Weber Summit Issue


 
Kelly C said:
Sorry, I meant the first generation Summit 450.
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I have seen some online asking in the $400 range but they sit and languish. Of course I am sure at some point the sellers either A get tired and let it go cheap or B, give up and either keep or scrap it. Truly unless you have a metal worker at your disposal, as wonderful as those grills are as cookers I would not touch one.
 
Not sheet aluminum. It would deform/melt being exposed to flame. I know the naysayers will argue "well what about aluminum pans?" I can tell you stories of my sister in law turning an aluminum pan into a molten puddle on her kitchen stove. The reason you can expose the pan to direct flame is there is typically something in it absorbing the heat. (food, water, liquid of some sort). In a grill not the case.
 
Larry, many an aluminum pan has been left of the stove and burned dry. I have done it.
I know 16-20 gauge aluminum would probably not work out, but what about something like cook box thick aluminum? Like 4mm or 3/16"?
 
Most definitely it would work. Why not? Works on the Genesis line. So not sure why Weber refused to use a much more complicated and expensive process for the Summit line. I was assuming you were asking about sheet aluminum.
 
No, my son works at a sign shop and they do a lot of work in aluminum. It comes in sheets but it varies in thickness up to over an inch thick. He just started there a month ago, but I am already thinking up things he might be able to source me with at some point.
 
Already planning how he can commit corporate theft? ROTFLAMO ;D I am sure if thick enough it would take far more heat than could be put out on the grill body to hurt it. I never measured but I think the castings on a Genesis are what....................4mm in the parts exposed the worst to the heat?
 
Yah, probably about 4mm. He would clear whatever he does with the owners. It is a small shop. But they have a water jet CNC computerized thingy that will cut predesigned shapes out of 1" stainless steel stock. But they do mostly aluminum and it would have no problem with that, plus they have the usual brakes and shears as well which 4mm aluminum would be no problem. THey have tons of scrap too.
 
Bruce said:
Yah, probably about 4mm. He would clear whatever he does with the owners. It is a small shop. But they have a water jet CNC computerized thingy that will cut predesigned shapes out of 1" stainless steel stock. But they do mostly aluminum and it would have no problem with that, plus they have the usual brakes and shears as well which 4mm aluminum would be no problem. THey have tons of scrap too.
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Bruce,
Maybe your son could convince the owner there is a market for a repair piece for the Summit grills. Whether stainless or thick enough aluminum, my thought is that you need matching front and back plates to cover the front panel spanning two burners. So that would be two sets of 2 for a 4-burner and three sets of 2 for a 6 burner. The plates would have to have holes approximately corresponding to the openings in the original porcelain plated steel. And some pre-drilled holes so a person could bolt them (or rivet) so that the original material is "sandwiched" between these reinforcement pieces. I have to believe this would be a lot cheaper then making a whole new front piece with all its complexity and provide a flexible use part that many Summit owners would be interested in.
 
Something I will probably purse down the road, but I need to find a Summit to grab the parts off that need copying or patching. I hope I can luck into one.
 
Not sure Bruce but I think I may have a front piece that is Swiss Cheesed from my 450 that Jon got. If I do I can make arrangements to get it to you for design work. There is enough of it left for that. Though I MAY have thrown it out. I will look
 
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Bruce,
If Larry did toss that part - who can blame him - I would be willing to draw up a paper template of what the part would need to be like to work. I can do cut-outs for the burners and igniters and mark the drill holes for bolts or rivets. The whole piece would not be all that big if you use my idea of making them to cover two burner openings at a time.

It would just be great to have someone with personal access to a shop owner that might convince him that this is worthwhile. Maybe even other Weber parts?!!!
 
Yah, just in the evaluating phase right now. An overlay might be the best route.
 
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