chemicals when heated) by soaking the part in hydrochloric acid (a.k.a. muriatic acid) for about one minute. The zinc dissolved very rapidly, and emitted a lot of hydrogen gas in the process. It looked effervescent, like dropping an Alka-Seltzer into water. After several seconds, the bubbles stopped and the hook came out clean and perfectly free of zinc.
I didn’t want the hook to corrode so I decided to “season” it as if it were a cast iron pan. I coated the metal rope hook in lard and hung it inside my oven, set to 550 F. I let each coat cook for about an hour. After one coat, the hook looked reddish-brown. After several coats, it took on a polished hard smooth black finish. (The white spots in the photo are actually specular reflections of lights in the room; the hook itself has a smooth, continuous black coating.)
I used stainless steel (round philips head) 10-24 hardware (2 bolts, 2 washers, 2 hex nuts, total cost: $1) to attached it to the lid. Although it was all stainless I decided to “season” it anyway to give it a black finish so it would resemble the black Smokey Joe lid I have.
I placed the screw holes under the handle, such that the hook itself is almost directly under one of the “struts” of the handle. I chose this location for 2 reasons: symmetry and the fact that when hanging, the lid was a little higher up. I hoped that the lid might provide some wind-screen effect, like what the Platinum provides (albeit using a different mechanism). In retrospect I should have mounted the hook closer to the rim so that more of the lid would hang below the cooking bowl because the placement I chose ends up making some of the lid lean a little more over the cooking area than I prefer.
I drilled the holes using a cobalt bit. Just like other people used for their mods, I put masking tape on the bowl and used a hole punch to dent the steel so the bit wouldn’t walk.
The round head goes on the outside under the handle so it doesn’t snag on your fingers.
I also used a tiny bolt cutter (actually a combo crimp/bolt cutter tool meant for electronics, which has a special 10-24 threaded “port”) to make both bolts exactly the right length; no excess on the inside of the lid. I figured that would keep the whole thing cleaner. Barely any thread is exposed.
Although these low-quality pictures do not make it look very good, in person the whole thing looks like it belongs there; it doesn’t look like a mod.
I’d recommend this mod to somebody who struggles with their Smokey Joe Silver lid. The only thing I’d change is the hook placement; should be nearer to the lid rim.
Hope this helps.
