Fan installation on a kettle without a hole?

[Crljenak]

Apologies if this topic has been covered before, but how far have people gone exploring the idea of of installing a fan (Pit Viper, Fireboard fan, or similar) into a Weber kettle without drilling or grinding a hole? I've got a brand new new 22" Master Touch coming, and I am not completely opposed to drilling/grinding (I've done it to an old 22" and my 26" already and life goes on...) just curious if there's a non-destructive alternative.

Both of my tentative ideas involve using the existing intake vents at the bottom:

1. My first thought is that maybe there's a way to loosen one of the three internal fin pieces so that I could keep two of the bottom vents closed while clamping the fan to the third.
2. My second thought is that maybe there's some kind of magnetic, heat resistant, "sheet" material that exists that could cover the vents selectively, and be removed for cleaning and cooks that don't require the fan.

3min of googling was no help but maybe the community here has better knowledge than I!

Max

[Attjack]

Have you considered the top vent?

[Jerod Broussard]

I put one in between fins when they are closed. Close to the charcoal grate.

[Steve R.]

Drill, baby, drill. I think if you put it in place of one of the fins, it's just a matter of time before you end up with ashes in the fan device.

[Old Glory]

...or on your food

[RonB]

Welcome to The Pit.

I'd drill a hole and be done with it. If you rig it to one of the lower vent holes, you may compromise the use of that vent.

[HawkerXP]

Welcome to the Pit!

[Attjack]

What if you purchase a rotisserie and mount the fan to that?

[Crljenak]

Ok, it sounds like the consensus here is to drill... and I think I am convinced. Here I traced out the "dead zones" in the base, i.e. the areas outside the reach of the one touch fins. A couple questions:

1. Does the community have any opinion on whether the port should be "higher" or "lower" in these triangles?
2. If I want to be able to occasionally remove the fan and return to gravity/manually vented cooking, is the SnS Kettle Smoke Port Cover the best product to be able to close up those holes?

M

[Bbqmikeg]

Stuff foil in the vents instead of using the One-Touch damper blades if you end up not drilling. A port is convenient though.

[Joetee]

I have one that has the fire assist tube that runs under the fire grate. I don't know which one this is. But i modified it. I believe i used something like liquid wood and attached s plate to the out side end. It's been a few years and can't remember exactly how i did it. But it worked great.

[ecowper]

On the SnS Kettle, the "smoke hole" ..... aka Fan Port .... is higher up the body of the kettle. It's about the same level as the lower grate and allows the fan to point horizontally along the bottom of the lower grate.