Building a waste oil burning stove for my shop

[patrick_g]

Bernie, the switch that I used allowed me to vary the speed ranging from full power to almost very little air was coming out of the blower housing. The first dimmer switch that I tried, it wouldn't do nothing at all. Looking at Lowes website, the switch that I used suppresses the radio frequency. The other switch I think just lowers the voltage. Which is why it wouldn't do anything.

The RF suppression is to reduce radio interference (static it causes on nearby radios) and doesn't directly effect the unit's motor controlling.

It doesn't actually control the voltage.

It turns the power on and off so that the average time of on vs off provides a variable "duty cycle" which runs the motor at varying speeds.

For the other technogeeks (I can't be the only one!) the unit that suppresses RFI (Radio Frequency Interference) has a circuit that turns on the power to the load as the AC waveform crosses zero volts (so, no sparks so to speak) and then switches off as the current flow crosses the zero point (and again no "sparks.") This is a better way but costs a few more cents in components to build the unit.

Turned all the way up the unit just passes the applied AC power. Turned down it passes only a few cycles of AC out of every several so the average power applied is controlled from near zero to 100%. This is also the way variable speed (corded) drills and such are controlled. Cordless drill controls are similar in concept but different in circuitry.

Pat

 

[LetsRoll]

I put up a few videos up on my photobucket account. I tried you tube but couldn't get them to upload. You Tube said something about Firefox might lock up if trying to upload videos using Firefox browser. One of the videos is dial up friendly. I think its only about three seconds long. I have two more videos but I will download them later. I have a total of three videos uplaoded to photobuckets website.

-Stove running (Dial up Freindly)-
Dial Up Folks -Stove burning waist oil - Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting


-Waist oil burning stove-
Waist oil burning stove - Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting



-Oil Flow control valve, variable speed switch and the blower motor-
Oil Flow Control Valve and Variable Speed Switch and Blower Motor - Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

 

[LetsRoll]

Last two videos that I uploaded. All it takes to run my stove is waist oil, 4 ounces of kerosene and 1.8 amps for the blower motor. The kerosene is only used to get the fire going. I dont use any paper, shop towels or wood. Plain O kerosene or I could use diesel. Thats all it takes. I still haven't built a funnel yet. Which is not high on my list since I got the blower motor wired in with the variable speed switch. I can control the amount of air to the point of veryly disturbing the flame or full power to the blower. I got the settings down to where I can use one gallon of oil per hour for high heat or I can adjust it down to low heat, which only uses about a half gallon. Anything under half gallon, the burner cools down to the point it starts to soot. This coming spring, I will be changing a few things. the top barrel will have heat exchanger pipes installed. I not sure how many I will weld in (probably 5 of them). I will also be redoing my door. I like Dons idea of adding glass so I can see the flame to adjust the air and fuel ratio. I also need to get my door to seal better. When I welded it, I welded a bead to long and warped the door a little (and people laugh at small mig welders saying they wont penatrate very good ). Actually, its not the door thats warped, its the front plate that is welded to the front of the big pipe that is warped. Adding a stove rope seal will seal it. Plus, I'm going to remove the upper and lower vents for burning firewood. I've removed the grate, so the vents are not needed since I've been using the blower motor.

Well, that all for now.

Thanks,
Cliff

-Temperture-
Temperture - Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting


-Oil Tank Under Pressure-
Oil Tank Under pressure 20 lbs - Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

 

[gsdavis1]

Cliff,

The videos are great. Are you going to make a downloadable drawing of your setup...just hoping

I would love to build one of these.

Greg

 

[LetsRoll]

Greg,

This stove is pretty easy to build. There is really no secret demensions about it. My setup would work in about any stove that a DIY'er would want to built. But, on the safe side, this stove will muster some serious heat. In the one video were I'm showing the valve, variable speed switch and the blower motor. The variable speed switch is not pushed all the way up. I'm really surprised no one noticed that. If I turn it all the way up (full power to the blower motor) and adjust the oil so that it burns clean. I can fill my stove up with a roaring flame. I have had it turned up before and I decided to take a look inside and see how stable the flame was burning and as soon as I opened the door, A flame shot out about a foot outside of the stove door. Now, I can control the flame or how entence the flame is by turning the oil flow down.

Anybody with any amount of basic metal skills (welding, using a torch) could built this stove. But, I would "NOT "recommend using 55 gallon barrels. My setup will burn a hole right through the skin of a 55 gallon barrel. This is another reason why I didn't build the mother earth news stove (for the lack of better words....hot water heater). Both the top and bottom barrels of my stove, there 3/8 inch thick. I've already had the bottom barrel glowing red on the sides of it. If I would have used 55 gallon barrels, I would have already burnt a hole in it.

If you got any questions pertaining to the construction of this stove, just ask. I will be more than happy to help you out. If you live close enough to me, I could hook you up with the guy that sold me the natural gas pipe. He sells it real cheap and has several pieces left over. I bought two pieces from him. One to make my stove and another piece to make an aerator out of it.


Cliff

 

[Bill Barrett]

Cliff, early on I said you might look at your local HVAC shop to find a blower off a furnace or boiler. Yours looks like a combustion blower off a furnace. I have three old units in the back of the shop now that have them . I might build a stove myself.
On a side note, old boy I've known for years, burnt his shop down with a corn burner. Be careful out there.

 

[skidsteer.ca]

Wow,
lots happen when I get busy for awile and forget to check in.
I have been thinking about going straight oil at some point in the future, so thanks you guys for all the hard work testing these ideas out.

I have just nicely put the 2nd 100 lb LP tank through mine now and am getting quite comfortable working with it.
I running a 20" box fan on the stove to help keep it cool, but I need to set up a squirrle cage blower for theat purpose next year.

The compressor actually runs vary little, it has a 80 gallon tank and a 175 psi cut out, it starts about every 35 min tp build back up.
Feeding the oil takes (almost) no volume, only pressure, and the air atomization part works fine at 15 to 20 psi, so the "leak" is pretty small, I am burning 24 amp of power for about 3 minutes to build the air back up though.

I'm going to switch my filter from a hydraulic return line filter which has a bypass if it gets plugged, to a primary fuel filter off a Detroit diesel which has no bypass and I believe a courser media. I just started on my 3 rd hyd filter and they are more expensive then the Baldwin BF 5800 fuel filter. Plus now if my filter plugs I could force dirt through the bypass and plug my nozzel. With the fuel filter the flow will simply stop when its clogged.

I can't hardly believe how little oil I actually burn using this. My modest 400 litre oil supply is going to more then make the winter. I may have to collect a bit if I run it in Nov and Dec next year, making it a full season .

This has been a great thread and by the end of the next heating season I'm sure several reliable heaters will be born from these ideas. Thanks for all the tips guys.
Ken

 

[barneyrb]

Roll,

I don't think your speed switch is going to last long (I've been wrong before). In the event it goes out you might consider a Router speed control. These are made for universial motors such as you are using. Generally any 1ph motor with brushes will run off of AC or DC. Harbor freight has one to give you an idea of what I am talking about.
Harbor Freight Tools - Quality Tools at the Lowest Prices

 

[LetsRoll]

Roll,

I don't think your speed switch is going to last long (I've been wrong before). In the event it goes out you might consider a Router speed control. These are made for universial motors such as you are using. Generally any 1ph motor with brushes will run off of AC or DC. Harbor freight has one to give you an idea of what I am talking about.
Harbor Freight Tools - Quality Tools at the Lowest Prices

Well, since I last posted on this thread, I was forced to make some changes. I had a back draft which gave me some pretty painful burns on my face. I went ahead and drafted up a funnel that compresses the air from the blower motor down pipe. I had a really good test. I will better fine tune my funnel when I get a chance. But as of right know, the variable speed switch is not needed. The back draft problem will not happen, or can not happen at my present setup (I've already tested for a back draft problem using 175 psi down the flue pipe ). I should have known better from my testing. All well, we all learn from are mistakes. I have a short video of were I'm taking my setup or going to try to get to. I did find a problem with my setup, but a little torch and welding will fix that problem.
Thanks,
Cliff

YouTube - Waist oil burning stove - pt 2

By the way...in the video, you can kind of see the funnel on the end of the pipe. Its a rough test, but I was seeing how the funnel will perform. Now, since I know, I will build a better funnel at a later date. And I need to change the distance from the funnel to the burner.

 

[miketheDrummer]

I also have been following your thread..Also am very interested to do one myself once the new shop is finished. Your last UTube shot is quite impressive. Sorry to hear about your facial burns!! That's a bit disconcerting, but as the old saying goes.."If You Play with Fire"..etc. I have had several flash burns & Oxy-Acetylene burns over the years..They heal up, but we usually end up with very usable items we have built & use for years of service after the burns heal (chicks love guys with scars)

You have built the quinessential Mechanical DRAGON!

We will ALL try not to burn down our various shops once we get free/cheap heat.

KUDOS!
Mike