Repainting the firebox area

[Laxdfns]

Hello all-

I have an OKJ Hyland (the newer variety, not the older, ticker kind) and last year I sanded down the firebox area and the smoking chamber face immediately adjacent to the top of the firebox and repainted it with a few coats of high temp paint. It has already flaked/peeled off and some rust is beginning to show.

I know that thinner metal means hotter metal which will increase the likelihood of the paint peeling faster, but I didnt think this is something I'd have to do EVERY year since I wasnt cooking that hot. What did I do wrong? Do I need to sand first, then use some high heat primer, then paint? Or are the thinner metal smokers inevitable to this kind of outcome?

Thanks in advance for any kind of insight.

Dan

 

[phatbac]

Then paint peeling on the firebox is inevitable in my opinion. i see it on 1/4" steel smokers i have owned too. one thing i do to mitigate it is spray Pam or some kind of light oil every time you smoke on the FB and then when it gets hot it kinda cures the paint some and protects it slows down the process of the peeling etc but doesn't stop it. once in a while i use high temp Rustoleum spray flat black to cover the rust and hit with some Pam. Hope this helps YMMV...

Happy Smoking,
phatbac (Aaron)

 

[Laxdfns]

Then paint peeling on the firebox is inevitable in my opinion. i see it on 1/4" steel smokers i have owned too. one thing i do to mitigate it is spray Pam or some kind of light oil every time you smoke on the FB and then when it gets hot it kinda cures the paint some and protects it slows down the process of the peeling etc but doesn't stop it. once in a while i use high temp Rustoleum spray flat black to cover the rust and hit with some Pam. Hope this helps YMMV...

Happy Smoking,
phatbac (Aaron)

That's kind of what I was afraid of, since I saw some high end smokers with similar maladies, but also thought it might be just how they were stored, exposure, etc. I did this year, for the first time, spray the entire smoker with canola oil on the outside after re-seasoning the inside, did help a little I suppose.

And I figure its going to happen no matter what eventually, especially in the summer when its hot outside and inside the box, I just want to try and make it last as long as possible.

 

[sawhorseray]

Yep, if you use them they'll need a re-paint about every year. Glad I saw this thread, I painted the firebox on my SQ36 last month and had the can in the garage. It's was 109º here yesterday and will be at least that for about the next week. My garage gets hot, real hot, so this thread got me up to get that can inside before it had a chance to explode. RAY

 

[thirdeye]

A good primer is key to any paint system. Rustoleum has a 2000° primer. Try a couple coats of that with proper cure time in between. Then use the 1200° flat or glossy top coat. I don't even know why they sell a 500° BBQ paint.

 

[ReelFaster]

My Okie Joe did the same thing, she looks pretty bad right now (only firebox area). BUT I will say partly my fault as I recall I was suppose to do something initially, perhaps it was building a smaller fire to set the paint, but I didn't and well the paint peeled quick. I did pick up some high temp grill paint to touch her up when I get around to it.