Lid/lever question

[boone0]

Hey all, working on my second UDS build. I picked up a drum with a removable lid that included a locking lever.

What I would like to do is flip it, use the lid for the bottom so it's easier to clean(my biggest gripe with my first UDS) and use a weber lid for the top. However, after removing the rubber gasket in the lid, the lever no longer locks the lid (now bottom) in place.

If I fill the lip of the lid with red RTV, does that seem like it would be solid enough and hold in place to fill that gap and let the lid lock in place? I have some rtv on order, but I haven't worked with the stuff so I don't know if it will work in this application.

Plan B is to put 4 cam locking tabs around the bottom to hold the bottom on, but that's a lot more work that I'm not really excited about doing.

[Dirtytires]

I’m not real familiar with those drums but it sounds like you just need a filler on the lip to rake up the place of the gasket. If you find the right diameter, maybe a single band of solid round bar just tack welded to the top of the lip. Just an idea.

Not sure I would trust RTV much thicker than 0.125 inch.but they do make a rope gasket that might work nicely....believe Frank sells them on his parts site.

[boone0]

No access to a welder. Maybe a combo of some 3/8 or 1/4" aluminum bar in the lip with a couple beads of RTV. Does RTV work as an adhesive at all, or would the whole thing fall out?

[tinspark]

I have held 1'x1/8" gasket on with red 600 degree (Fahrenheit) RTV on a past build. That has worked fine. But I wouldn't trust it to dependably glue on a metal ring/ bar. Might b able to be done, but I wouldn't try it on anything I built. Maybe figure out a way to bolt or rivet several short angle iron tabs to a ring, tabs (legs to the inside) to attach your bar, since U do not have access to a welder, then silicone the remainder to seal.. rivets are flatter unless you countersunk your holes and use flat head machine screw (ie. 10/24 flat heads with nuts to the inside). cheap and can get anywhere. If U don't have a countersink, U can get by drilling 3/16" holes and carefully use a larger bit to countersink, but be super careful not to punch through. maybe a total of 8 angle tabs and 16 fasteners. then neatly silicone

[Dirtytires]

That definitely compliments things....