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Hi Berlyn, Sounds like ya'll are moving right alone on the restoration! Hard work isn't it! The Grease Cup sits in the rear of the Broiler Box. It's there to catch any liquids that might be on the griddle when it is raised. Any hot grease will run down to the rear of the griddle and drip into the cup.
I'll let someone else answer the Thermowell lid question. I have not found a good method of polishing the lid, but here's what I have done before: I've used SOS pads to clean/polish the lid ( Do not get any water inside the lid!), then next to the polishing. I've used all sorts of metal polishes, Eagle, Mothers, Flitz, nichrome and more. Nothing has worked satisfactory. I even took one to the chrome shop and asked their "Buffer Man" to give it a shot. It probably came out the best, but I have found no way to make it look good up next to a freshly chromed top. Seems as though the Aluminium is soft and just doesn't respond good to polishing. I've even bought new ones from Hugh and they don't have the shine of the chrome top. I hope someone in the group will have the answer to this one!
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*****UPDATE******
*****ADDED 6 NEW PICS*****
Big Bertha
Berlyn
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***********UPDATE*******
********More new pictures*****
We are about 90% complete in Big Bertha's restoration. We did run into a small problem putting her back together. We broke a gas pilot light line. After much searching in our town, we did find one at our local Mom and Pop appliance repair shop. In fact DH talked to the "older more experienced" repair guy and he took DH to the back and showed him an old O'Keefe Merrit Stove he's restoring and he wants to see pics of ours when we are finished and charged DH $5 bucks for the part.
Can't beat that!!
Berlyn
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Hi Berlyn, Glad you mentioned the Pilot Tubes. It is the part I had the most problems with. It is an odd size, 5/32".. and is prone to failure. Seems as though cooking grease collects on it and makes it porous and easy to break. Everyone please do a thorough soap bubble check on them, especially where the oven pilot tube goes through the frame, thats where I found the most leaks and weakness.
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Thanks Tura & Stoveman for answering my other post as to rechroming. Hubby found a place nearby who does rechroming, but "inhouse only".
However, he has a friend who works for the owner and explained our dilemma. They are being rechromed as we speak. Hopefully, we are looking at May as having it completed and being up and running. I will post the finished pics when we get the rechromed hardware back and reassembled.
Thanks all again,
Berlyn
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Bet ya can't wait until you're cooking on it - what's the first "Chambers" meal you'll cook, do you think? Will you do like the old ads show and go golfing while dinner is cooking? :-)
t.
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Tura, Our handles should ready to pick up May 4th when hubby's back in town. I hope I can start cooking on it that weekend. I want to use the griddle and broiler so bad!! No more stupping down to the broiler!!!
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Our handles will be ready tomorrow to be picked up. The cost for rechroming all the stove handles, including oven and warmer door handles and latches is going to be $25.00 !! We can't wait to get them babies on!! We'll take pics and get them up ASAP.
Berlyn
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YEAH YEAH WE ARE FINISHED WITH BIG BERTHA!!!!!
Yesterday hubby put on her latches & handles, he did a test on the gas lines and all the "manly things" I know nothing about, we got our neighbor to help move her in. Hubby connected her to the gas and dear daughter plugged in the light cord. We finally cooked our 1st meal on her, being late in the evening nothing fancy, a couple of steaks on the broiler, a can of black eyed peas and mac & cheese along with Texas toast on the griddle. It was mmm good!! We cooked it all less than 30 minutes from start to finish. Who needs a microwave when you have a Chambers!!
Here's a look at the long process, but well worth the end result!!
Big Bertha
We did not put on the skirt on the bottom of the stove. I figured it's easier to keep clean without it. What are ya'lls thoughts on not having a skirt???
A big thanks for everyones advise and thoughts on this major project. Especially Stoveman!!
Berlyn
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If you decide not to keep the skirt, I'd be interested in buying it - just let me know your asking price via e-mail.
