Pit restoration.

[locolobo]

Gonna ask for suggestions here for re-habbing a 16 yr. old Oklahoma Joe pit.
Firebox has seen its best days and replacement metal exceeds the cost of a new replacement pit. So I'm thinkin just a grill sorta pit. No firebox. Will have a removable fire floor under the grill surface, so I can remove all of the ashes and clean it good. Question? Outside surface is rusty And I would like to find a product to help preserve the outside surface. High heat paint sounds like a temporary fix. Anything that would be more permanent? Or just an oil rubdown after each cook? Any other products that will help protect the metal? any suggestions for the re-habbing?

 

[jrTheSmoker]

My dad had an old Brinkmann that sat outside in the weather by the shop for 30+ years, and all I did was take a sanding wheel from Ace on a battery hand drill and clean it up. There was more rust and metal on the ground than there was left on it, no joke. There was holes throughout and wood front table and handles were rotted off. I just sprayed it down with pam really, really, really good, like running off of it, lit a fire using a full chimney of charcoal, and just sat there for hours feeding it fist sized chunks watching my signals temp meters and learning the pit. I then just resprayed it if I saw the coating coming off, mainly in the firepit since it was thin it didn't hold heat so the fire was burning it off quick. That was 2 years ago or so, and I haven't used it in 6 months since I got my Workhorse 1975t, but it's in the weather uncovered and looks still just as good as I seasoned it that day. Now with my 1975t, I didn't want to deal with the linseed oil, so I just spray it down with pam every few cook, or if the FL sun cooks it off, since it stays 150F internal temp without a fire the past 3 months.

 

[locolobo]

jr, the firebox is toast Bottom rotted out, so I'm gonna take it off, patch up the hole and just use it as a grill. For burgers, chicken, ribs, sausage, etc, with the fire directly under the grill. I can see a new, cheap pit in my future.