Insulating Timberline850, a Covid Project.

[Greg G]

I don't believe that the Ironwoods have internal double wall plates on the sides, top, and hood like the Timberlines so you can't insulate those areas as easily.

However, I believe that you could insulate the bottom and rear exhaust ports if you wanted to lower the exterior temps and save some energy and pellets as well as perhaps the paint around the bottom rear of the exhaust box when cooking at the higher temps.

The sides are partially double walled. So you can probably add some insulation there. The hood is not double wall.

 

[John S.]

4- Curing the dreaded Drip Pan Liner MELTDOWNS!

Something I've been plagued with, melted drip pan liners. I have melted the stock heavy duty liners, and plain BBQ foil liners anytime I go over 450F. They only melt on the left side of the pan, which is the hot side due to the air flow design from right-to-left.

I've had great luck with 26ga stainless sheet stock, easy to cut with tin snips, fold by hand, and can take full firepot heat. I picked up a 16" square piece from my local sheet metal shop, made a paper mock-up heat deflector, then cut and folded the metal.

This add-on deflector goes under the drip pan and has two tabs that clip onto the right side of the stock fire pot cover. This distributes the heat better on the left side and protects the drip pan from direct fire. It also adds additional heat protection to the drip channel system.

This project took about an hour to make the template and cut the metal. I tested it at full 500F for an hour and the single sheet foil liner had no signs of melting!!

This was an easy fix, no screws, just tin snips and hand folding.

View attachment 2895View attachment 2896

Does this address the right to left temperature gradient in the timberline ?

 

[RemE]

Does this address the right to left temperature gradient in the timberline ?

This helps for sure, and is the cure for the melting liners. I folded the deflector to direct some heat towards the right. Next cook I'll take some infrared pictures and compare from previous shots to see the heat changes.

 

[RemE]

Does this address the right to left temperature gradient in the timberline ?

Yes! Here are I/R photos of the improvements in the heat balance before and after, this mod is a real winner. As it just clips into place, no mods to the grill, it makes a nice difference for minimal effort.

I has pleased to find that it improved the Exhaust balance, Plus it added additional heat protection to the front drip channel so no burned up drippings in the channel.

The I/R colors show heat differences, I had it on the Hi-Temp scale so it can show minor temp differences better.

Chicken roasting at 460F

I/R Shows improved balance on the left side, it was much hotter before.

 

[Djblake88]

4- Curing the dreaded Drip Pan Liner MELTDOWNS! (10/2020)

Something I've been plagued with, melted drip pan liners. I have melted the stock heavy duty liners, and plain BBQ foil liners anytime I go over 450F. They only melt on the left side of the pan, which is the hot side due to the air flow design from right-to-left. Also, when spraying oil on the grate, it would immediately create a white vapor cloud, then ignite into a big puff of flame.

I've had great luck with 26ga stainless sheet stock, easy to cut with tin snips, fold by hand, and can take full firepot heat. I picked up a 16" square piece from my local sheet metal shop, made a paper mock-up heat deflector, then cut and folded the metal.

This add-on deflector goes under the drip pan and has two tabs that clip onto the right side of the stock fire pot cover. This distributes the heat better on the left side and protects the drip pan from direct fire. It also adds additional heat protection to the drip channel system.

This project took about an hour to make the template and cut the metal. I tested it at full 500F for an hour and the single sheet foil liner had no signs of melting. Also, when spraying the grates with oil, no more flare-ups!

This was an easy fix, no screws, just tin snips and hand folding, then clip into place..

View attachment 2895View attachment 2896

Has this affected cooking in any way?

 

[RemE]

Has this affected cooking in any way?

No, it seems to have just toned down the left side from overheating the drip pan at high temps.

The thin stainless just spreads out the extremely hot spot on the left side of the fire pot. That side is like a blow torch so the drip pan normally is taking that direct flame and melting liners. This deflector is spreading that heat out which prevents the drip pan from overheating in that area.

There are no side effects, just more even heat distribution. I think I may fire up the grill in the evening, with the drip pan out and photograph this setup. Looking at the deflector after a couple of cooks shows intense heat in that left side, I suspect it glows red in use.

 

[John S.]

I was thinking of adding a 6 inch extension to the left of the heat distribution flange.
thoughts ?

 

[RemE]

I was thinking of adding a 6 inch extension to the left of the heat distribution flange.
thoughts ?

Look over mine, it handles the hot spot (that 6 inch area you are talking about), plus shields the drip channel area which helps with over heating there, plus the little fold in the back that deflects some exhaust towards the right.

This 26ga stainless is easy to cut with snips, and easy to hand fold. Personally I would start bigger like mine, you can always trim it down if needed.

 

[Slimpicker]

I don't know HOW I missed this thread and MOD but I have been thinking about this HOT SPOT area.
RemE, I have a Q: You think this would trap too much heat for a 575 and start to over heat the walls and bottom??? Your rigs are insulated, the 575 is not...

I HAVE GOT TO try something cuz I have a 30° difference right to left and that's too ridiculous...

I had a FAV metal place to go to but they have been gone for a couple years, so I need to hunt down something. Amazon has some tho

 

[RemE]

I don't know HOW I missed this thread and MOD but I have been thinking about this HOT SPOT area.
RemE, I have a Q: You think this would trap too much heat for a 575 and start to over heat the walls and bottom??? Your rigs are insulated, the 575 is not...

I HAVE GOT TO try something cuz I have a 30° difference right to left and that's too ridiculous...

I had a FAV metal place to go to but they have been gone for a couple years, so I need to hunt down something. Amazon has some tho

It's not trapping heat, just taking the full fire as it exits the pot baffle cover, the exhaust is still free to exit. This is just the radiant heat being distributed better.

Easy enough to play with, no mod to the grill itself.

Also, you could insulate the bottom of yours I believe, if there are double metal plates there.

Ya, I'm grateful to have this metal shop in town, super nice folks to spend the time cut me these small pieces here and there.

I'd get a 16" square piece, then make up a paper template and get snipping!

 

[John S.]

Rem E...So it Begins...
I got a 2 x 3 piece of 316 20 Gauge from the scrap bin at our Metal guy but at 20 Gauge it is Jig Saw not snips...
What do you think of Welding the extension to the big Steel plate...
and or a piece on the left side of the heat deflector....

 

[RemE]

Rem E...So it Begins...
I got a 2 x 3 piece of 316 20 Gauge from the scrap bin at our Metal guy but at 20 Gauge it is Jig Saw not snips...
What do you think of Welding the extension to the big Steel plate...
and or a piece on the left side of the heat deflector....

I'm an electronics guy, not a metal worker so welding is way out of my league! I tried not to modify the grill itself as much as possible. The stock steel belly plates and firepot cover seem like some kind of coated steel, not stainless but I haven't verified. I've no idea if they could be welded but if you mess something up, it may be hard to get a replacement piece from Traeger.

I used 26ga because it's easy to work with and still doesn't melt. I initially used it to cover up the ceramic insulation and protect it, and grew to really like working with it.

After insulating the barrel, I began to use this thin stock to deflect heat and insulate the drip channel system, and finally to balance the heat under the drip pan.

 

[John S.]

RemE
I spent 40 years repairing then designing computer hardware, this is my attempt at working with 20 gauge .... I bent the extension to match the traeger metal, in that I have not changed the traeger components in anyway, on the left there is a 3.5 gap at the bottom of the barrel. I just cut the extension to 5 inches and slipped it under.
now waiting for Amazon to deliver the insulation (6x)...
so I am on the way.... ( I hope).

 

[RemE]

RemE
I spent 40 years repairing then designing computer hardware, this is my attempt at working with 20 gauge .... I bent the extension to match the traeger metal, in that I have not changed the traeger components in anyway, on the left there is a 3.5 gap at the bottom of the barrel. I just cut the extension to 5 inches and slipped it under.
now waiting for Amazon to deliver the insulation (6x)...
so I am on the way.... ( I hope).

Beautiful work!

You probably are, but if not, I do highly recommend insulating the exhaust ports and the bottom rim of the downdraft box. I did mine from inside the grill by sandwiching insulation with the thin stainless up into the ports. It's probably easier to do this work from the back, by removing the rear sheet metal panel of the box.

My thermal photo shows that the port areas are now the coolest part of the exhaust system, where it used to be the hottest spots on the grill.

 

[Greg G]

I worked on my IW 650 today to see if I can make sure to not boil the paint off this one. I have received 4 replacement grills and I am pretty sure they will not be sending me another for the same issue. @RemE inspired me to add some insulation to this latest replacement. Instead of putting the 1/2in stuff behind the sidewalls I used some of the gasket material from the same company, it is rated to 2500degrees and should add a little extra insulation. I did use the same stuff he recommended for the bottom of the barrel. I am thinking about getting some of the cord like RemE used for the corners to put around the exhaust holes where the insulation is showing.