Sometimes I really let Bisbee weather in the hot Arizona sun. The result is the copper starts to get a patina, and if I let it go for long, it starts to look like the Statue of Liberty
Anyway - on to the mod...
One of the very few things I don't like about the Gen 1 Performer design is that you have to tilt the top panel to access the starter, charcoal, or anything else you have underneath. That was the case with Bisbee:
Invariably, when I am getting ready for a cook, I will have things on the top table, which I will have to remove to another surface in order to light the coals or get my Thermopen out of the basket underneath:
I decided that I wanted a mod that allows me to access the gas starter, and all the things I store under the top without having to constantly move things off the copper top. For a few dollars, I purchased a set of sliding hardware used for kitchen drawers (I even sprung for the "self closing" feature). I did not want to drill holes in the copper top, so I used adhesive to attach the hardware to the underside of the copper top, and using shims, positioned the hardware so the top would stay even with the side rails. The result is a mod that provides great functionality for me:
The key to this mod is alignment - you have to make sure the rails are exactly parallel with each other when you attach them to the top, otherwise the top will bind as you slide it back and forth. This mod works well with the copper top, which is really heavy. It would be perfect for a stainless steel top as well.
Winz