Hi Lionel, Happy to hear someone is learning old techniques. Curing hams is considerably less trouble than one would think and the rewards great and various. Curing and smoking are two separate operations, however. A ham which had not been properly cured could not be preserved by smoking alone. You need a thermometer long enough to reach the center and accurate scales.
Hams keep better with the skin on.
An almost empty fridge at the lowest temperature setting, a freezer or a local meat shop will do the job in 1-2 days. If the outside temperature hovers about freezing the chilling can be done outside. If if rises, put the hams in a wooden or plastic container on chunks of ice laced with coarse salt and cover with additional chunks of ice interlaced with coarse salt. Add water to cover. There are two basic methods of curing, dry curing and brine curing.