hairline crack in Central Oregon.

DWFII

Given this crack...

If i do nothing but it doesn't seem to be leaking or having problems shutting down, will I be able to take the Egg up to pizza temps (@600°) without making it worse?

 Or do a cleaning burn?

Same question if I run a bead of Permatex or JB Weld along that seam?

I almost certainly will run that bead but given that it's a hairline crack I don't see how the Permatex can strengthen or reinforce the crack.  Seal it yes, but the question comes down to how to repair it or prevent further damage...if that's even possible

DWFII

SamIAm2 said:

I'm not sure. Depending on the spacing of your mates, the holes might line up on the newer lower band. When you take off the mates you could mark the newer band and drill a hole or holes to put the bolts thru and reattach the mates.

Thanks I wondered about drilling new holes. As a long time Windows user, I'm spoiled  (or was until recently) and I'm missing backwards compatibility.

Eoin

Whether or not high temperatures will make the crack worse is hard to say. Running a bead of anything over the top of the crack is unlikely to help as it will not penetrate the crack, just sit on the surface. You can't glue a hairline crack properly without raking it out first, which would be a high risk strategy given that what you have now looks perfectly servicable.

SemolinaPilchard

I would imagine that anything that you use to fill in the crack would only seal it, not add much strength, if any. However, if you could glue something to the egg, maybe a piece of aluminum, and have it extend past the crack a ways on each side, that may strengthen it. The epoxy or sealant would have to adhere well to both the egg and the plate. The nest may cause problems with plate, depending on where the crack is located.

cookingdude555

cook like its not there.  Many of us find cracks while doing maintenance, and could have gone years without noticing if we didn't start tinkering around with the egg, putting new bands on, or placing them in new tables.  I have a few bases for warranty that I got, but haven't gotten around to replacing them yet.  They are still in the box in my garage.  The only one I can visibly see a change in the cook is with my mini, because smoke leaks out of the bottom of it.  But it performs the same, so I don't worry about it.

Legume

Nobody can tell you for sure what to do, what will work or what will make it worse.  Most of us have had cracks of some kind and dealt with them or not. In the end, it’s up to you.

Eoin

SemolinaPilchard said:

I would imagine that anything that you use to fill in the crack would only seal it, not add much strength, if any. However, if you could glue something to the egg, maybe a piece of aluminum, and have it extend past the crack a ways on each side, that may strengthen it. The epoxy or sealant would have to adhere well to both the egg and the plate. The nest may cause problems with plate, depending on where the crack is located.

That will make it worse due to differential expansion. The expanding aluminium would be trying to open up the crack rather than holding it together.

milesvdustin

2 nuts each side removes the side table, or mate. Two nuts on the band bolts. Remove dome, flip bands, reverse steps.  Dont try to seal the crack. 

SemolinaPilchard

@Eoin, great point.

DWFII

Thanks to everyone for keeping this thread going. My Internet has been down since Saturday.

I wonder if I slathered some refractory cement over the crack inside the Egg, if there would be room between the wall of the Egg and the firebox, as long as it wasn't too thick?  I know it won't repair it or strengthen it but kind of like a big patch in plaster board. Mainly I am just wanting to make sure that it doesn't leak and prevent the fire from being snuffed or make controlling temps harder.

I am not ruling out Permatex...just exploring options--as long as I have access to the best source of information about Eggs and kamado cooking on the net.

Carolina Q

Refractory cement won't help. If the base was in two pieces, you might be able to slather the refractory cement on both surfaces of the break, then clamp it back together. Not even sure that would work, but slapping a coat OVER the crack will accomplish nothing. The only way to fix it is to replace the part.

You will have no trouble controlling temp as is. Mine has looked exactly like that for several years now (3? 4?) and it still works fine. Suggest you keep the egg on a non-flammable surface though... just in case.