# About red rtv sealant ?



## Smokin Okie (Jun 5, 2020)

I ran a bead across the top of my Brazos cook chamber yesterday.    Covered the bead with wax paper and closed the lid.    Today, the wax paper won't peel off the sealant.    What did I do wrong ?


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## fivetricks (Jun 5, 2020)

Because it's melded to the paper. Never heard of covering the seal with wax paper.

Perhaps the wax side of the paper was "up" instead of down?


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## Smokin Okie (Jun 5, 2020)

The wax paper is same on both sides.    Some use saran wrap or PAM or wax paper.


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## daveomak (Jun 5, 2020)

Plastic wrap...  That's the material to use...   BUT .....  You already knew that...


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## Fueling Around (Jun 5, 2020)

I fail to understand the reasoning on covering RTV.
RTV cures on exposure to air


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## mneeley490 (Jun 5, 2020)

Well, on the bright side, it won't be there for long.


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## daveomak (Jun 5, 2020)

Fueling Around said:


> I fail to understand the reasoning on covering RTV.
> RTV cures on exposure to air



To stop it from sticking to the mating surface...   It's for making a gasket that's stuck to one side only ....

Squeeze a line of RTV where you want to seal something... Gently lay Saran on the RTV....   Place the mating other half ON the Saran..  "GENTLY"...  let it sit there for 24 hours...  Remove the mating half and remove the Saran...  Let it sit to finish curing...   Use it....

If the mating half is heavy, place spacers between the 2 halves so you end up with some thickness of gasket that will work...    finishing nails work...  etc...


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## Smokin Okie (Jun 6, 2020)

daveomak said:


> Plastic wrap...  That's the material to use...   BUT .....  You already knew that...



Yep,  learned the hard way.

I should've known better than to believe everything I read on an internet message forum.

But its all gonna come off,  all the way around the lid.    The curvature of the door doesn't match the curve of the cook chamber.   I will never solve those leaks with a gasket.

And I don't really care about across the bottom of the door , heat rises.

I've tried the felt gaskets.   I just put the Oklahoma Joe's gaskets on it.    Waste of $20 and my time.


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## daveomak (Jun 6, 2020)

Clamps like this one will "pull" and hold the door closed...   Over time, with the heat of the smoker, they may even "permanently" reset the door.....


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## Fueling Around (Jun 6, 2020)

Smokin Okie said:


> ... The curvature of the door doesn't match the curve of the cook chamber.   I will never solve those leaks with a gasket.
> ...
> I've tried the felt gaskets.   I just put the Oklahoma Joe's gaskets on it.    Waste of $20 and my time.


hmm
I got a Masterbuilt pellet pooper and the door doesn't match chamber.
I have a felt gasket kit, but it won't resolve the leak points.
I'll try re curving the door before any other band-aid 



daveomak said:


> To stop it from sticking to the mating surface...   It's for making a gasket that's stuck to one side only ....


Thanks.  I wasn't thinking gasket over leak seals.


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## JWFokker (Jun 14, 2020)

If it's not a large gap I wouldn't worry about it. Pellet burners use forced air (positive pressure inside the cooker) so having a leaky cooker isn't going to create airflow issues that a stick burner would have problems with. Might struggle more than average in the winter to maintain temp, but that's the case with most pellet burners anyway since they aren't insulated or made of 1/4" steel.


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## Smokin Okie (Aug 30, 2020)

daveomak said:


> Clamps like this one will "pull" and hold the door closed...   Over time, with the heat of the smoker, they may even "permanently" reset the door.....
> 
> View attachment 448385



If I were to buy this clamp,  what's it called and where to get it ?


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## Smokin Okie (Aug 31, 2020)

I found the clamps.   They will be in Wednesday.    I'm not sure how they're gonna fit over the edge of the door.

I'm gonna attach part of the clamp where its marked in blue,  but I'm concerned about the clamp reaching over the lip.

And if I go red, the door won't close flush unless I find a way to inset a bolt.    And it might put stress on the weld.


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## Smokin Okie (Sep 1, 2020)

And I'm worried now, that I've bought the wrong style of clamp.    I've ordered the clamp style recommended above, but waiting for it to get here,   I'm wondering how its gonna fit on a pipe and how it reaches over the flange on the edge of the door.

Here's probably what I should've bought 

https://bbqsmokermods.com/smoker-pa...ll-toggle-bbq-smoker-door-lid-latch-2-pk.html


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## Smokin Okie (Sep 3, 2020)

I ordered both styles of clamps and they arrived yesterday.     The clamp in the post above this post,  from BBQ Smoker Mods,  will not work.    The length between the " catch " and the " clamp " , is not long enough.

The style I first ordered,  will work but I need to raise it just a bit.   I'm gonna have to make a spacer,  to fit between the clamp parts and the smoker.   Preferably, I'd like to have some 1/8" thick plate and then cut it to size.  

I don't know where to find a small piece of 1/8" plate ?

Or maybe there's something else I could use for a spacer ?


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## gmc2003 (Sep 3, 2020)

Would steel washers work? 

Chris


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## Smokin Okie (Sep 3, 2020)

Yes, I think washers might work.    And that would be much easier than cutting plates.


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## Fueling Around (Sep 3, 2020)

Washers work as spacers.  If you want more surface area look at oversize washers


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## Smokin Okie (Sep 4, 2020)

I went washer shopping yesterday,  looking for thick washers with a larger surface area.    Still not sure I will need to raise the latch.

In fact, I'm still not sure I want to put latches on this Brazos.   But the door is warped so badly , I think I have no choice.  

The bottom right corner of the door fits great and there's no leaks across the right half of the door.

But the bottom left is way out of whack.    Along with the side of the door.     I can push down on the door handle and move the lower left a good 1/4" or more.    And thats with a gasket.    That's too big a gap to close using sealant.

Many say that leaks on an offset don't matter.   But I've got temp problems along the bottom of the door.   I'm getting too much cold air in the cooker in the wrong place.


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## Fueling Around (Sep 4, 2020)

I'm not familiar for the exact build, but it may be a misplaced hinge. causing a corner out of wack.

Back to original clamping question, red zone is fine.  Weld isn't perfect, but no way a clamp will break it.


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## Smokin Okie (Sep 5, 2020)

Clamps solved the problem.


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## daveomak (Sep 28, 2020)

Sorry for the late reply...  The forum had issues... 
Glad you got it to work....  Dave


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## Smokin Okie (Oct 2, 2020)

daveomak said:


> Sorry for the late reply...  The forum had issues...
> Glad you got it to work....  Dave



Those clamps make all the difference.    The cook chamber is now completely sealed.    I did a 9 hour pork butt cook yesterday and my digital temp gauges were reading consistent with the analog gauges.    There's no more of these crazy way out of kelter readings.

Biscuit test says its still cooler on the door side of the grate,  but not nearly as much.    Big improvement in the corner at the stack end,  next to the door.


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