Wood Stove?

[Don87]

You can order online here: Barrel Stoves - Barrel Stove Kits | Northline Express


I would recommend this kit,as it has the pipe damper and door mounted draft control: http://www.northlineexpress.com/woo...ng-standard-barrel-wood-stove-kit-bk100e.html

 

[steveessie]

You would be purchasing all the cast iron parts in the picture. Legs, door, everything(all the 'black' parts)..........just bolt everything to two barrels. And they do make the parts for a single barrel stove.

Try here for more option:
Barrel stove: compare prices and read reviews - Bing Shopping

Thanks Don, another question, is there a certain "grade" steel I need or is a simple closed top 55 gallon sufficient. I am looking at getting one through Amazon for $120.

 

[6011Artist]

Steve, any grade steel barrel will work. If you ask/look around, you might find a used one for 15-20.00. I can buy them used for 15.00.

I have several 55 gallon barrels that marachino cherries came in. The lid has a ring that clamps around the top lip after you put the lid on. It seals tight. If you can buy one like that it doesn't have the unneeded bung holes in them. (The screw out plugs). Mount your door in the bottom of the barrel, that becomes the front of the heater. The top has the bolt on clamp, easy to remove it and clean out the heater real good on occasion or slid a grate in or out. Not a must have but make it just a lil nicer.

If you go this route, keep in mind you need a "grate". Basically a cradle to put your logs on so air will circulate under/around them. Logs laying in the ashes don't burn as well. You can build one out of heavy scrap but make sure it is 1" rebar or something heavy. Lightweight grates get really hot and bend from the weight of the logs. It's best to make them so when the heater is 100% cool (next day BEFORE you build a fire) you can lift them out to shovel out the ashes. Make sure you can pick it up and bring it out of the front door at a 45 degree angle. The barrel is deep so build the grate in two pieces, a front and rear. Smaller sections are easier to handle. 3 sections and you could lift it and turn it to bring it out.

If you have a wooden floor you need some kind of protection from the heat. You can buy a metal pad to sit your heater on, pour a 2" thick concrete slab to put under it or something that will not burn. Solid steel plate will not work, gets too hot.

Running your stack out of the side and uop works. But mine was "choking up". Would not draw. A older guy that had a "fireplace and heater shop" in his hardware explained to me that without an inner and outer pipe, the cold stack actually choked the smoke. Inside your shop single wall pipe works well, puts out more heat. But outside you need double wall pipe for insulating purposes.

And going out of the side of your shop is easier, less expensive. Going out the top usually becomes a pain in the butt to not create a leaking roof.

If you got any questions, just ask.

I bet if you checked with your local hardware you might find the kit to do it and also have someone local to get advice from. Might even point you in the right direction to buy a used barrel.

I've seen them built out of old used 180 gallon oil barrels. (The kerosene barrels from yesterday). The flange does not fit as well, need a lil working with, but it will work. If you want to get really fancy, buy a piece of heavy pipe from a salvage yard the same size as a 55 gallon barrel. You'll have to cut plate for the ends but you'd never wear it out.

 

[6011Artist]

More thought, since you said you know nothing about a wood heater.

You need a hood or rain deflector on the top of the stack (outside) to keep rain out of your stack. Rain will cause your pipe to rust out quicker. You also make the pipe run just slightly downhill when it goes out of your shop. In case rain does get in it (some will), it will not run back into the heater and rust your heater out.

Clean it out in the spring after winter use. Ashes collect moisture and moisture causes rust. That thin barrel won't take much rust before eating through.

You'll need a "damper" in the smoke stack pipe a foot or so above the heater. It looks like a "T" with a flapper door. As the heater burns you will notice it leans in, fluctuates. That is from the outside draft sucking more air than your draft control in your heater door is allowing to pass through your heater. Also, if the wind blows a strong gust, without that it can blow back through your heater and blow a puff of smoke back into the room.

You can buy a draft control to go in your smokestack but with this heater kit your draft control is built into the door. The small holes in the bottom with the slide door to open and close the holes. You control how fast your logs burn by how much air you let into your heater. When you first light it, open them up, give it air, let it burn. But after you get it going good and the room warm, close it some, less air = less fire. On a hot bed of coals you could load the heater up with green logs and close off the draft and it might take 7-8 hrs or longer to burn the logs. Open it up, the logs don't last as long but it puts out more heat.

With a double barrel, the top barrel work somewhat as a heat exchanger. It basically keeps more hot air smoke inside, creating more heat. With a single barrel, you can build a flat top on it (or buy the kit) so you could cook or make coffee on top of your heater. I've cooked dinner many days on top of my shop heater. The wife is gone somewhere, I can prepare the pot inside, all ingredients-seasoning and let it boil on my heater. I don't have to run the stove inside while I am outside. After its done, bring it inside to finish, pick out bones, etc.

Many a meal has been cooked on a shop heater with your buddies drinking a few and waiting to devour whats in the pot.

 

[crazyal]

Around here most of the hardware stores, Lowes, and Home Depot sell the inexpensive boxwood type cast iron stoves. Last week I saw one marked down to around $100 IIRC because spring is here. I would think about 100k BTUs would be about the size you would need. I'm sure talking to a manager at Lowes or HD would get you a pretty good discount as I'm sure they want them gone.