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marshallbbq BBQ Fan
Joined: 02 Dec 2007 Posts: 163 Location: Knoxville Tn
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Posted: Jan 17 2008 Post subject: Bending a door |
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I purchased a offset smoker (made from a 120 gallon propane tank) but the door does not seal completely. Has anyone tried to bend or reform a door? It is made from 1/4 inch steel. I have thought about heating. Any other suggestions? _________________ Homemade trailer offset
18 in WSM
26.75 Weber Kettle
Large BGE
Medium BGE
UDS
Ducan gasser. |
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Alien BBQ BBQ All Star

Joined: 12 Jul 2005 Posts: 5426 Location: Roswell, New Mexico
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Travis_Creek BBQ Pro
Joined: 10 Jul 2005 Posts: 581 Location: Aubrey, TX
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Posted: Jan 17 2008 Post subject: |
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You need to tension it with a pipe clamp (or 2) and heat it on the outside. It is easier to stretch metal than compress it. Heat it on the inside and you'll be fighting yourself. Be careful hitting it, especially when hot, it will be easy to dent. If that don't work, I have a good bottle jack trick that works, but you will need to do some welding. _________________ SMOKERS THAT WORK!!!
214-471-4690 |
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txfireguy2003 BBQ Fan
Joined: 27 Nov 2007 Posts: 130
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Posted: Jan 17 2008 Post subject: |
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You might try flame straightening by using a rosebud tip on Oxy/Ace torch to get a "strip" of the metal on the inside suface of the door up to a cherry red color, then allow it to cool and it might pull in some. I have had VERY limited success with that process though. Another option I learned from this site, depending on how big of a gap you have, would be to go to a fireplace store and get some wood stove cement and a rope type gasket to fill the void and make a seal. I plan to use this method on my current project whether there is any warpage or not, just to get a total seal. |
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marshallbbq BBQ Fan
Joined: 02 Dec 2007 Posts: 163 Location: Knoxville Tn
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Posted: Jan 17 2008 Post subject: |
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I have tried rope gasket and have run into two problems. First the door has a solid seal in some areas but not so good in other, so the gasket will not fit everywhere. It is to thick or thin in areas. Also, I have had trouble getting it to stick to the door and the gasket. I have used stove cement, still is coming loose. _________________ Homemade trailer offset
18 in WSM
26.75 Weber Kettle
Large BGE
Medium BGE
UDS
Ducan gasser. |
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marshallbbq BBQ Fan
Joined: 02 Dec 2007 Posts: 163 Location: Knoxville Tn
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Posted: Jan 17 2008 Post subject: |
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Travis_Creek wrote: | You need to tension it with a pipe clamp (or 2) and heat it on the outside. It is easier to stretch metal than compress it. Heat it on the inside and you'll be fighting yourself. Be careful hitting it, especially when hot, it will be easy to dent. If that don't work, I have a good bottle jack trick that works, but you will need to do some welding. |
When you say "tension it" what are you referring to? _________________ Homemade trailer offset
18 in WSM
26.75 Weber Kettle
Large BGE
Medium BGE
UDS
Ducan gasser. |
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Travis_Creek BBQ Pro
Joined: 10 Jul 2005 Posts: 581 Location: Aubrey, TX
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Posted: Jan 17 2008 Post subject: |
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Clamp it from top to bottom, the direction you want to bend it. Bending a door back is not easy, you may even have to cut it off, bend it, then reweld. _________________ SMOKERS THAT WORK!!!
214-471-4690 |
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Smoke on the Horizon BBQ Super Pro

Joined: 27 Jun 2007 Posts: 1362 Location: Tulsa
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Posted: Jan 17 2008 Post subject: |
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Travis_Creek wrote: | Clamp it from top to bottom, the direction you want to bend it. Bending a door back is not easy, you may even have to cut it off, bend it, then reweld. |
Travis,
You never cease to amaze me with the way you are willing to share your experience and tricks of the trade here on the ring.
Thanks for all your help and advice.
Don _________________ Team Enoserv |
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marshallbbq BBQ Fan
Joined: 02 Dec 2007 Posts: 163 Location: Knoxville Tn
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Posted: Jan 17 2008 Post subject: |
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Travis_Creek wrote: | Clamp it from top to bottom, the direction you want to bend it. Bending a door back is not easy, you may even have to cut it off, bend it, then reweld. |
Travis,
I am trying to bend it in toward the smoker, the door is about 4 foot wide and 2 foot in height. When you say bend it from top to bottom, I am sorry I am still confused. The top of the door seals fairly well but the bottom all the way across needs about 1/2 inch and one side a little more. The top I can fix with a rope gasket. Is there anyway to clamp it around the tank and then heat? Thanks for your help Travis. _________________ Homemade trailer offset
18 in WSM
26.75 Weber Kettle
Large BGE
Medium BGE
UDS
Ducan gasser. |
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saintjoemo Newbie
Joined: 29 Sep 2007 Posts: 43
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Posted: Jan 17 2008 Post subject: |
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We had a similar problem on our build. We placed metal pieces on the concrete floor, placed a piece of flat metal in the middle, then ran over the middle of the door with a forklift. Worked pretty well. Don't have any idea what your equipment resources are. How about an idea of what you have to work with? |
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Travis_Creek BBQ Pro
Joined: 10 Jul 2005 Posts: 581 Location: Aubrey, TX
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Posted: Jan 17 2008 Post subject: |
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Open the door and place a clamp or two from top to bottom on the inside of the door. It should bend the door in the direction you want. The clamps are holding tension, then heat the outside of the door. _________________ SMOKERS THAT WORK!!!
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Ratmo Newbie
Joined: 26 Dec 2006 Posts: 39 Location: Peaster Tx
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Posted: Jan 17 2008 Post subject: |
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Could this be a hinge problem?
Ive had this happen before, but on mine, it needed to be ground down some on the top inside. I have seen the same problem with the rod type hinge being set to far back. No pro here, just got me to thinkin. _________________ "Hobby Only" Nuthin fer sale! |
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jib BBQ Fan
Joined: 27 Jan 2007 Posts: 301 Location: Covington, WA
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Posted: Jan 18 2008 Post subject: |
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A reallly good welder with a gas torch can straighten that up quickly.
My dad owned a structura steel fab shop. He built some ornate Stainless railing with a 4 inch pipe on the top, as the handrail. By the time all the comonents were fabbed up, it looked like a piece of spagetti. I watched his top guy with a water spray bottle and a Oxy-acetylene torch work his way down that piece, heating, cooling, heating, etc. He had a 20 foot length done, straight as new, in under an hour. I asked him to show me how to do it, which he did, but he also told me it would take 10+ years to master; which I believe.
Jack _________________ WSM
Charbroil gasser grill
Currently planning a Stumps clone build |
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JoeD BBQ Fan
Joined: 09 Dec 2007 Posts: 231
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Posted: Jan 18 2008 Post subject: |
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Travis_Creek wrote: | You need to tension it with a pipe clamp (or 2) and heat it on the outside. It is easier to stretch metal than compress it. Heat it on the inside and you'll be fighting yourself. Be careful hitting it, especially when hot, it will be easy to dent. If that don't work, I have a good bottle jack trick that works, but you will need to do some welding. |
Ditto on that |
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Forkin Pork BBQ Pro
Joined: 25 Jan 2007 Posts: 687 Location: Stamford, Connecticut
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Posted: Jan 18 2008 Post subject: |
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By the way little fella's. How do we get stove rope or gasket to stay on or stick to the door. Im at a loss!
I'll be gettin a diamomd plate Fatty soon, bet they figure out of to make the darn thing stay in place!
But I do need to find the asnwer to this problem, sews I can finish the project Im working. |
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FATFRANK Newbie
Joined: 27 Nov 2007 Posts: 96 Location: Wichita Falls, TX
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Posted: Jan 19 2008 Post subject: |
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Northsmoke wrote: | By the way little fella's. How do we get stove rope or gasket to stay on or stick to the door. Im at a loss!
I'll be gettin a diamomd plate Fatty soon, bet they figure out of to make the darn thing stay in place!
But I do need to find the asnwer to this problem, sews I can finish the project Im working. |
I usually rivet them on with a washer under the rivet head. |
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hvac81 BBQ Pro

Joined: 12 Sep 2005 Posts: 590 Location: Fort Mill SC
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Posted: Jan 19 2008 Post subject: |
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FATFRANK wrote: | Northsmoke wrote: | By the way little fella's. How do we get stove rope or gasket to stay on or stick to the door. Im at a loss!
I'll be gettin a diamomd plate Fatty soon, bet they figure out of to make the darn thing stay in place!
But I do need to find the asnwer to this problem, sews I can finish the project Im working. |
I usually rivet them on with a washer under the rivet head. |
Like so?
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smokin Jim BBQ Super Fan

Joined: 07 Feb 2005 Posts: 449 Location: Saskatchewan, Canada
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Posted: Jan 19 2008 Post subject: |
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The stove cement that comes with the rope gasket is no good. What I have used is the red, high temperature silicone sealant. This seems to do the job. In fact I know of some that just run a bead of the high temp silicone, let it set up and then close the door. Letting the silicone make the gasket. _________________ 18.5" WSM & 22.5" WSM
Weber 22.5" grill
BDS clone
VC5007 gasser
KCBS CBJ |
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divechief
Joined: 21 Sep 2007 Posts: 20 Location: Sevierville, Tennessee
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Posted: Feb 21 2008 Post subject: |
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Here are a few pics of how I bent my door into shape. It's 3/8" thick. I heated it with a torch and cranked tension into it with an old jack. The first try I went too far and had to do it again with the jack on the outside of the door. I didn't take pics of the second bend.
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mrcustomsteel BBQ Super Pro

Joined: 01 Mar 2005 Posts: 1997 Location: Bilings, still a Texan, MT
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Posted: Feb 21 2008 Post subject: |
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divechief, that's sweet. Consider that idea stolen!
Here's a couple of ways I've done it:
 _________________ D. Tillery
Texan transplanted in Billings, MT
www.mrcustomsteel.com |
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