Sources for steel drums

rswyan · Feb 1, 2005

ealasimi,

Good idea on on the water heater and compressor tanks. While I'm going to stick with the 55 gallon drums for my woodstove, I am going to try and find some old tank for another project I have in mind 9back end of a dirt pan.

SPIKER · Feb 2, 2005

RYASN:

no problem: we have those same drums /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif they have silicon sealant in them inside a plastic trash bag type liner that are used to seal in styrofoam toilet tank insualtion into the tanks with. pumped one in several different places and a full seam around the top of the styrofoam tank. the drums are very clean as they have the liners in not quite as heavy as the oil ones though they do have nice looks and full opening lids. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

anyhow I've got my truck down (broken key switch inside the collume) so I can't get any no way . /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

MarkM

andyfletcher · Feb 3, 2005

Steel storage drums can be used as stoves, however the drums will burn through quickly. Probably due to the wrong steel for that purpose.

If your going to use drums, get the ones that stored petroleum products as they're unrusted on the inside. Make sure they're not rusted outside either.

Never tried it but I would bet you can line the inside with firebrick plaster and give you a longer life.

If you can get yourself old road grader drums that measure
26in X 42 per segment, they're about 1/8in thick and made of high carbon. They'd last a lifetime. I made my snowplow with 1 drum cutting it in segments that gave me a nautural curve.

rswyan · Feb 3, 2005

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( f you can get yourself old road grader drums that measure
26in X 42 per segment, they're about 1/8in thick and made of high carbon. They'd last a lifetime. I made my snowplow with 1 drum cutting it in segments that gave me a nautural curve. )</font>

Andy,

I'm totally lost on this one - old road grader drums ?

Are you talking about a motorgrader ?

Or a pull-type dirt pan ?

Where are drums located on these ? Fuel tank ?

I do plan on using either firebrick or sand, depending on how I eventually construct the stove. I'll also use a grate rather than building the fire directly on the bottom/floor of the drum .

I have another pair of drums I got from a friend with a auto repair shop. One was anti-freeze and the other was ATF - just out of curiosity I'm going to compare these to the openhead ones I got that had silicone in them. I'm not totally positive, but I think the ones that had silicone in them might be heavier.

CTyler · Feb 3, 2005

I bought the Vogelzang double barrel kit and use 55 gal drums to heat my 50x64 shop. Peeps are amazed at the heat it can put out. Lots of folks used make double barrel stoves for thier shops when I lived in Montana.

You really need the second barrel for serious heat. I put brick in the bottom of mine and part way up the sides. Its not even fire brick just cut brick I had left over from the chimney. the paint is still on the barrel everywhere the brick is layed. Some folks put sand in the bottom as well. Fire brick would be best but what ever works.

I cut the door so that the small bung is at the bottom and left that bung out. You don't have to but like to let a little extra air in and damp the flue a little. Seems to put put more heat that way.

I also run two fans blowing across the barrels, one on each side. These were fans that were going to get thrown out cause they were noise and rattled. Lets me burn a little hotter and more efficient.

These barrels will last for years of you don't over fire them. If the barrel turns red its WAY WAY to hot. If its dark in the shop you should not see the barrel glowing. If you can just barely see it red, agian with it dark, your maxed out on the temp. I'm guessing this is about 600 deg. My temp gun only goes to 530.

The bottom barrel is the one you need to watch and have a feel for since it gets the hottest.

I also run a gauge on the flue and usually have it burning on the lower half of the "burn zone". With the second barrel putting out tons of heat your maxing out the bottom barrel when the flue temp is in the middle of the "burn zone". I'm not at home so I'm guessing on the flue temp at ~450 deg.

crk133 · Feb 5, 2005

didnt read all the posts...i got my drum from a scrap metal yard $10

andyfletcher · Feb 8, 2005

Sorry, I meant compact rollers. These run behind road equipment to compact the asphalt or dirt. They have a shaft that runs through them and the drums are weighted with some liquid.

But you know I have a better solution.

Get one of those 250 gal oval fuel tanks, a dime a dozen at the scrap yard, and cut it in half, both length ways and width. Cut off the front panel and reweld it back onto the back half. Weld a flat plate steel on the bottom, add legs, and there you have it. Looks like an oversized country mail box. You can then weld a furnace door on the front, cut out a hole on the top and fit a collar for your stove pipe, then your all set. Thick enough you don't need firbrick. You can make it more efficient but putting a deflection plate at the top before welding on the bottom.

See attachment