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Firebox rust prevention

Posted: Sat Jul 01, 2017 10:25 pm
by Sanchezwerx
Hello I'm new here, got a big smoker last year and and cleaned and refurbished her, made a new larger table and and gave her a fresh coat of paint. except for the inside bottom of the fireboxshes awesome, she rusting some and need to see if there's anything I can do to stop rust in the firebox [img]//uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170702/228089c64c31aa0cd5be8b4e37a9ae43.jpg[/img][img]//uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170702/8ee4b2b335ad0cfe458111cffb920a06.jpg[/img]


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Re: Firebox rust prevention

Posted: Sun Jul 02, 2017 8:38 am
by limey
Knock the rust off with a wire brush and season it with some type of cooking oil. Reseason after cooks. I use peanut oil on the first coat and then spray Pam after the cooks on it. I try not to use any type of paint or chemicals on the inside box or inside of cooking chamber.

Re: Firebox rust prevention

Posted: Mon Jul 03, 2017 6:06 am
by k.a.m.
I agree with Limey if your'e going to put something in the firebox use Pam or some other type of cooking oil just before you fire up. Personally I do not I just make sure I clean her out a day or two later to get the ash out that is the #1 killer of fireboxes.

Re: Firebox rust prevention

Posted: Tue Jul 04, 2017 4:39 pm
by Sanchezwerx
Thanks guys that's kinda what I was thinking but I didn't know if there was something better out there. I sold bandsaw to this old guy last week and he told me to always get the ash out asap because it has lye in it and that is the real firebox killer. He also said the lye is great for trees. So now I'm thinking maybe I need to have someone weld up a removable wood tray with a "false bottom" in it for ash


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Re: Firebox rust prevention

Posted: Tue Jul 04, 2017 5:33 pm
by OldUsedParts
Would aluminum foil be out of the question for something like this :?: The reason I ask is because I always keep it in the charcoal pans of my ECB and the bottom of my Kettle. :dont:

Re: Firebox rust prevention

Posted: Tue Jul 04, 2017 10:15 pm
by Sanchezwerx
No not out of the question, I just want something a bit more permanent. I'm just not a big fan of foil. I may take some measurements for a pan and visit some restaurant supply stores and see if I can find something that will fit my needs


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Re: Firebox rust prevention

Posted: Thu Jul 06, 2017 4:08 pm
by mojoejoejo
I just replaced my New Braunfels smoker after 15 years due to firebox finally rusting thru . With my new smoker I've cut a 24 '' piece of flashing sheet metal as a sacrificial bottom. It's cheap, much thicker than foil and easy to replace once a year,

Re: Firebox rust prevention

Posted: Thu Jul 06, 2017 4:11 pm
by OldUsedParts
:?: is the flashing galvanized, if so, is it "Safe" for grilling and smoking with :?:

Re: Firebox rust prevention

Posted: Thu Jul 13, 2017 7:00 am
by Chasdev
Nope, keep the galv out of the firebox and for that matter the aluminum too, it also out gasses bad stuff according to the latest stuff I've read.

Re: Firebox rust prevention

Posted: Sun Jul 16, 2017 9:42 am
by Txdragon
limey wrote:Knock the rust off with a wire brush and season it with some type of cooking oil. Reseason after cooks. I use peanut oil on the first coat and then spray Pam after the cooks on it. I try not to use any type of paint or chemicals on the inside box or inside of cooking chamber.



^^^ This!!
I give mine a healthy veg oil rubdown after every use, when it's cool enough to touch, of course!

Re: Firebox rust prevention

Posted: Sun Jul 16, 2017 11:13 am
by DerKoch
Two things I do to keep it from rusting.
Get a basket for you're wood or charcoal fire and get it of the floor a couple of inches and put a catch pan under it.
The next day clean the firebox out. Ashes in the box attract moisture and will eat your box up. I have had smokers for years and they look great seasoned but no rust.