My firebox door hinge gave out right before a big cook

Happened two days ago. Was getting my old offset ready for a 12-hour brisket smoke. Went to open the firebox and the whole hinge just snapped. Metal was rusted through. Had to use a pair of vice grips to clamp the door shut. It held, but temp control was a nightmare. Anyone have a good fix for a hinge that's not a total weld job?

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3 Comments

charlesb426mo ago

Been there, done that, and my brisket paid the price. I once had to use a coat hanger and some hope to keep a door on. A temporary fix is to drill out the old hinge pins and replace them with heavy duty bolts and nuts. It's not pretty, but it'll get you through a cook without the welding gear.

7

max4724mo ago

Man, that coat hanger story reminds me of the time I tried to patch a hole in my old brinkmann with a flattened beer can and some hose clamps... worked for about two smokes before it all went sideways. @quinn_mitchell9 probably thought they were being creative with the wire, but that bolt trick is solid for a quick fix. I ended up just buying a whole new hinge after my last brisket got too much ash on it from the door falling off mid cook. Sometimes the temporary stuff just makes you wish you'd taken the time to do it right the first time.

1

quinn_mitchell96mo ago

Imagine the look on my face when I saw my smoker door hanging by a literal coat hanger. Your bolt trick sounds way better than my sad wire and prayers method. At least the brisket only suffered a little.

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