rusted weber grate ?

My neighbor has a rusted grate for a weber kettle that he is just gonna through out. I thought it might be a great find for the UDS I am planning on building. Is there anyway to clean it off. Will some elbow grease and an sos pad work? Just wondering about it while I'm at work. I haven't looked too closely at it.

Unfortunately, no. Once the nickle plating is gone, the grate will continue to rust. I went through the nickle grate every two years.

I'd have both of you call Weber and order their SS grate. It's $20 and should last a long time. Mine is on three years, no signs of wear really, and I use it weekly if not more often.

I agree partially, the unplated grate will rust out @ grilling temps , but you can actually season the grate & not rust @ smoking temps.

A brand new set of grates is a great investment every few years. make sure you take care of them by pre-heating, cleaning, and most imprtant lubricate with oil. Lubricating Keeps food from sticking to grates, grill stays much cleaner, grates last longer, and keeps "Hot spots" on grill surface more consistent.

Keep grillin!!!