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I must be nuts- the vintage kamado resto

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2

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  • mahenryak
    mahenryak Posts: 1,324
    edited August 2015
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    @Jeremiah maybe this site could prove helpful...

    http://www.kamadobbq.com/blog/2011/04/25/Augie-Talks-Kamado-and-answers-YOUR-questions.aspx

    http://www.kamadobbq.com/History---Restoration.html

    LG BGE, KJ Jr, Smokin Bros. Premier 36 and Pizza Party Bollore



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  • Smokehouse33
    Smokehouse33 Posts: 185
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    Looking forward to seeing that beauty all fixed up! Good luck!
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  • blasting
    blasting Posts: 6,262
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    @Jeremiah   That is the sort of unconventional project I regularly find myself eyeball deep in.  I don't know much (or anything) about ceramics or clay, but if I lived closer I'd offer my participation in "garage meetings" and make sure your glass was full.
    Phoenix 
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  • SMITTYtheSMOKER
    SMITTYtheSMOKER Posts: 2,668
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    Be careful, I see quite a few of these around here.  
    Too fragile to salvage is the best way to look at this project.   Spending money isn't a real investment-IMO.  Think old terracotta, powderized to the point of falling apart with little to no impact. 

    I feel better having warned you.  Good luck in whatever you do.

    I have a beautiful old cooker just like it sitting in my backyard, great to look at.

     

    -SMITTY     

    from SANTA CLARA, CA

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  • NPHuskerFL
    NPHuskerFL Posts: 17,629
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    Sounds like a time consuming fun project. It'll be pretty cool with it completely restored. 
    LBGE 2013 & MM 2014
    Die Hard HUSKER & BRONCO FAN
    Flying Low & Slow in "Da Burg" FL
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  • Jeremiah
    Jeremiah Posts: 6,412
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    Thanks yall for the comments! Someone has already offered up their clay skills to patch/reglaze it! This project might have legs after all!
    Slumming it in Aiken, SC. 
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  • Jeremiah
    Jeremiah Posts: 6,412
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    @caliking thanks, I've been reading those exact threads. I might start a thread there as well, but I'm not a member there yet. 
    Slumming it in Aiken, SC. 
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  • Jeremiah
    Jeremiah Posts: 6,412
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    @mahenryak Thanks I'll check those out!
    Slumming it in Aiken, SC. 
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  • bettysnephew
    bettysnephew Posts: 1,188
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    Best of luck in your endeavor.
    A poor widows son.
    See der Rabbits, Iowa
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  • NPHuskerFL
    NPHuskerFL Posts: 17,629
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    Nuckin Futs but it'll be cool when it's complete Jeremiah. 
    LBGE 2013 & MM 2014
    Die Hard HUSKER & BRONCO FAN
    Flying Low & Slow in "Da Burg" FL
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  • HarrisFrampton
    HarrisFrampton Posts: 104
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    Good luck with the project, glad it found a home and didn't end up on the side of the road.
    Wimberley,TX
    X-Large,Large, Medium and Small
    17" and 28" Blackstones
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  • Hotch
    Hotch Posts: 3,564
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    @Jeremiah With your skills and attention to detail that you did on your teardrop, I have no doubt that you can bring this one back as good as new.
    Large BGE, MiniMAX BGE, 2 Mini BGE's, R&V Fryer, 36" Blackstone Griddle, Camp Chef Dual Burner 40K BTU Stove
    BGE Chiminea
    Prosper, TX
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  • Richard Fl
    Richard Fl Posts: 8,297
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    Jeremiah said:
    @mahenryak Thanks I'll check those out!

    Here is the other project I mentioned.  You may have a band diameter problem as I did.  Quik crete was great, just work in small areas at a time.

    http://www.greeneggers.com/index.php?option=com_simpleboard&func=view&id=1156764&catid=1

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  • Jeremiah
    Jeremiah Posts: 6,412
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    Thanks @Richard Fl I just read through the post. (Boy that site is hard to navigate on a phone) I believe mine is actually in better shape than yours started! I didn't think that could
    be possible. How is the quick Crete holding up?  I'm gonna try to salvage the band and hinge as well. I'm hoping a good sandblasting and new handle will do it. 
    Slumming it in Aiken, SC. 
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  • HeavyG
    HeavyG Posts: 10,346
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    Nice find!

    My dad was career USN and we lived in Japan for a few years in the 1960's and brought a couple of those back with us when we returned stateside. Only one survived the journey but was used for many years.

    This site seems kinda dead but may be of some help in leading to more info about restoring one:

    http://www.kamadobbq.com/History---Restoration.html

    Another kamado site I hang out on has a bit of info that might be helpful: http://www.kamadoguru.com/topic/22891-kamado-imperial-restoration/


    Good luck!!
    “Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away.” ― Philip K. Diçk




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  • RRP
    RRP Posts: 25,888
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    I asked a dear friend who happens to be a Japanese interpertor for help deciphering that writing on the dome. Here was her reply.

    I asked some Japanese to take a look at that mark, and they told me that the characters seemed to indicate perhaps an American Memorial edition of the Imperial “Mushi Kamado” Asia.

    In other words, there wasn’t a whole lot to go on.  They even looked up a Japanese forum post somewhere with the same photo, where it explained basically the same non-contextualized meanings in the characters, but little to connect them.

    Hope that is of some sort of help.

    So...whatever you want to tell people it says would be OK and nobody will challenge you!!! LOL

    Re-gasketing America one yard at a time.
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  • Jeremiah
    Jeremiah Posts: 6,412
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    Thanks Ron! I was curious what the writing was. Sounds like these things were produced and marketed for Americans to bring back to the states just as this one was. 
    Slumming it in Aiken, SC. 
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  • RRP
    RRP Posts: 25,888
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    An addendum...
    The top four ideograms (characters in a block) appears to indicate this is an American Imperial Kamado that was some sort of memorial edition. Below the "stamp" mark, the characters read Asian "mushi kamado"
    Re-gasketing America one yard at a time.
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  • DoubleEgger
    DoubleEgger Posts: 17,174
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    RRP said:
    I asked a dear friend who happens to be a Japanese interpertor for help deciphering that writing on the dome. Here was her reply.

    I asked some Japanese to take a look at that mark, and they told me that the characters seemed to indicate perhaps an American Memorial edition of the Imperial “Mushi Kamado” Asia.

    In other words, there wasn’t a whole lot to go on.  They even looked up a Japanese forum post somewhere with the same photo, where it explained basically the same non-contextualized meanings in the characters, but little to connect them.

    Hope that is of some sort of help.

    So...whatever you want to tell people it says would be OK and nobody will challenge you!!! LOL

    So basically it's the same thing as those Asian tattoos you see all the time. 
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  • bettysnephew
    bettysnephew Posts: 1,188
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    DoubleEgger said:
      So basically it's the same thing as those Asian tattoos you see all the time. 
    Yeah. Snow peas and chicken in a lobster sauce. My wife who is of Chinese descent says that some of the characters often do not indicate what the tattooed person thinks they say. She and some of her friends have burst out laughing at a few.
    A poor widows son.
    See der Rabbits, Iowa
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  • DaveRichardson
    DaveRichardson Posts: 2,324
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    So its a "Tramp Stamp" komado?????

    LBGE #19 from North GA Eggfest, 2014

    Stockbridge, GA - just south of Atlanta where we are covered up in Zombies!  #TheWalkingDead films practically next door!

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  • Toxarch
    Toxarch Posts: 1,900
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    Jeremiah said:
     Also does anyone have any idea of the make? My best Google guess is Imperial Kamado. But I'm just guessing.
    Mom met with her friend today who was originally from Okinawa and asked if she could translate the writing. She knows several oriental languages. She said it is not Japanese at all, it's Chinese and these are Xiang symbols. Xiang is one of the many languages spoken in China.
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xiang_Chinese

    The top symbol is a Pattern Registered mark. (I guess like a Patent)
    The circular symbol is a Trademark Symbol.
    The rest is the brand which says "Kyokuto" which translates to "Far East".

    So I would say you have a Kyokuto Kamado.
    Aledo, Texas
    Large BGE
    KJ Jr.

    Exodus 12:9 KJV
    Eat not of it raw, nor sodden at all with water, but roast with fire; his head with his legs, and with the purtenance thereof.

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  • Jeremiah
    Jeremiah Posts: 6,412
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    Great. So I have a Chinese egg? Lol. Seriously thanks for the investigation. 

    On on a side note,
    i went by fireside in Augusta today. He has one identical to mine but a large. Same markings and all. Big green egg has dropped him because he's selling joes and promos. All he had left was a medium fire ring. I didn't need to spend the cash today but hated that he spent he time to dig it out, one less
    thing to buy I guess. Lol
    Slumming it in Aiken, SC. 
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  • shadowrider
    shadowrider Posts: 108
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    I don't know if this will work or not but it may be worth doing some homework on.  We used some stuff called POR for painting car frames and sealing fuel tanks.  It was supposed to be porcelaine and was some kind of hard when cured.  You may be able to scrub the loose off the outside and apply a few coats.  It may work. 
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  • Jeremiah
    Jeremiah Posts: 6,412
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    @shadowrider thanks! But @northGAcock has already volunteered his wife's clay/kiln services/knowledge! I will probably use POR 15 on the band assembly though. 
    Slumming it in Aiken, SC. 
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  • johnkitchens
    johnkitchens Posts: 5,227
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    Jeremiah said:
    Great. So I have a Chinese egg? Lol. Seriously thanks for the investigation. 

    On on a side note,
    i went by fireside in Augusta today. He has one identical to mine but a large. Same markings and all. Big green egg has dropped him because he's selling joes and promos. All he had left was a medium fire ring. I didn't need to spend the cash today but hated that he spent he time to dig it out, one less
    thing to buy I guess. Lol
    I didn't know that Fireside was no longer a dealer. Their commercials first introduced me to the Egg. 

    Louisville, GA - 2 Large BGE's
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  • bweekes
    bweekes Posts: 725
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    Man, this is one thread that I'm really looking forward to following! Great venture, Jeremiah!
    Ajax, ON Canada
    (XL BGE, MED BGE, La Caja China #2, and the wife's Napoleon gasser)
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  • Toxarch
    Toxarch Posts: 1,900
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    Jeremiah said:
    Great. So I have a Chinese egg? Lol. Seriously thanks for the investigation. 

    On on a side note,
    i went by fireside in Augusta today. He has one identical to mine but a large. Same markings and all. Big green egg has dropped him because he's selling joes and promos. All he had left was a medium fire ring. I didn't need to spend the cash today but hated that he spent he time to dig it out, one less
    thing to buy I guess. Lol
    Chinese egg and you just put in a fire ring made in Mexico. ;)
    Aledo, Texas
    Large BGE
    KJ Jr.

    Exodus 12:9 KJV
    Eat not of it raw, nor sodden at all with water, but roast with fire; his head with his legs, and with the purtenance thereof.

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  • northGAcock
    northGAcock Posts: 15,164
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    @Jeremiah How about an update on the resro project?
    Ellijay GA with a Medium & MiniMax

    Well, I married me a wife, she's been trouble all my life,
    Run me out in the cold rain and snow
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