Hybrid BGE

Buxwheat

No, not like a Prius. Hybrid Gasket: Rutland on base, Permatex Copper on dome. Started this project yesterday by removing dome and prepping it. My original idea was to apply the material to the dome while it was off and then setting it back down on the base after letting the silicon set up a bit. Bad plan. When I set the dome back on the base, I couldn't get it lined up just right before contact. Had to slide it into position and Permatex squished everywhere. Had put wax paper down before setting the dome on the base. Wrong again. After letting the Permatex dry a bit, I decided to take a peak. The wax paper stuck to the Permatex. I scraped all the stuff that squished out off the dome and band and then pulled the wax paper out of the semi-dry silicon. This pretty much wasted an entire tube of Permatex. After clean up, I reattached the band, checked alignment, and tightened bolt.

Next try was to put Saran Wrap over the Rutland gasket, spray it with Pam, and apply another bead of Permatex. Spread it around the best I could then closed dome. The Saran wrap sort of slipped around a bit before closing. I should have stretched the plastic wrap over the base and made it cling to the outside of the base. (I had originally draped it over the edges and tried to get it to cling on the inside and out. Took several pieces and they all slipped out of place.) Anyway, opened it up this AM, removed the Saran Wrap, and trimmed off the excess. Here it is:



Made a pretty good gasket everywhere except the very back between the hinges:



I'll test it out this evening. I figure if I have any more leaks, I'll deal w/ small areas at a time by putting down a small piece of plastic wrap and a small bead of Permatex. Keep doing this at problem areas until I get it air tight. If I was to do this again, I would have put a smaller bead of Permatex on the dome and let it set up more before putting it in place. And use Saran Wrap stretched across the base and clinging to the outside.

If this doesn't end up working out for me, I think I will end up running a bead over my Rutland gasket, covering w/ plastic wrap, and closing the dome.

Hoss

:blink: That's a lotta trouble seems to me.Good luck.

Carolina Q

Colorful, ain't it?! Hope it works for you.

ibanda

I am wondering if the permatex is going to heat up and glue your egg shut? I think I would have stopped at "rutland on base." Hope it works out for you.

Buxwheat

I doubt that it will. Rated to 700°F (intermittent). I don't think anyone has ever measured what temps our gasket areas achieve relative to dome temps, but most of my cooks are done at 450° or less. I'm sure with nuclear cooks or lifting the dome in flashback situations could subject it to some high heat, but only temporarily. Worst case situation would be as you described, but as easily as silicon is to trim, I'm sure an X-Acto knife w/ a stab blade could free it in no time.

Deckhand

Once the Permatex sets up, you won't have any trouble with it burning or sticking to the other half. I have Permatex only on the lower half of my egg, nothing at all on top and have been over 1000° briefly with no harm to the gasket. (Can't say that for the thermometer, though.) I know of one person who has patched Permatex with Permatex successfully when part of the initial application stuck to the wax paper. Good stuff.