WSM 18” 2005 - repairing holes in base and water pan


 
J

John L.

TVWBB Member
I have two areas that I need to repair on my WSM. The first is a hole at the bottom of the lower section. It’s very small, about 1/8” and about perfectly round. No rust or other damage around the hole. Liquid tends to drip out during cooking, so I’d like to seal this up somehow in a manner that is permanent and safe for cooking.

The second issue is my water pan (the shallow pre-2009 one) is starting to rust and has developed some small holes. Last year they were pinhole sized, now they are a bit larger. I see many of the suggestions in Chris’s video about water pan replacements are no longer available. The Dutch oven liner may help more than a foil lining like I do now, but it won’t be a long term solution as the rust progresses. Any thoughts on a good replacement for the water pan that is currently available?
 
For the hole in the lower section I would use a small stainless steel machine screw with a washer on the inside. If you want to make it really liquid tight, wrap aluminum foil over the threads underneath the washer so that when you tighten the nut it forces the foil tightly into the hole, sealing it like a crush washer.

For the water pan, you might look for a stainless mixing bowl to fit, or look for a Brinkmann smoker on the used market and buy it just for the bowl. The easiest solution, of course, is to stop using water. I use a variation of the Piedmont Pan, with a Brinkmann pan on the bottom and the shallow Weber pan on top, because I already had those two pans, and it works very well with no water.
 
Last edited:
Scott Fischer said:
I've never used it but read several times that JB Weld works good for sealing holes in cookers.
Click to expand...
I thought of something like this, but couldn’t find out definitively if it was safe to use near where food would be cooked.

I saw the stainless screw method and I think that should work well considering how other screw holes seal up pretty quickly after a use or two.
 
Larry D. said:
For the hole in the lower section I would use a small stainless steel machine screw with a washer on the inside. If you want to make it really liquid tight, wrap aluminum foil over the threads underneath the washer so that when you tighten the nut it forces the foil tightly into the hole, sealing it like a crush washer.

For the water pan, you might look for a stainless mixing bowl to fit, or look for a Brinkmann smoker on the used market and buy it just for the bowl. The easiest solution, of course, is to stop using water. I use a variation of the Piedmont Pan, with a Brinkmann pan on the bottom and the shallow Weber pan on top, because I already had those two pans, and it works very well with no water.
Click to expand...
Thanks Larry. With a bit of drilling, I think this could be the best solution. I’m not sure I’ll even worry about the extra foil for sealing considering how nearly airtight other screws are once I’ve done a couple of cooks. When I replaced the water pan straps a few years ago a couple of those required a hacksaw to remove.

As for the water pan, I’m not sure which way I’ll go. I am in the “pro water” camp, and I think one of Chris’s suggestions may be available again. If not, I’ll likely be looking for a bowl that will fit well. Dropping a pan of water on my fire is something I’ve always been worried about, even though it hasn’t happened yet in almost 17 years. I don’t want a poor fitting replacement to be the reason it happens!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

 

Back
Top