SF Handle Modification

[MojoBones]

So I made it out to the grill over my lunch hour today, there is still a good 10 inches of snow in the backyard from the weekend, and proceeded to remove the handle with the idea of going to a big box hardware store on Friday to pick up digital calipers in order to get accurate measurements. The funny thing was, about an hour later, I was distracted from my work because my den smelled of wood smoke from the handle I had left on a shelf. Nice. It made me think someone ought to make air fresheners in charred hickory/cherry blend scent.

 

[LS2008]

So I made it out to the grill over my lunch hour today, there is still a good 10 inches of snow in the backyard from the weekend, and proceeded to remove the handle with the idea of going to a big box hardware store on Friday to pick up digital calipers in order to get accurate measurements. The funny thing was, about an hour later, I was distracted from my work because my den smelled of wood smoke from the handle I had left on a shelf. Nice. It made me think someone ought to make air fresheners in charred hickory/cherry blend scent.

 

[MojoBones]

Baby step sized progress. I ordered this handle from Amazon: A 5" stainless coil spring with a 1/2 stainless steel rod as a potential replacement that won't interfere as much with a font table. Turns out the original bolt is 1/4"-20 so, instead of prepping for my coaches meeting this evening, I went out and picked up some cutting oil and rethreaded my handle so it now fits nicely with the original mounting hardware (no holes to plug). I am not sure I will like the look, but truthfully I wanted it more for testing the lift on the lid rather than looks. If I do keep it, I will likely find a polished stainless steel cap and drill through the center to make it look a bit more finished. I'll post it mounted in the near future.

 

[MojoBones]

Okay so this experiment ultimately failed but it gave me something to do when there was too much snow to get at my grills. The single handle still made for an easy lift and closure but most of all it put a lot more stress on the opposite hinge than I thought it would. This was especially noticeable when you closed the lid. Near the end of the travel, the opposite end would fall out of alignment so not a good workaround. I also didn't like the look of the handle that much either. Having reinstalled the normal handle with the front table (which I can see why some people would have issues with it), I think it will give me the room I need, when I need it and be out of the way most of the time.

Now, with about 50% of the area clear of snow, it is time to clean the grills up, get setup for the Spring / Summer, and get cooking again!

 

[rexster314]

When I first read of this experiment, I thought that your solution would lead to over torquing the lid/hinges. Perhaps a 6-7" handle in the middle of the lid would be better, giving more room on the shelves that way. But that entails drilling holes in the lid which I can't see myself doing, especially since the EX6 is only 3 months old.
I need to look and see if I could relocate the shelf mounts about 3 inches lower for more room.

 

[MojoBones]

When I first read of this experiment, I thought that your solution would lead to over torquing the lid/hinges. Perhaps a 6-7" handle in the middle of the lid would be better, giving more room on the shelves that way. But that entails drilling holes in the lid which I can't see myself doing, especially since the EX6 is only 3 months old.
I need to look and see if I could relocate the shelf mounts about 3 inches lower for more room.

Yeah, you were definitely correct. I thought about several different combinations but I also didn't want to drill or fill for any modification which ruled out a lot of potential solutions right away. This little process was probably my way of rationalizing to myself that I want to have/do something more custom with regards to the front table. I have liked the pictures of the custom table posted on this site but I also have wanted to learn to weld for a long time too (plus I like the folding aspect of the official Weber table). In the end, all of this is really about keeping myself distracted, entertained, and well fed.