# MY GOURMET ECB MODS -- STAGE 1



## engineman (Sep 18, 2014)

finally found the time to start the "pre use" mods on my new gourmet ecb.

i have started at the bottom, so this post is about *modding the base.*

none of the mods are my ideas, they are from different sites around the internet, but i have

*added my own tweaks to them*.

i have always thought that the gourmet was a bit low, and looked top heavy, so i have added some legs, with a wider  base. found some alloy strips, 50mm x 4mm, and with a bit of "suck it and see", i managed to fabricate the legs using my stand drill table and a hole saw to bend them around.
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__ engineman
__ Jul 21, 2014





     













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__ engineman
__ Jul 21, 2014





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__ Jul 21, 2014





     













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__ Jul 21, 2014






i got some stainless steel button head bolts from screwfix, and the result is very stable and level













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__ engineman
__ Jul 24, 2014





     













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__ engineman
__ Jul 24, 2014






added a pair of aga handles, which i got of ebay,













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__ engineman
__ Jul 21, 2014






next, was the *draft control.*

couldnt quite understand why most folks go to the effort of adding 2 to 3 weber vents,

when there is already a vent hole in the base.

so after a few calculations (back to school!!), i worked out that *1 weber vent supplies 1.3 sq " of air .*

i increased the size of the original vent hole to *2 1/4" diameter, which delivers 4 sq" of air flow,*

equivalent to 3 weber vents.













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__ engineman
__ Jul 21, 2014





  

 NExt was to design a draught control.

                                                     after a bit of trial and error, and 3 attempts, i finally got it right 

                          1/4 open                                                         fully open













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__ engineman
__ Jul 21, 2014





     













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__ engineman
__ Jul 21, 2014






                                fully shut                                                 fully open inside view













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__ engineman
__ Jul 25, 2014





     













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__ Sep 18, 2014






        













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__ Jul 25, 2014





     













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__ engineman
__ Sep 18, 2014






thats the base sorted, so the next post can only go upwards--fire basket stage 2


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## thinblueduke (Sep 18, 2014)

Definitely looks more stable.  Very professional-looking job!


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## grillmonkey (Sep 18, 2014)

Great job! Makes mine look like I chiseled it out of stone.


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## gary s (Sep 30, 2014)

These mods will make a huge difference, Put a damper on the lid

Gary S


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## engineman (Oct 1, 2014)

gary, here it is.

                                   













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__ engineman
__ Oct 1, 2014


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## gary s (Oct 1, 2014)

Great Job !!!    Looks really nice.  You now have an inexpensive smoker that you can turn out some fantastic BBQ on.

Congrats --------   Next pictures some great Q --------------

Gary


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