Welcome to a lifetime of disappointment! Just kidding, but in all seriousness, this thing will make a smoking champ with the amount of work it involves. This site is a good resource. Right off the bat I drilled holes in the firepan and mounted legs on the outside, also put a grill thermometer on the lid. I did a couple of practice smokes then did a beer can chicken, it was a major success. Next I removed legs and set it on the lava rock pan and installed a lid dampener, I'm using less charcoal now, but struggling to get temp to 225 for the slow cook. I did ribs today, which were pretty darn good I must say, lots of complements to the chef from the guests as well. Next I will install rope gasket, carriage bolts to suspend firepan and some dampener to the lava pan, all in do time. Do one mod at a time and learn what works for you. The minion method is where it's at for charcoal, and rial oak lump works great. Good luck! And keep us posted!