WOW. I am done. 5700+ posts, browsed, scanned, picked apart, mulled over, and digested.
I have procured all of the materials needed except for the expanded metal, and a 2'x2' sheet of that is available at HD for $19. If I can't source anything else, I'll just go and buy that. 2) barrels, 3) full weber grills for parts and lids, misc fittings, the valve, and other hardware. Got the lid off of the 1st drum (unlined) and popped the intake holes, and am looking to do a burn this week.
Couple of thoughts. I loved to see all of the different builds, and only a couple of things popped out at me that didn't seem to be covered. First: Intake height on the "fatman mods." Not the valve rod extension, but the elbow and pipe extension to get the ball valve up high. I didn't see it often, but I did see it in a couple of builds where the intake is above the exhausts. That looks like trouble to me. Make sure to keep the valve below the top of your barrel (or the bottom of the lid for that matter in the case of the domed lids). Otherwise, you may end up with a restricted intake, or worst case scenario; smoke actually exiting your intake!
The other thing I saw was the popularity of using elbows and extensions of the intakes, including the capped intakes. Every bend, turn, and extension will reduce your volume of intake relative to the pipe size. If you are inclined to bend and extend your intakes, I'd recommend upping your intake size from 3/4" to 1" or larger to compensate. I do like the single 2" pipe intake with 1) valve running up the side of the drum, but am staying true(ish) to the KISS method for the first one.
I want to thanks the big hitters in here, especially Norco, and specifically MushCreek for the grill/smoker mod. Hanging the fire basket up high for grill use makes a TON of sense to me, and I will be incorporating that into my first build. Pix to come as time allows!
My only question is specific to using it as a grill; are the standard 3) 3/4" intakes enough to get high temps for grilling purposes? I am thinking of adding 3) more intakes with caps incase I need more air. Should they be along the bottom like the others, or up high where the fire basket will be suspended? Thanks in advance.