Broken "Top Hat" - One Cure & Solution

[wardlewis]

My Kamado suffered from a broken " Top Hat " just like many others I have read about in this forum. A number of you offered ideas to help me seeing as I could not get any help from the Kamado people - never an acknowledgement from my numerous calls and emails.

After sleeping on my dilemma I came up with a very inexpensive and effective fix. First, I took a hack saw and cut off the steel shaft to the broken top hat. Next I cleaned and sanded the top area. Then I purchased a Big Green Egg steel top hat for $42. I centered it atop the Kamado and glued it with 3M Marine 5200 permanent sealer. After letting it cure for a day I taped the Kamado off so no paint would get on it and spray painted the new "Top Hat" with mat/satin black high heat stove paint. The total cost of the cure/restoration is approximately $60. and a couple of hours time.

My Kamado now cooks like a charm. The new black "Top Hat" blends with the black Kamado logo and black handle. To anyone that doesn't know Kamados, they would think that is the way it is made from the factory. It is not as handsome as it was brand new with the original "Top Hat", but it looks pretty darn good and comes in a respectable second!

I appreciate everyone's help in the past and hope that this will help some of you that might otherwise send your Kamado to the dump.

[Porkchop]

sounds like a great fix! can you post pics here so we can see the finished product? will they let you post it over on RJ's site? i'm sure they could all use an elegant fix like that, esp. for under $60. shipping for a new top hat from them would probably cost about that.
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[wardlewis]

I wanted to buy a new "Top Hat" but the Johnson's would never respond to any of my calls or emails. I had a friend who wanted to buy a new unit from them and they would not respond to his inquiry. In addition it appears that they have now blocked me from accessing their site - and I have done nothing to merit that other than being upset that would not give me the courtesy of returning my calls. I am happy to post a picture here if that is possible.

[Admin]

I'd love to see pictures of the repair as well. You can upload to a free image host and just paste the link in your post. I recommend imgur.com.


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Don't Be A Richard

[Porkchop]

wardlewis, consider your banishment a badge of honor here. that's what you get for making the truth known. i'm sure alot of those guys lurk here anyhow, so if you post your pics and methods, it will still help some folks who are remaining mum in the vain hopes their cries for help will be heard.

i also have a black textured #7 with a rusted open damper. at some point, i may apply your simple and elegant solution. until then, the tinfoil snake will do.
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[wardlewis]

Attached are pictures per your request of my broken "top hat" solution. The link is below. Click on picture images to enlarge. Hope this helps.

http://wardlewis.imgur.com/all/


P.S. How can I add my picture to my post like you have???

[Admin]

Just past the direct link to an image in your post, highlight it, and click the "Img" button below the subject line box. Or, you can manually append "[img]" at the beginning of the link and "[/img]" at the end.
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Don't Be A Richard

[Admin]

Thanks for the photos, by the way - elegant solution!


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Don't Be A Richard

[Porkchop]

nice looking fix! that will help lots of people...
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[Unbelievable]

Nice job! I wonder if one from an XL egg would fit over the tile?

[Gerard]

Bravo! That's great.

[wardlewis]

Thank you very much for your compliments. That was great that you were able to post the pictures directly to the message! Good work! The Green Egg top hat used was the large one.

How would I go about having a picture attached to my name like most of you have on your message and reply postings (ie: Sgt. Shultz) ?

[Admin]

Near the top of the page is a tab called "profile". Click that, and near the bottom of your settings you'll find an area to add an avatar.

"Only one image can be displayed at a time, its width can be no greater than 100 pixels, the height no greater than 100 pixels, and the file size no more than 98 KB."

This can be uploaded by you, or linked from another site.


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Don't Be A Richard

[duk]

Absolutely a great fix........

[waldo]