Trash burner, Ember arrestor

JB4310 · Nov 16, 2007

I'm thinking like bird, once you get that thing fired up those doors are going to curl like potato chips, I see you made the latch's to accept alot of movement so maybe you'll be ok.
My Polish relatives are always making smoke stoves for meat and even well planned and built they still warp all to ****.
Good luck and let us know how it work out, I do know a guy who made a stove out of a tank but he framed the door with heavy steel, he's been burning all kind of junk in it for years heating his large shop.

Rch · Nov 16, 2007

Bird, I'll have measure the thickness but I'd estimate 3/16 th " It's thicker than a 55 gal drum. The center door helps with cleanout and smaller boxes etc. the bottom burned out of my 55 gal so I laid it on it's side and fed brush from both sides. I was impressed how well that worked so I scaled it up and corralled the embers better

Hopefully with the thing on stilts, more surface area, less water inside and ventilation that'll slow the rust.I used an air chisel to cut out the doors. Very slick and incredibly noisy.

You'll notice two hooks high just off center to avoid the chimney for carting it around.

Bird · Nov 16, 2007

I used an air chisel to cut out the doors. Very slick and incredibly noisy.

Having had a bit of experience with air chisels, I can imagine the noise. The little air reciprocating saw is the tool I'd prefer.

When I was out in the country, I just used a 55 gallon barrel upright for a burn barrel. I was able to get the barrels free and they lasted a little over 2 years. I just drilled about 4 half inch holes in the sides right at the bottom and one hole in the center of the bottom to let air in and any water out, and then set them on 3 bricks to hold them just up out of the dirt. Of course when I got the barrels, they had both ends still on them, so I used the reciprocating saw to cut one end out.

Renze · Nov 17, 2007

We use the big 208 liter (55 gallon ?) oil barrels to burn our trash, mostly feed bags and baler twine. They usually dont last more than a few months before they are deteriorated by the elements. The fire burns off the paint, then the rain makes it rust. When its heated, the rust chips off and the rain makes it rust again.

I'd like to build a stove or workshop heater that is as long as yours, so i dont have to cut down all the logs in small pieces, and to throw whole fence posts in.... I havent found a suitable shell yet...

Oh wait, would an air tank from an old compressor be thick enough ?? i still have one.

dbdartman · Nov 17, 2007

I'd guess that 275gal tank is probably made of 10g sheet (just a hair over 1/8" thick). Those doors, & the surrounding areas, are going to warp like crazy.

Renze, I'd imaging an old compressor tank would work very well as a burn barrel. Should be at least 3/16 inch thick, probably closer to 1/4 inch (around 4-6mm).

JB4310 · Nov 17, 2007

Rch said:
Bird, I'll have measure the thickness but I'd estimate 3/16 th " It's thicker than a 55 gal drum. The center door helps with cleanout and smaller boxes etc. the bottom burned out of my 55 gal so I laid it on it's side and fed brush from both sides. I was impressed how well that worked so I scaled it up and corralled the embers better

Hopefully with the thing on stilts, more surface area, less water inside and ventilation that'll slow the rust.I used an air chisel to cut out the doors. Very slick and incredibly noisy.

You'll notice two hooks high just off center to avoid the chimney for carting it around.

Those are pretty straight cuts for an air chisel, Ive never used one but didn't think such clean cuts were possible.