Piedmont wrote:

> Scott, It sounds like you thought about it. My perspective is from
> having already owed an NB cooker and all the messing I had to do.
> Modifications and such to make it work somewhat decent, wool blankets to
> cover it in the winter, silicon the doors, baffle the opening between
> the firebox and cooking chamber, add bricks, on and on and on.

I turned the fire grates around to elevate the base of the fire.
I stuffed a pie tin into the firebox opening as a baffle.
I extended the chimney to the grate with a piece of aluminum duct.
Total time spent modifying was under 30 minutes and under $2.

I'm getting consistent results without trouble. I think you
might have tried too hard :-)

Cheers,
Dana