A trip thru Menards and another Clinker for ya!

Char-Woody

I swore, I would never post another a Char-Woody Clinker, but alas, the bug bit me today. [p]Ever have it rain on your cook, and you scrounge around trying to find the right cap for your BGE...just to keep rain out? Well, listen up, and BGE is gonna hate me..:-)[p]I was cruising thru the BBQ grills and tools at Menards casually eyeing grills and equipment. Always looking for something that is useable as a new toy for my gear. Noted a few thermometers high end going to 550F..Identical to the BGE thermometer in appearance but only good for the low and slow end. Skipped that one..and as I was leaving, I had to go past the heating duct work and parts area. Here is where thunder and lightning hit the brain cells.[p]I looked over the round pipe accessories, and lo and behold I saw something that rang bells...I think Cat and somebody else was talking about using stovepipe for chimneys. Ideas started back then. [p]Well, this one is gonna solve the rain problem..Are ya ready??[p]Two items..same thing but different sizes....Rain Caps for vents. They have a nice sloped round top, and come in both 6 inch and 4 inch diameter lower galvanized bands to fit right over the BGE top casting. The six inch one won't quite slip over the Large daisy wheel to give you a idea. But slips over the top of the dome opening nicely.
I haven't tried the 4 inch yet, but I think for the small and medium it will fit o.k. [p]It has the sloping large round 10 to 12 inch diameter top, with three support legs to the lower round band. I can imagine (will do this tomorrow) this little cookie high temp painted in green to match the BGE..Dang its gonna look nice.[p]I don't know the affects yet in cooks, but I can envision a pair of quarter moon shaped adjustable plates laying over the opening to slide back and forth to adjust air flow if needed for low and slow.
These slider plates would have to be cut out of sheet metal for a fit.[p]More ideas later..enjoy if you find em and try it...
I really don't know why I do this..:-) But its fun...Cya later
C~W
BTW..the stock product number at Menards was 02406006 6" Rain Cap.[p]

Anthony Up North

Char-Woody,[p]Where do you keep all that stuff?[p]Cheers[p]Anthony[p]

Char-Woody

Anthony Up North, under the bed next to the BGE..near the dog house where I wind up when I over dooooo..My wiffy asked when I brought it home..whazzat for?? I told her the top house roof vent needed a cover.."Oh, ok.." Till she saw me fiddling with it on the BGE.. !! What the hey..it was only 4 bucks or so..:-)
Cheers..and I like your steak fry also. Sounds good.
C~W[p]

Zip

Char-Woody,[p]Been using 'em for about six to eight months and I'm pretty sure we posted a picture of Mike's egg with one. They will work, but most of them that are available around here are galvanized, which I'm sure will turn a few away. Keep in mind that if you add additional chimney pipe can cause crazy temperatures in the cook chamber. [p]You can buy a roll of aluminum flashing material and make a simply one with a couple of rivets. If you really need to get one made of aluminum and don't want to make it, a local sheet metal shop can make one for you to size.[p]Z

KennyG

Char-Woody,[p]As usual, more brilliance by our Manager of R & D. This spawned some thoughts on my part. The 6 inch rain vent cap connected to a 7 inch to 6 inch duct pipe "reducer" just might create a monstrosity that slips nicely over the large daisy wheel. These reducers are not easy to find but I know they are available based on a little weekend project I did a few years ago.[p]K~G

Mary

Char-Woody,
Now, there's an idea. Always thinking. I would guess the top hat could get pretty hot, so one should use mitts and caution when removing it. I still use my conveintly broken flower pot, tho I did glue the bottom back on to make it a little sturdier. It gets hot.[p]Mary

Anthony Up North

Char-Woody,[p]Ya, Ya, as they say here up Nort. That my problem. Wife always wants to know "what's that for?" Keeps me honest. But I always tell her it will make the food taste better. She laughs abouot that and then forgets what I bought.[p]Cheers to you.[p]Anthony

Unknown

Char-Woody,
you da man! We have had more than our fair share of rain this year and I think you just solved my problem as well, so Thank You. I do have a question though - where do you get a high heat paint with a color comparable to BGE tint? Care to share the product name, color etal?

Zip

one feral kat,[p]I'm sure that C~W can fill you in on the paint, but here is some more information. [p]I have never painted mine as it is aluminum and hard to get a paint to stick to it. The only time mine is used is for low and slow and has been pretty well creasoted(sp?) up. I have never seen it to be useful at high temps as I don't want to stand in the rain. [p] An easier way of making one is to take a tomato can and take a pie pan and fold it over the can like a big taco shell. Attack with rivets. It will not keep out the rain in a blowing rain though. [p]Z[p]

Wise One

Char-Woody,
somebody (I don't recall who) has a picture of their table in which they point out a hole which is used for sticking a beach umbrella for use during rain. Sounds like a simple idea that should keep the rain out and the weight of the BGE should keep it from ever thinking about blowing over. like the idea because it doesn't mess up my limited knowledge of how to get what temperature.

Char-Woody

Mary, your right, I tested it over the small top opening last night and it does get very warm. I will have a cure for its slipping around coming up so you can tip the dome and it stays put..easily done.[p]

Char-Woody

Zip, Kudo's to you my friend..and thanks for the update on Mikes inovation also. I don't recall seeing the post, so this one is new to Old C~W. Good to see other minds at work and the galvanized coating on the exterior of the egg shouldn't be a concern. Unless it melts and drips inside. But the slope of the dome should deter that and all moisture will drip to the outside of the dome..Just my thoughts anyway.
Let us know how the units work in temperature control.
Cheers..C~W[p]

Mary

Char-Woody,
I also thought the galvanization wouldn't be much of a health hazard outside the egg.[p]Mary

Char-Woody

wise one, don't be too sure about that umbrella not tipping the cart. Maybe the umbrella would rip first, but there is a lot of wind load on the surface. One would have to measure square feet of surface against windspeeds to get a idea of what weight would be needed to support it. We did a lot of tower assembly and antenna wind loads in Amateur radio, and it took a lot of concrete to hold up a self supporting Rohn tower to 40 feet. And the antenna setups.
I agree. Using the caps may mean a slight change in temperature adjustments on the lower ashvent door. And I will *assume* that it will stabilize the upper range of temperature limits to a lower level. Just heat rising resistance. There are negatives and positives in most mechanical applications..Great launch last night of the new space station..Wow...nice rocket!
Cheers..C~W[p]

Char-Woody

Zip, I agree, painting is just a afterthought, but I think any good engine block paint that is close, like John Deere or similar will do for the top and sides. Not to bother with the inside areas if you do paint it.
Aluminum is always a good choice when you can use it in a low heat environment. SSteel of course is the best. Cost effective, no.
For four bucks...and no labor involved I kinda like this one. Time will tell tho..thats the ultimate.
BTW..I will post a method of making them slip proof.
Cheers..C~W[p]

Fingers

Char-Woody,
I don't think that the galvanize will be a problem. In my limited experence the affect of hi temperatures on galvanized sheet metal is not melting but rather a vaporization of the galvanize and difussion into the base metal. and that only occurs when the sheet metal gets hot enough to glow bright red in a well lit room.
Fingers

YB

<p />Char-Woody,
Here is a picture of my 10' fiberglass umbrella,it is bolted to my deck with a flange plate,the flange plate is screwed onto the threaded pipe of the umbrella,if this goes any where my house will go with it.
YB

Char-Woody

YB, thats a beautiful setting, skip the umbrella stuff. I think you need a bit more backlighting tho..Check out those nice covers on the BGE(s)...Well, looks to me like you got a lot of wind break there, and my thoughts were more on the independent egg tables on wheels. Lotsa torque. I have a place for a umbrella like that..mind e.mailing me your source? Thanks..
C~~~~~~~W...spaced out!

Char-Woody

Fingers, Great..thanks for the tip. [p]My personal concerns regarding galvanealed material on a grade of 1 to 10 would be about a 1. But its good to be concerned around cooking area's so all the input is welcomed.
Cheers..C~W[p]

YB

<p />Char-Woody,
It was snowing here when i took that picture,this is what it looked like a hour later,it only snows here every 10 years or so.I will e-mail you tomorrow when i get to work,thats where my catalog is.
YB

Char-Woody

YB, I will take it, snow or no snow..Nice setting! Thanks in advance for the info.
C~W

Mary

Char-Woody,
I suspect the umbrella post will break before an egg loaded cart goes flying. I've given up on those umbrellas after about 4 of them broke the post (umbrella closed!) on my wind-exposed deck. I tried to mount one of the broken ones on my deck railing to cover the egg in rain, but there's not enuf clearnace for it to work. Oh well.[p]Mary

Char-Woody

Mary, that was my hangup with umbrella's, heat and smoke. Now if they could make a umbrella with a top venting system like a wigwam, then ??
C~W[p]

Unknown

Char-Woody, My card Sir..."Have Sabre Saw, Will Travel" ^oo^~