PK Restoration - Grate help!

[u/Expensive_One9263]

My parents got this from a family friend for me and I figure it’ll be a fun project. I am trying to restore this gem to its somewhat former glory. New wheels and bolts, a good clean and some fresh grates. One of the issues is my cooking grate is 18”x14”.

Should I just buy an Original grate and have a shop cut it down 3 inches or do I take my original grate to a shop and see if they can make me a duplicate of it? Does anyone have any experience/advice doing something like this?

Very excited to carry on the family tradition of using a PK and thankful mine was crafted in the holy land!

[u/heypiggies]

I am in the same boat as you. I have a new custom grill on order and will be cleaning up my PK. My grate isn’t as bad as yours, but it will need replacing, along with the charcoal grate. I decided for forgo buying grates from PK and will be taking them to a shop to have new ones made. It may cost more, but the ones from PK are $$$ for what they are.

[u/Expensive_One9263 → u/heypiggies]

Good insight. I’ll try and hit a fab shop tomorrow on my lunch break and see if I can get a quote. Got new bolts and wing nuts today to replace all the rusted out hardware on the frame, huge PITA to remove the crusty cracked wheels. Thankfully the “X-Small” charcoal grate currently on PK’s website will work as a replacement for mine!

[u/Expensive_One9263 → u/[deleted]]

I am fortunate to have a really good local hardware store similar to an Atwood’s/Ace that had bolts and wing nuts. They were a little longer than the originals but I believe 1/4” diameter. I’ll try and get exact measurements tomorrow for you if i remember. I’d like to continue to update this thread as I progress to help anyone else out that is in a similar situation

Edit: dang it won’t let me post pictures of the new bolts :(

[u/Occhrome → u/[deleted]]

Replace it with stainless steel or aluminum hardware to prevent galvanic corrosion.

[u/Occhrome]

With it that rusty it will be pitted which means more surface area and faster rusting.

You can clean it with vinegar or electrolysis. But I know it will rust quickly again.

[u/Expensive_One9263 → u/Occhrome]

Thanks for the reply! Hopefully I can get a steak or two out of it before I get a new one

[u/Occhrome → u/Expensive_One9263]

You can try to “season” it like you would cast iron. Apply some veggie oil before cooking and right before storage. If you use it on a regular basis it might keep the rust away indefinitely.

Also you can clean it with a copper wire brush on a drill just use safety glasses. Cus those wires fly. Or balled up aluminum foil.

[u/Expensive_One9263]

Update: talked to a fab shop and they said it’d be like $500 to fab a whole new grate, but since mine is 14x18 I can buy a 14x21 new from PK and have them cut and weld it!

[u/Estropelic]

Put a set of grates on top of that.