Wood burning shop heater

[9fingers]

I made mine from an old industrial gas cylinder, cut off the end and used it as a door hinged on a frame welded around the cut end. Added a flue, feet, flue and an air tube. Total cost about $50 - works fine. A heavy steel screen has been placed behind the back and side to prevent heat damage to the walls - done after this picture was taken

Alan

Great job. Looks fantastic.

 

[crash325]

In a little over a year I have built 3 wood burners out of hot water tanks. Very simple and easy to build. They work pretty much as an Air Tight.

The first one heats my house. Long slow burns and the ability to maintain my place at around 75 degrees. It is 14" diameter and 25" long.

#2 17" diameter X 25" for a neighbor. He tries to use it like his old pot belly and it over heats his house.

#3 A friend up the road a ways with over 2,000 SQ. to heat. His is 24" diameter and 26" inches long. It also has an 8" pipe the other 2 are 6". he burned mostly scrap wood this year and used quite a bit. But it kept his house very warm.

I will post a few pictures here. But if you want written instructions and construction pictures let me know. They can be emailed to you.

 

[9fingers]

That's quality work. Are those feet old railroad spikes?

 

[6011Artist]

I built a barrel heater upright out of a 55 gal maraschino cherry barrel that had the removable lid for my boat/fish cleaning/gardening shed....oh yeah, it also has a bar and poker table in it, 29X24. It has metal sides/roof, no insulation. It was 29 degrees out and the guys would tell me 'don't put any more wood in that heater', had 'em sweating and in their t-shirts...lol.

I cut the lid straight across leaving the front 2/3 as a lid and took the back 1/3 and welded it to the barrel for a solid mounted place to mount the stack. I then cut a 10 inch wide by 6 in tall door down at the bottom as a clean out door/air intake combo. I adjust the airflow by cracking the door open or closing it entirely, dirt floor, it's a shed so it's ok if a few ashes fall out. I used a thin cut off wheel to cut it out and hinged the cut out piece as the door. No, it's not airtight but you need a lil airflow to keep it burning. opened about 1/8 inch seems to work well. The top was reinforced at the seem/cut with 1" angle iron, heavy barn style T hinges for the top/loading door. The lid has the original lip to seal against the barrel and the angle iron to fit the opening part against the welded part seals really well. If it smokes a lil when you first light it, close the door a lil. It will make the few tiny cracks draw instead of putting off smoke.

I built a rack out of 1" rebar and heavy 3/8 thick angle iron holding my fire about 10 inches off the bottom. Problem was, with the rack that high I never did build up enough coals to have a bed of coals to put my next wood into. I had to keep it stoked to keep it burning, hence the guys telling me to stop stoking the heater...lol. The rack is basically like you would build for a fire barrel to produce coals for a bar-b-cue pit. So then I cut a piece of expanded metal to lay on my rack to keep my coals up high, can fire it less, coals there to get the next logs burning. It works great although it is not a heater for a wooden strucure. With a dirt or concrete floor, all would be safe.

I have a manufactured heater in my shop that is lined with insulating firebrick. It is very similiar to the one posted earlier in this thread, not the Vogelzang, but the other one. It works well as we don't have extremely cold weather here, but if it drops to the lower 30's, in my 20 X 30 shop, concrete floor, metal decking material sides & roof, no insulation, it can get chilli in there. I think I am going to get an old Vogelzang box type heater, older American made a buddy has and use it in my shop. The thinner walls put out more heat and I have a wood working shop to put the manufactured heater in.

So while you guys are deciding on what type heater to buy/build, if it is in an insulated building, an insulated heater works well. But in an open airy shop, a barrel heater produces more heat.

I knew an old timer 35 yrs ago that heated an old farmhouse, big rooms and high ceilings with a "trash burner" type heater. That was what he said it was called. The walls of the heater looked to be made out of the same material as the stovepipe and wasn't very much thicker. He explained that the heavier the heater, the more heat you lose. The thinner the heater, the more heat gets put out. Sort of like building the fire right out on the floor and only having a thin shield to take out the smoke. It was store bought, looked durable, worked well, but only lasted several yrs due to being extremely thin. My barrel heater is 2 yrs old and shows no signs of burning or rusting out. But my stack is designed so no rainwater comes back down into the heater...another important thought in designing yours too.

 

[6011Artist]

crash, those are some good looking heaters you have there bud. Craftsmanship is impressive. And I like the flat cooking surfaces you put on top of them. By them not being part of the firebarrel, I'm assuming in the middle is high heat and if you want to simmer you slide it over to the side? Nothing like cooking your meals on top of what is already hot instead of firing up an electric or gas cookstove. Ever tried using a camping oven on top to cook biscuits or cornbread? Bet it would work.

I've got a buddy that built a burnt oil fired heater for his big ol airy uninsulated shop. He took a tank that was 50 inches wide and 10' long and welded his legs on and stood it up on its end. The tank is 3/8 thick walls. He has a fan blowing air into the oil pot to increase the heat/oil burning temp. It's like an incinerator. I've seen the walls get cherry red if he turns up the oil. And he gets all his oil for free. He cut holes in the sides of the tank and slid a piece of 14" X 14" tubing 1/4 inch thick all the way through the tank about head high, welded up the tubing into the sides of the tank so that the tubing gets heat from the fire but the smoke never gets in the tube. He fabricated doors for both ends of the tube. That serves as an oven. He's cooked lunch many days inside the tube as he works. And he can load it from both ends. He then cut another hole in the back and slid another piece of the same tubing in to butt up into the side of the first tube, welding it in from the inside of the second piece of tubing. That created another smaller short oven. A farmer brings him several bushels of sweet potatoes every year. I've stopped by there many a day and he'd say, "taters are in the oven, you know where the butter is". Pretty good mid-afternoon snack in the winter. So he's cooking and heating with burnt oil and he's basically in the main part of town. He called the EPA to come inspect him after he got it rigged up. They said without the air he couldn't pass code, too much smoke. But with the air added, no problem, keep on cooking with used motor oil...lol. So if you got a source for free used motor oil, that too could be an option. If anyone wants to build one, email me, I'll fill you in on how it works.

 

[crash325]

That's quality work. Are those feet old railroad spikes?

You have good eyes.:thumbsup: Yes stove #1 has RR spikes for feet. #2 & 3 Have 5/8" carriage bolts as legs so they can be leveled.

While not truely designed for cooking. I have cooked on #1. Don't know if the other folks have cooked on theirs or not.

#4 Is started and with a minor change will be much better for cooking.

 

[Boeing]

Fellas, I bought the wood stove thru Craig's list....but am in a quandary for the exhaust stack... I have one of those 24X40 Steel buildings and with a poured concrete floor. I had planned on placing the stove on the back wall (where it is sitting in the photo) but don't want to cut a hole thru my roof. That means cutting a hole thru the WALL, and going outside BUT....I have a 12" eve or overhang from my roof....plus the pipe should go up ABOVE the height of the roof, right?

Option #2, relocate the stove to the side wall and pipe it up to the gable vent and out thru the gable, that puts it at the peak of the roof and no eve to deal with... A better idea, I guess, but then the stove is only 12' into the shop rather than at the rear for max heat. IDEAS, suggestions...
OH YES, I almost forgot, this steel building has med size hardwood and pine trees growing within 15' all around. Is a pipe CAP enough of a spark arrestor? or do I need something more (screen/mesh) or even cut some trees away?:confused2:
Thanks, Rob
BTW, that sad looking plumbing job for the sink is NOT hooked up or finished....bare with me.:laughing:

 

[ferguson123]

could cut a hole in the eve and bring it up that way

 

[KennyG]

If your building was insulated, stove placement wouldn't be too important. In fact, being nearer the door might be an advantage.

In any case, I would suggest going as high as possible inside the building, then through the wall. Make sure any horizontal section has some slope back toward the stove. Once you are outside, you need to go about 3 feet higher than the roof peak. I wouldn't cut through an eave, I would just build stand off braces and clear the roof.

You should never get any sparks out of a chimney if it's tall enough and not full of creosote. You might want a cap to keep rain out, but I wouldn't put any other restrictions on the chimney.

 

[magicheater]

I made mine from an old industrial gas cylinder, cut off the end and used it as a door hinged on a frame welded around the cut end. Added a flue, feet, flue and an air tube. Total cost about $50 - works fine. A heavy steel screen has been placed behind the back and side to prevent heat damage to the walls - done after this picture was taken

Alan

I like that!..has it's rear seated in stone. VERY innovative and aesthetically pleasing as well. Too bad the mass to the rear could not be the chimney, a bit more heat sink ya know! :thumbsup:

 

[cmhyland]

With the cost of the insulated pipe these days, I'd look at building a masonary chimney. Insulated pipe needs to be replaced every so often, 10 or 15 years I think...

 

[Boeing]

if it was a house with frequent fires I would. I'm an old guy so 15 years is plenty.

 

[brin]

ive got a stove like this

warms the 2 car garage nicely.

ive lined mine with 1" thick fire brick to extend the life of the iron.

Youll wnat a second damper control because the cheepy stove doesnt seal well.

its a real wood chuck and will SUCK down the wood, i burn a lot of cut up pallets.

cheep heat no matter how you look at it!

I used that same type stove in my 26' x 36' shop for years...I had another damper in the stove pipe going thru the roof...I worked great for me and did not use that much firewood...in fact it would get too hot most times even on the coldest days..

 

[Boeing]

Thanks for the input guys, I appreciate it. The local woodheater folks all suggested unanamously that I go thru the ROOF and NOT have bends in the pipe.....flow and soot issues. So, I put it at the end almost at the gable peak. Black pipe up to the trusses and about 5' of insulated (EXPENSIVE) pipe above that. (added cap too).
Another question, the stove has adjustable air inlets on the door to minimize the air allowed for combustion. Do I nead a DAMPER in the exhaust piping too? Would that cause BACK smoke and/or more soot buildup?

 

[brin]

Thanks for the input guys, I appreciate it. The local woodheater folks all suggested unanamously that I go thru the ROOF and NOT have bends in the pipe.....flow and soot issues. So, I put it at the end almost at the gable peak. Black pipe up to the trusses and about 5' of insulated (EXPENSIVE) pipe above that. (added cap too).
Another question, the stove has adjustable air inlets on the door to minimize the air allowed for combustion. Do I nead a DAMPER in the exhaust piping too? Would that cause BACK smoke and/or more soot buildup?

When I first started my fire I opened the stove pipe damper and left the door on the ash bin opened...the lowest little door and then as the fire took off I closed the stove pipe damper down except for about an inch and mine had little vents you could dial open or closed on the cast metal ash box...I left one of those holes open for draft...it worked good and the wood lasted longer like that. If you get smoke then open each damper a little until you find your sweet spot.

 

[kylebosch808]

Here's the wood stove I built. 2 feet wide 3 feet tall 4 feet deep. Fan forced on thermostat. Fill it once and it will heat for 20 hours.

 

[SandburRanch]

Thanks for the input guys, I appreciate it. The local woodheater folks all suggested unanamously that I go thru the ROOF and NOT have bends in the pipe.....flow and soot issues. So, I put it at the end almost at the gable peak. Black pipe up to the trusses and about 5' of insulated (EXPENSIVE) pipe above that. (added cap too).
Another question, the stove has adjustable air inlets on the door to minimize the air allowed for combustion. Do I nead a DAMPER in the exhaust piping too? Would that cause BACK smoke and/or more soot buildup?

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That's how I did my $15.00 auction stove. They seem to be less expensive in July at auctions with the outdoor ambient temp. 105°F.

Single wall up just beyond the ceiling joists and double wall after that. I like straight pipe up and out when possible. I've found the lower sections of the single wall black to deteriorate first from being hotter but I like heat being lost there in the shop. Pipe damper - mine was there originally and it has never been closed. I can get all the air control it needs down at the ash tray sliding air inlet. In the shop I want a good hot fire and have no reason for a damper.

I've even been known to do small blacksmith jobs right there where it's hottest.

 

[dixstir]

wood stove- I made mine from a 1000 gal lp tank cut in half put a 1/5 inch front on it with a large door built a jacket around it and a big fan rear top cut a 6-6 hole for draft and a draft fan in it when gets real cold out I drip a little oil its almost 40 years old .

 

[Boeing]

Got it cut thru the roof, black to rafters and insulated above. It heated GREAT. it was a windy night the first night and I got smoke in the building. The "stack" was just aft of the roof peak and at the gable end. The next day I cut cardboard and closed the gable vent (18"X18") AND went back to Lowes and added another 12" insulated pipe section. NO MORE SMOKE :thumbsup:
I DO have a question though....the stove is about 14" from the steel wall of the building, there are 2X4 "studs" and horzontal 2X4's that the steel sheeting is screwed onto about 14-16" from the rear of the stove AND the pipe going up. I noted that the wood gets quite warm but not "hot" to the touch.
Should I cover or wrap this wood with something? Suggestions?
This photo was BEFORE the extra 12" was added. The "box" just in front of the stack is a 15Watt solar panel that BARELY keeps my tractor charged. (maybe I need more panels?????)
Thanks

 

[Boeing]

Would someone please suggest a way to insulate the wood behind the stove...
See previous post. Thanks