Backwoods G2 Rehab

[J-Melt]

Restoration work on the Backwoods G2 Party Smoker that Meathead gave me is officially underway! It is super rusty inside, but almost all the metal is still strong and intact. There is one support for the lowest grate that is getting weak. This is encouraging to me. I used a wire brush and scraped off a good bit of the rust and flaking paint. My plan is to next spray it out then spray it with a bleach solution to kill any mold. I will then do a burn off to dry it and not encourage more rust growth. My final step will be to run canola oil all over it to hopefully show down the rust eating through the metal.
Did this sound like a good plan, or do y’all recommend any adjustments?


My original plan for racks was to rig it up with smaller racks held above the rusty old racks until I can afford new racks. This plan was turned on its head in the best way! I told some friends that we a doing Premarital counseling for that I could smoke meat for their wedding once I got the smoker cleaned and ready. They reached out several days later saying that they not only wanted to have me cook for their wedding, but that they would pay for supplies to rehab it! I now have a complete set of 6 racks waiting for the smoker to be ready for them!

[STEbbq]

It is a bit hard to visualize but I wonder if Lowes would carry a replacement part if it is just a holding strut. Maybe a few dollars?

I am not sure about the bleach. I worry about it being corrosive. Honestly a good burn off at whatever the max temps are should probably do a good enough job. And more elbow grease with a good bbq-specific cleaner or even just soap and water and brush. Even wadded up tin foil is excellent and cheap.

The canola oil is a good idea as is probably a cheap cover.

And maybe a coating of high-temp paint?

The news on the grates is outstanding!

[STEbbq]

I like that mix more than bleach and yes, I meant the paint on the outside.

[J-Melt]

Makes sense! Yes, planning on painting the outside.

[STEbbq]

Hmm. We have a lot of fabricators here. Maybe they have ideas on that rail.

[J-Melt]

The back rail is failing where it is circled in red.

[STEbbq]

realdocBBQ Henrik Oak Smoke

[STEbbq]

Jerod Broussard

[Henrik]

I would just drill a hole and put a metal screw in there. Problem solved for less than 50 cents. However, you would have to drill a small hole first, then a bigger hole through just the rail (important).

[STEbbq]

If you have not already, I may drop a note or give Backwards a call and see what they suggest. Depends on the company, but some companies are super excited about these types of projects and have good ideas about what to do and supplies.

[J-Melt]

I had a friend of mine today ask if it needed any welding. He didn’t seem to think it was too bad, but will probably fabricate something for me if it is needed. Bigger priority for him is to help me replace my electric panel and get a couple more circuits wi my kitchen and bedroom are not on the same circuit.

[LA Pork Butt]

I was wondering about using a rust converter followed by something like the original heat resistant paint before using oil on it.

[J-Melt]

Can you safely do that on the inside of the cooker? Or are you just talking the outside of it?

[LA Pork Butt]

J-Melt I don’t know about the rust converter, but I would assume they had some kind of finish on the inside when it was new. As STEbbq suggested contacting the company about restoration might be a good place to start getting reliable information and advice.

[J-Melt]

Good call. I just emailed them and sent the same pictures y’all saw to see what they think.

[Spinaker]

Man you are one lucky dude to have gotten this rig! I have had my eye on a Chubby G2 for a long time. Bring that baby back to life. It deserves to have the smoke flowing again.

I will be following this!

[J-Melt]

I heard back from Backwoods and they unfortunately were not overly excited to help. First the support guy said to use a wire brush or sander to get the rust off.

I asked if I can put anything over it to protect it and he said to spray a light coating of cooking oil.

I guess I’m sticking with a slightly adjusted original plan: scrape some more rust off (while wearing a mask this time 😰), then scrub with some dawn, water and maybe vinegar mixture. I will then do a burn in to dry it out. Then put a layer of cooking oil and do a second burn in.

Then cook some yummy food!

Just got to kick this stupid bronchopneumonia I keep getting.

[Henrik]

J-Melt - looking at the rust in the picture it seems to be surface rust only, which is a good thing. Start with a slightly softer brush. You basically just want to polish the surface, not wear it down (too much).

[J-Melt]

Henrik I’ve never looked for one before, do they grade the stiffness of them in any uniform way? Or do you have recommendations on what to look out for as I select a brush?

[Henrik]

Here’s one example: https://www.amazon.com/TILAX-Cleanin...0678139&sr=8-4
Start off not applying any pressure at all, and then apply more if needed. The rust will go away, it’s just a matter of avoiding too much wear or scratch marks. And keep moving the brush, slowly sweeping it back and forth. You’ll get the hang of it in no time.

[J-Melt]

Alright, so I got the brushes in a really good deal from Menards and took my first swing at it today. Unfortunately, it does not seem that the rust wants to come off easily. I was able to get some off. I did find that I was punching through some of the metal, specifically in the lower door.
I’m thinking I may need to stop brushing before I eat too much of the metal away and move on to a good clean and oiling.

Me all geared up to not inhale rust or get it in my eyes!

[Jerod Broussard]

Slight surface rust is no big deal once you oil it down. I grew up on a farm near the coast and the main color of most of the equipment was "RUST."

[STEbbq]

Looks great! You may be able to find something like JB Weld to fill any “holes” you might be worried about. I am not sure if JB Weld is the right sealant for metal especially heated metal but they certainly have applications for wood and ceramic. It is like $5 so I am sure someone who knows more than me can chime in with a better recommendation. Or maybe Lowes people have a rec.

[texastweeter]

Find someone that has a vat for engine blocks, lol.

[jfmorris]

I think you need to not scrub through the metal into the insulation between inside and outside shells, and just oil it and burn it in... the oil will form a protective layer. I imagine the reason it rusted was lack of use and lack of seasoning.

[J-Melt]

Second burn in is under way after a cleaning and application of vegetable oil! As I watch videos, I realize that it is missing its heat diverter that goes right above the charcoal.. It has a water pan that also diverts the heat. How important do y’all think it is that I get ahold of that?

[texastweeter]

Craft you one.

[J-Melt]

texastweeter what do you mean? Are you saying I should just make one myself?

[texastweeter]

Yup

[LA Pork Butt]

When I cooked on an old bullet water smoker the water pan was the heat diverter.

[J-Melt]

Here she is loaded up with the racks and water pan doing its burn in! I think I may have the water pan where the deflector plate goes. I’ll just try it like this for a while and see what happens.

[STEbbq]

I like that plan.
Where did the water pan come from?

[J-Melt]

The water pan came with it. I just didn’t have it in the earlier pictures.

[J-Melt]

Just got an email back from Backwoods support. He said that the water pan would prematurely get ruined if allowed to be next to the fire without a deflector. Deflector is $110 after shipping cost. I know my friends who are funding the rehab would pay for it, but I’m not sure if I’m probably not getting too many years out of the body of the smoker to begin with.

What kind of metal would yall use to make one from scratch?

[STEbbq]

I hope someone can help on the metal. I’d suggest stainless steel.

I would also suggest taking your friends up on the $110. Parts can always be repurposed on another smoker down the road too if they are good quality.

[learning pellets]

Thought these were a vertical reverse flow with a chamber at the back of the unit that drew smoke up, then down & out the mutli-hole opening. If remembering correctly (highly suspect this time of year) the deflector would be needed. 1/8”, 3/16, or 1/4” steel would work. Just soak in vinegar overnight to get mill-scale off, then oil & let her rip.