monkers wrote:
I am helping a friend build a pig cooker out of a propane tank (about
30" in dia. by 4'long +or-) the lid is pretty heavy and I would like
to make up a spring and cable to help lift it, I just dont know how to
arrange it. Do I have to build a "mast" that would be higher than the
height of the door in the opened position, with a cable attached to
the door and going over a pulley connected to a spring with a
turnbuckle? How big of a spring should I use? I can connect it to the
frame of the cooker. Will it work without making the "mast" sticking
up in mid air? What about a pulley mounted behind the lid, attached
to the spring? Any help would be great.
Thank you,
Craig

I would be inclined to use a counter weight on a shaft sticking out to the
rear of the lid. Make it detachable so as not to present a tripping hazard
when the unit is not in use. Experiment with weights (old barbell weights,
bucket 'o' sand or whatever floats your boat.

Ken.