# Oklahoma Joe's vertical, advice needed



## brownac1983 (Mar 3, 2017)

Hello all. I'm new here. I usually use a pellet smoker or a gas pit so don't beat on me too hard. I've been offered this one, all I have to do is pick it up. I've never had a stick burner before, except for a big masonry pit that we shovel coals into. Are these any good? I've heard that there's a huge difference in quality between the older ones made in Oklahoma and the newer ones made overseas. Is there any way to tell which one this is from the photo? Any tips for running this thing? Is it worth fixing up? Thanks in advance.
  -Drew













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## gr0uch0 (Mar 3, 2017)

Brownac1983 said:


> Hello all. I'm new here. I usually use a pellet smoker or a gas pit so don't beat on me too hard. I've been offered this one, all I have to do is pick it up. I've never had a stick burner before, except for a big masonry pit that we shovel coals into. Are these any good? I've heard that there's a huge difference in quality between the older ones made in Oklahoma and the newer ones made overseas. Is there any way to tell which one this is from the photo? Any tips for running this thing? Is it worth fixing up? Thanks in advance.
> -Drew
> 
> 
> ...


This is old school, Perry OK vintage, not Beijing issue.  Davidsons' were stamping out their name brand on the firebox, CharBroil wouldn't spend the money nor have Bejing steel able to withstand, and the name plate above the thermometer is old-school OKJ.  The thing oozes quality relative to its bastardized, cheap namesake.  A little elbow grease will have this beaut back to pristine shape in no time, as all I can see is a little non-structural surface rust.  Go grab it, else I'll find out where your buddy lives and I will--run, don't walk.  Take the smoker goblin also.


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## ammaturesmoker (Mar 4, 2017)

I would not paint it....just oil it down good with peanut oil.


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## gr0uch0 (Mar 4, 2017)

ammaturesmoker said:


> I would not paint it....just oil it down good with peanut oil.



Agree completely, as long as what we think is a little surface rust is really only a little surface rust.  Hate to think it's a '67 Camaro that just needs a good buffing, only to find it's actually more Bondo than metal....


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## brownac1983 (Mar 26, 2017)

I finally got back in town and picked it up yesterday. It's heavier than I thought it would be. The only structural rust is on the little square spout at the bottom of the fire box that I would guess is a drain? It seems to have some sort of plug in the end of it. I'll cut that spout out and weld a new one in. Other than that, it's solid. It has a little rust in the bottom of the firebox but I guess that's probably normal. It hadn't been used in years so I degreased and pressure washed it today. Afterward, I sprayed the cooking chamber with vegetable oil and lit a 5lb bag of Kingsford in the firebox. It held a steady 200 degrees for 3-4 hours easily, which was encouraging.

- The sliding damper on the firebox where OK Joe's is stamped out is really stiff, it has to be tapped with a piece of wood. Do I need to loosen that up or is it even used normally? I read on another forum that you shouldn't use that as a throttle.

- Should I do anything to the surface rust in the bottom of the firebox?

- The little square drain in the bottom of the firebox that I'll be replacing seems to have some type of plug frozen in it. Does anybody have a picture of one? I would assume it's kept plugged unless you need it? Why would the firebox need a drain in the first place?

Thanks.

  -Drew













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## ammaturesmoker (Mar 27, 2017)

that looks like more than surface rust....I'll bet they have left ash in there for long periods of time.


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## brownac1983 (Mar 27, 2017)

ammaturesmoker said:


> that looks like more than surface rust....I'll bet they have left ash in there for long periods of time.


Years probably. It still had ash in it.Luckily it hasn't taken much from the metal, no rust-through or thin spots yet. What's the best way to treat it inside the firebox? The rust on the outside is no problem, but I'm hesitant to use any chemicals or paint inside.


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## ammaturesmoker (Mar 27, 2017)

coat it with lard....then burn it with coals or wood for about 45 minutes....recoat....burn again....leave recoated with peanut oil when not in use.


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## gr0uch0 (Mar 27, 2017)

Brownac1983 said:


> Years probably. It still had ash in it.Luckily it hasn't taken much from the metal, no rust-through or thin spots yet. What's the best way to treat it inside the firebox? The rust on the outside is no problem, but I'm hesitant to use any chemicals or paint inside.


Good call--no paints or solvents on the inside.  Amateursmoker has you covered--you can also knock down the interior rust with sandpaper or wire wheel, vacuum out the boxes, and go at it with consumable oil or lard like he mentioned.  Get some of that oil on the sliding damper and let it soak.  Tap lightly with a rubber mallet, plastic deadblow hammer, or 2x4 with a regular hammer:  if it doesn't loosen after that, go ahead and fire it up and (hopefully) the heat will help loosen it up.  As far as the plug in the firebox, I don't know what it would be for, other than to allow any moisture to drain if any were to find its way inside.  It doesn't sound large enough to be an ash cleanout.  If it's seized up, typical penetrating oil type stuff (WD-40, etc.) and see if it will free up after soak time.  If not, little Bernzomatic type torch on it should get it loose. 

Like he said also, get a good coat of oil on the outside also:  I'd leave the paint intact and not try taking it down to bare metal.  Don't know if you can get it as good as the original, plus it gives it some old-time character.  Update when you can--liking this thread, and good to see one of these oldies brought back to life.  Did you get the smoke gremlin too?


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## brownac1983 (Mar 27, 2017)

Made some progress today. The firebox "drain" (I've been told that this is actually a port for an optional propane starter) was gone, as was the bottom track for the firebox damper.













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First, the damper track. I milled down a piece of 1/2" angle on the lathe into a 1/2" x 1/4" L bracket.













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Removed the old track, and welded the new one in place. The damper slides perfectly now.













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Removed the old "drain" from the firebox, welded a new one in. I know, my welds are ugly.













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The heat baffle and grates are soaking in lye water, they should be clean tomorrow. All external rust is being treated with Chem-Prime. I'll paint the outside tomorrow.


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