I never bank my coal against the side of the kettle bowl. I am 95% convinced that the extreme heat is the sole reason why you see those big chips that are always on the side of the bowl where nothing can possibly hit it. If you notice...every one of those dime to quarter sized chips are always right over the spot welds on the bracket inside the bowl that supports the charcoal grate. This weld spot has to be a weak area for the paint to bond to. So needless to say, sometime I rotate by indirect coals, but never cause I feel I should. Its just random. But I never put the coals against the bowl itself. I try to leave at least an inch or more in between. None of my grills I cook on have ever developed one of those nasty bowl chips yet.