first build so many things i need help on

this will be my first smoker i have ever built i grew up on a farm pit smoking pigs and we did ham on one of the webber charcol smokers my father recently bought a bradly smoker thats just amazing but i cant afford that  so i picked up an old stainless tub from my job which is what i plan to start with but the desicions i have to make heep me confused this i plan to put the tub in a steal shell with stove insulation a round it i want to be able to cold smoke as well as smoke norally so the plan is to have a second source for the smoke and heat my fisrt major desicion is gas electric or charcol so im wanting help and input on pros and cons of each.

this is what i have to start with i am also considering adding a thermal plate but not sure