BBQ Restoration – Part 1 Strip down
Earlier in the year I was given an old barrel shaped BBQ that had sat unused for about 8 years in the corner of a garden. It had filled with water and was very rusty.
Despite looking like it was beyond repair we knew it had once been a fine BBQ and hence could be worth recovering.
The ash pan must have been sitting just in/out of the water for some time and had corroded very badly. A few good taps with my inspection tool (large hammer) and it went through. So I knew the ash pan was going to need replacing.
The shelf at the bottom was rusty around the edges and I thought it might be solid enough in the middle to make a new pan. Unfortunately when this was checked it was also beyond recovery. One of the brackets that hold the shelf in place was also worn through but should be a simple job to replace. The wheels and axle are fine and just need a quick clean.
I cleaned up the barrel of the BBQ using a drill with a wire brush and this has uncovered some holes.
The grill although dirty and rusty looks structurally intact and an initial clean up with the wire brush has not uncovered anything nasty.
So on the fix list is:
- new shelf
- shelf bracket
- holes in the barrel
- new wooden handles
- clean and paint
Metal sculpture in brass, mounted on an 1800s French Coin
Nice restoration. Now you need some nice mesquite or apple wood for some fine eats.
Cheers David, still quite a lot of work to be done before will be cooking. I have to confess I typically use just charcoal, not tried adding nice woods to the mix. Will investigate to see if what I can get here in London as it should be a nice addition.