1981 Weber Smokey Mountain Cooker Restoration - Chris Allingham - The Virtual Weber Bullet

[@csp1971]

Great video Chris Allingham! I did keep the door, the wood handle, charcoal chamber, legs and all the original parts I replaced. It's the only Weber stored in my garage and it is used way more than my 22". With all the stress of 2020, this restoration was definitely one of the highlights of that summer.

[@TheVirtualWeberBullet]

Glad I finally got around to making this video, and glad to hear this cooker is getting some good use! I would encourage folks to read your entire forum thread, it contains a lot more details of your restoration. tvwbb.com/threads/1981-18-5-and-parts.81607/

[@michaelc7139]

Great project, Chris; and great video, Chris! Worthwhile to restore an original WSM. Interesting to see how they pretty much nailed it out of the gate with the design, with few changes over 40 years.

[@beverlyc.8175]

Very informative. I'm glad he didn't drill any holes in this vintage WSM!

[@peterlai9018]

Fortunately we have wireless temp probes that connect to fancy smart phones.

[@peterlai9018]

Awesome efforts from Chris P. The original bolts, washers and nuts should be replaced with stainless steel. I find they rust fast in the charcoal bowl area with the intense heat, moisture from the cook chamber and fat that drip down the side. Stainless steel WSM grill grates are available now!!!

[@TheVirtualWeberBullet]

I think he eventually used stainless steel hardware and I may not have mentioned that. I use stainless grates on my WSM but am still using original nuts and bolts after 26 years!

[@bamaboy2233]

I snagged a 22-inch WSM and it's bent. I just finished getting new racks and a couple other odds and ends for the first smoke this weekend. I'm thinking it's going to leak smoke like crazy and I can't find any videos anywhere on how to bend the lid and middle silo to fit together better. Any recomendations?

[@TheVirtualWeberBullet]

I don't have a video on this subject, but I do have an article. Check these two URLs, they're parts of the same article: www.virtualweberbullet.com/parts-troubleshooting/#middle and www.virtualweberbullet.com/parts-troubleshooting/#lid Hope this helps!

[@bamaboy2233]

@@TheVirtualWeberBullet thank you!!!First run was a disaster it leaked air and ran away to 600, torching all my charcoal within a couple hours. So I just fed it smoke to fill all the gaps. I went with a pair of channel locks and bent it back into a good enough, sealing, fit. Sandpaper to remove the rust and loose porcelain that broke away and then retreated it with hi-temp paint. Good as new and can’t beat it for $100 all said and done. Second smoke was phenomenal, 22 lbs of pulled pork has kept me fed all week!

[@chrisazure1624]

End of life for R2D2.

[@helpme7479]

What website u buy that wooden lid handle? Thanks

[@TheVirtualWeberBullet]

Chris-P does not say exactly where he bought the wooden lid handle, only that he bought it from someone on eBay. You'll find quite a few options if you do a search on "weber wooden handle". Or check here: grillhandle.com/shop/