New Grill Mods

Hello Ken, welcome to the SMF!   Great job on posting up some pics for all of us on your new grill mod project. No question about it, you're definitely going the extra mile to Pimp your new grill, that's awesome! 

I wouldn't let a little light surface rust bother, those doors will out last the rest of your grill even if you didn't paint them at all. Rustoleum makes awesome products to adhere to rust after you have lightly buffed it off, and the primer and paint will stick just nicely to it. It's the light film of oil from your hands and stuff you don't see that will cause you all the problems when you try to paint over that, cleaner the better.

As for your hinges, I like to use a dry type lubricant ( moly graphite spray ) over a petroleum based. Helps keep the dust and dirt from sticking to it causing you a bigger mess!

Also pop rivets work really well sometimes for mounting hinges over welding to light gauge material. Unless you have lots of experience with light metal and how heat affects it,it can drive you crazy for when things start to warp and pull out of square on you.

Your project looks really great, no question you are going the extra to make it look really nice for yourself.

Here is my .02 cents worth on your project. I knowing that the original material used by the manufactures to build your grill isn't very thick. I would pop rivet everything to your grill frame work to close it in, your sides hinges, everything. The you could use a magnet latch on your doors to keep them closed.

Now for the advantage in using pop rivets over welding in your project. You have the option of really Pimping out your new grill by using light ga. smooth stainless steel and or smooth mild steel or aluminum diamond plate.  NOW you really have a conversation piece for when you have friends and family over for a cookout and you're all standing around your New Grill tipping back a few cold ones while waiting on your meal.

, keep us posted with more pics for when you're all finished and up and smoking !    

Hello Ken, your progress   thanks for keeping us posted on your WIP ! 

IMO, the two tone color just adds character to your custom build, detail that bad boy out with a little red and orange fire flames onto the over all flat black and no one would know the difference unless you told it wasn't meant to be that way.

My money's on, your friends and family are more interested in what magic you have going on, on the inside of your Smoker over it's outside two tone custom uniqueness !