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Burning Paper Documents in the Egg

hotwag
hotwag Posts: 3
edited November -0001 in EggHead Forum
I was cleaning out my file cabinet, and had too many documents to shred with social security and account numbers (stack was two feet tall), so I thought it would be brilliant and much faster to burn them in the Egg. Bad idea.

The Egg got over 1,000 degrees, is black inside, and smells like burnt paper. The heat melted the thermometer top (plastic I think), and ruined the thermometer as well. I also think it melted part of the seal. Is there a way to get the odor out of the Egg? Is it ruined, or can it be revived?
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Comments

  • Grandpas Grub
    Grandpas Grub Posts: 14,226
    Interesting concept...

    "Is it ruined, or can it be revived?"

    I highly doubt you have riined your egg, other than possibly the gasket and of course the thermometer.

    Make sure your existing thermometer works by doing a boil test and calibrate it. If the dial won't freely move the entire range of the scale then of course it is toast.

    Before you trudge on much more with this get a new thermometer either a Tur-Tel or BGE. Unless you have another egg you could use a thermometer out of I would go to the dealer and pick up a new thermometer.

    If the dealer doesn't have an extra thermometer the n I would order a Tru-Tel. See The Naked Whiz site for more info.

    It is probablay a good time to do a complete clean out of the egg, yes remove all the components and then put it back together again.

    Put some cooking oil on the DFMT

    AFTER NEW Thermometer do another burn to clean. I wouldn't go over 600° - 650°.

    Let the egg cool and check for the oder. If it isn't clean use a ball of foil and rub down the inside of the dome. If still oder smell the gasket to see if that is where the odor is coming from.

    Once clean & no odor, if required replace the gasket.

    Don't wait so long to shred your private papers...

    GG
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  • hotwag
    hotwag Posts: 3
    What's a DFMT? What do you think of spraying the inside of the Egg with high pressure water (like the ones you rent to do your deck or driveway)?
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  • Fidel
    Fidel Posts: 10,172
    Pressure washer = bad idea.

    DFMT = dual function metal top - e.g. daisy wheel
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  • Grandpas Grub
    Grandpas Grub Posts: 14,226
    Fidel is correct...

    A pressure washer could possibly etch or even cut into the ceramics. With my pressure washer I can cut into cement, I can only imagine putting a hole through the egg wall or dome.

    Hotwag, make sure you ask questions here BEFORE doing' some of this stuff' with the egg.

    A good rule of thumb is the egg is for cooking/smoking ONLY! :P :P

    hugs man!

    GG
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  • Slotmercenary
    Slotmercenary Posts: 1,071
    being so they were documents how about using White out! it would cover up the smell and give you that brand new white like a virgin EGG..... :evil: :whistle:
    sorry,.......... i couldn't resist i'll go quietly now.
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  • WessB
    WessB Posts: 6,937
    Enter yourself in the Darwin awards...you buy a $700 or so smoker/cooker and you wanna use it to burn trash...might just be me but somethin aint right here...could have used any old fire pit...or better yet..the shredder you already said you have..
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  • Unknown
    Unknown
    No better time to kick a man than when he is down, right Wess?
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  • Celtic Wolf
    Celtic Wolf Posts: 9,773
    He's not eligible for a Darwin Award. That is only given to those that have REMOVED themselves from the gene pool.

    Every now and then there is a question asked on here that makes you go "HMMMMMMMM"

    Like paper burns at 451 Degrees.. Could the temp actually get above 1000 if it was just paper??
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  • hotwag
    hotwag Posts: 3
    The fire was first started with bulk coals, then once it got going, the papers were added. But I don't know where I got 1000 degrees. The thermometer ends at 750, but it had passed that and had wrapped around to 100. Maybe I translated that as 1000, but it could be 900?
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