Wow! What an awesome thread, I was going to go the Big poppa smokers kit route but after reading all 688 I definitely doing my own build so its just how I want it and well more rewarding from doing my own build. I traded a couple bottles of leather cleaner and conditioner to our waste management guy at work for a brand new open head unlined drum and im beginning to gather parts. I have a weber kettle lid obtained from a posting on Craigslist but it is just too small so I went the old pliers mod and didn't like the fit or the look. So well working with auto repair shops for 30 years I have made many friends and business relationships with folks whos skillset is most benefiting to me since I do not weld. So called in a favor to a friend and told him what I am doing and got excited and agreed to do a couple things for me in trade for que. Sweet! So first thing he's going to trim the lip of the lin to set perfectly into the flat top lid and weld it then cut out tohe center of the flat top lid. And thats where im at, off and running...I will post pictures and update you fine folks as I go through this build.
