Smoker lid adjustments ....

[offset1945]

Hello Everyone,

My buddies and I are restoring an old custom made smoker, pictures soon to come.

The lid is lined with flat bar and it seems as if that is more for show than for creating a seal as inside the chamber surrounding the lid opening is also lined with flat bar.

I feel the lid as a whole could and should sit tighter to the flat bar lined inside the chamber but I cannot find out what is keeping it from doing so!!

We have lined the flat bar surrounding the lid opening with marking compound and ZERO transfer to the lid .. so again as suspected the lid is not truly sitting as tight as it could.

But here is the mystery, we cannot find where / what is causing this!
At this point we have lined every contact point with marking compound and it seems as if the lid is just floating on air .. ...

Its hard to see with the flat bar that is surrounding the outside of the lid .. but you can certainly see the lid should drop more so to speak.

Any suggestions as to how to proceed?
( to be sure the lid opens and closes freely and will slam shut if you let it go )

By 'sound' it sounds as if makes contact along the width of the bottom of chamber opening, but again with marking compound you can see that the pipe does not touch.

Hinges doing this?

 

[kruizer]

I don't see any photos but have you check the welds for contact?

 

[Alsta]

Any junk in the hinges preventing them from opening / closing?

 

[offset1945]

Sorry I am delayed on the pictures.
A few notes:
The lid is 38"x12"

I have ran a pass of heavy grinding and sanding around the entire lid and the cooking chamber.

As a result of this, if I place a plain paper towel ANYWHERE along the top of the lid between the lid and the chamber and close the lid it binds nicely and I could not pull the paper towel out without tearing it.
The exact same is mainly true for the right side.
The exact same test across the bottom has mixed results but mainly seems consistent in holding the paper towel.

On the left side, I can easily pull the paper towel out with the lid down. The flat bar on the outside obviously does nothing and it is obviously not sitting tight enough for the flat bar on the inside to do anything.

Will continued sanding work here or will I always just be chasing my tail?
I am beginning to wonder if the lid is warped?