Nice find, David! All of my Weber kettles (including my 26") are TWs and I've used them a lot over the years, so here's how I like to do things:
If the coals are on just 1 side of the bowl, position them so that they're equally distributed over 2 of the vents. Adjust them equally at the start and position the lid so its vent is opposite of the coals. If one end of the coal bank seems to be burning less well than the other, open its vent up a little.
If you have 2 banks of coals, position them so that 1 vent is under the fore end (usually the handle end of the bowl) of each bank. This will cause the remaining vent to actually be between the banks at their aft ends and this vent will usually be open a little more than the other 2 because it's feeding both sides. Place the lid so its vent is directly opposite the single aft vent.
Keep a set of pliers or grill gloves handy for adjusting the bowl vents. The tabs get HOT and until you get good with the "quick nudge" method you'll want something between your skin and the metal. You'll also want an old screwdriver or metal rod for gently clearing the vents if the ash seems to be building up during a cook. And when it comes to cleaning the bowl, I open all 3 vents and use my hand to sweep out the ash but I suppose a small brush or hand broom would work just as well.
I seem to recall that Weber discontinued replacement TW bowls some years back, so treat it right and any necessary repairs are worth the expense!
