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Homesteading Tips - Heating

Building Your Own Wood Stove

All that is required is a little knowledge of welding. If you cannot weld then it most likley will be cheaper to buy a used stove or a newer model. There are some very good energy efficnient models out there so if you want style and  elegance; and want to please the insurance companies then by all means go out and buy one.

However, there are some of us who like to do things our way and are handy when it comes it just about anything.

Homesteading Tips: Welding a Stove

I do not have drawings available at the moment but you may be able to follow my directions. If not, try looking for written material on a "Sotz" stove and that may help. You may also still be able to find a kit for converting barrels into stoves.

I believe my plan is better than a thin barrel but following along may be challenging. I will try make an images available later.

You will need a steel 1/8"minimum wall culvert, pipe, or old steel pressure tank from an early home. My tank was 60" high and 22" wide and very heavy. 18-24" by 60" is about the right size, unless you find two identical smaller ones.

Look in abandoned factories, rebuilds, old logging road construction sites, or scrap yards for this material.

I cut the tank with a metal saw using an electric skill saw. A cutting torch will also work. Make the cut completely around the tank at approximately mid way point therebuy creating two equal halfs.

You will also need to cut along the side of Only One of the sides the full length. But..you will need to do this twice creating yourself a 3" - 4" channel toward the end of the tank stopping there, but going low enough to allow upper portion to rest on the end.

Next you will also cut off along the side of the other half portion so as to create a wide enough area to weld a flat plate on top so you can place a kettle and few pots on it. Or..you may want to use angle iron and balance a flat plate on top welding it in place? I wanted it to look nice so I cut it as described. But don't weld plate on yet!

Next you will place this half piece on top of the one with the 4" groove and align the two halves so that they allow you to weld a plate for the front. Weld only the groove area for now so that they are one. You could use strapping or angle along the edges to make it easier.

Cut a large channel or hole on the inside middle bottom portion of the top piece out for the chimney near the end to allow smoke to enter into this upper portion. You may want as much as 50% opening so that smoke always rises into the top of the tank.

Now you can weld on your top plate.

After you cut out a 6" minimum hole for the chimney on the top plate, you will use the 6" minimum round pipe about six inches in length for the chimney and weld it near the back, middle or end of the stove, depending on where you allowed for it.

If you are using the typical black stove pipe from a lumber yard, just remember that the black pipe should slip inside of this pipe you weld on the stove so that creosote always drips back into the stove.

Once all that is done then you can put on a face plate with a square hole cut out for the door. After this you can make you own hinge arrangement and use a cast iron door from a retired stove or make your own steel door. Don't forget to make a small draft door or drill 3/8" holes for a vent. Start with at least two holes and add more if necessary. You want a slow burning fire but not too slow or too hot.

Whistling is from holes being too small! Try enlargening the holes before adding more.

You may also choose to put a face plate on the side of the stove for appearances. Once all the welding is done you may purchase "Flat black heat paint" to give it a professional appearance.

An alternative is to construct a stone wall along the long side to absorb heat and give a place to stand against on the cooler days, or when the fire is. I love this feature.

This type of stove extracts a lot of heat from the wood, allows for slow cooking or kettles on top and also allows for little smoke entering the home when the door is opened.

Option

Add 3/8" copper tubing and fittings used for gas lines inserted into black iron pipe and elbows returning back outside the stove to heat water. You must add this feature into the top of the stove before the top and face plates are installed!

You could also just make several bends in the pipe as long as they progress upward, place against a wall and weld some angle iron on the stove and a plate over it all to protect it from burning out.

• Do Not use black pipe by itself as it will leak sooner or later.
• Do Not use solder connections as they will explode once the solder melts!

The cold line must come in from the bottom and the hot comes out above it toward the hot water tank. Always install valves for servicing. If you don't know how get a plumber. But the idea is this:

• cold water comes from source
• valve shuts off toward stove. When this is closed--
• another valve opens before that valve in TEE setup to complete water circuit to tank
• a one way valve quarantees flow in one direction

Conclusion

My stove has performed very well in our Canadian climates but I accept no responsibility for the contruction and/or performance of your project.

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