Stove Project (and green chile recipe)

[Millwright]

This is an early pic in the build.

The body is 16"dia x 1/4" wall pipe, about 22" long.

The upper box is 1/8" plate.

 

[packyderms_wife]

Do you think you could post a photo that is say not BLURRY?

 

[Millwright]

Do you think you could post a photo that is say not BLURRY?

Edited for civility.

 

[Green Co.]

Blurry?? I thought my glasses were dirty. LOL

Will be looking for more pics, looks like a neat project for a shop heater. I don't need one often, but a large one like that would have been a blessing several times this winter.

 

[Millwright]

One of the mods over at squirrels was kind enough to share the plans to this type of heater.

He is a jamb-up fab and welding guy.

His are built out of water heater tanks and 1/8" plate, he uses shop scrap and has very little money into them. His original plans are very basic, a round section with the boxed out part on top, a flat lid welded solid on top and the door.

He says the whole trick to how well these work is in the door design.

I added several features to this one as it will be my shop heat......with an option to duct heat into the house.

 

[moldy]

Looks nice - I'll have DH take a look at it.

 

[duchess47]

Looking forward to seeing it finished.

 

[Millwright]

After some of the heat exchanger tubes were cut in.

I added two more later

The flange to seal against the door gasket is in place.

 

[Millwright]

The doors are both have rope seal, the trick to it burning so efficient is being able to seal everything but the intake.

Combustion air comes in through a vent on the door. Being mounted on all-thread, it is very adjustable.

Inside the door is a piece of channel that is sealed at the top and has a baffle at the bottom that directs the incoming air to the bottom of the fire.

 

[hummer]

I'm impressed.

 

[moldy]

could you show the ash removal system in a photo, not the pull out but the guts that allow the ash to drop, and the outlet pipe area if possible. are you going to use a fan with the tubes.

 

[Millwright]

could you show the ash removal system in a photo, not the pull out but the guts that allow the ash to drop, and the outlet pipe area if possible. are you going to use a fan with the tubes.

I'm workin my way there with the pics.

 

[LittleJohn]

Great thread!

I've been thinking about getting into welding as a hobby and have been watching a TON of homemade stove videos on YouTube.

It looks like yours ranks right up at the top of the ones I've seen.

Good work!


LittleJohn

 

[AlaskaSue]

Great, thanks for sharing. My dad would have loved this! He did this kind of work and loved fabrication jobs of this type - did a lot of work on the boats in Kodiak

 

[Millwright]

The cutouts for the ash catcher-grabber.

I was scratching my head and walking around the scrap pile for the longest time trying to figure out how to deal with the grate under the fire.

I considered bar-grate, and several other options. Finally I just used the cutouts from the holes and put them on some angle. I hogged out the angle to sit fairly flush on the bottom, there is a 1/4" gap around them for drafting. I might take the plasma cutter and burn some slots in them...haven't decided yet.

The bottom parts in place.

The whole ash drawer is my addition, I don't know how it will work.

Building a round scooper to fit the bottom and cleaning through the door wasn't on my fun list.

 

[dogmanan]

Thanks for all the pics. looks good.

 

[Millwright]

As with most prototype projects the actual cutting & welding is not the bulk of the project.

Deciding how to make everything work with material at hand, building the tools and fixtures ........ that's what gobbles up time.

I had to build an adjustable circle jig that would work with my plasma cutter.

A big nut, some 1/4" slick rod and a few other scraps and pieces....

 

[Flippper]

Very nice! Are you going to have a baffle at the top to stop heat from going directly up the chimney and forcing the exhaust to burn more particulates before exiting the stove? I'll be putting one in my Fisher Grampa Bear (or whatever you call that monster) to help it burn more efficiently and heat better.

 

[Millwright]

Just a regular damper in the first piece of pipe.

I have a few more pics & details to add, the funky geometry of the door hinges & such.

I may get it installed about the time cold weather ends.

 

[night driver]

Recognizing it's been 2 weeks, You can call me stupid, but, I gotta axe. Unless you are cutting some dang large slots in the "grate" I don't QUITE see how the ash etc is getting into the drawer...

 

[moldy]

update please, more photos pretty please.

 

[Millwright]

Sorry about the lag, it's been cold & miserable...haven't been out in the shop much. If I had a working heater it wouldn't be so bad....lol

This is what I did for a forced air manifold on the back of the heat exchangers. A piece of 4" box tube with one side cut out and an inlet cut in the middle.

Haven't located a blower so the transition from there is an unknown, thinking of using a biscuit fan out of a microwave or computer.

If I want to assist the house heat, it will take a similar manifold on the front of the stove and some metal flex duct to a register in the house.

 

[LittleJohn]

Sorry about the lag, it's been cold & miserable...haven't been out in the shop much. If I had a working heater it wouldn't be so bad....lol

This is what I did for a forced air manifold on the back of the heat exchangers. A piece of 4" box tube with one side cut out and an inlet cut in the middle.

Haven't located a blower so the transition from there is an unknown, thinking of using a biscuit fan out of a microwave or computer.

You could rig up something to fit this, I'm sure...

 

[Millwright]

Because I used 5/16 rope gasket, the channel on the door was too narrow for it to swing off of the matching flange on the door with a 2" hinge radius.

There were several fixes, but the easiest was to slot the hinge and give the whole door a little wiggle room.

To close it you have to lift & jiggle slightly.....so goes it with prototypes.

As far a slots in the bottom grate, I haven't decided. Probably will put some, but it is easy enough to lift & dump into the lower tray.

 

[Millwright]

LJ, I'm thinking that will move too much air too fast and not get enough temperature rise.

Will probably try more than one to get it right tho.

It's all a matter of what the salvage gods bestow upon me.

 

[LittleJohn]

LJ, I'm thinking that will move too much air too fast and not get enough temperature rise.

Will probably try more than one to get it right tho.

It's all a matter of what the salvage gods bestow upon me.

I hear what you're saying, but could the blower be controlled with a rheostat?

Thanks for the pictures. They make me want to tinker and create stuff.

May the salvage gods smile upon you and yours...


LittleJohn

 

[West]

Absolutely a work of art and function.

The problems I have with grates and ash pan systems (where ashes fall threw to pan) is that they either burn out or clog up. What I now do is just design the combustion chamber with a flat bottom that is lined tight with fire brick. Then when ashes need to be removed I simply let the fire die down a bit and clear a side with long handle ash shovel then move most of the large hot coals to that side, then scoop out the rest or the ashes into the bottom ash pan to cool. This way I have coals left in combustion chamber to throw another log on and a nice flat surface to scoop ashes from easily. The ash pan in the bottom of the stove is a great way to go to both let the ashes cool and to use every last bit of heat energy from them, before dumping them outside.

 

[Millwright]

5 years later and I finally lit a fire in it.

So far working well.

Keeping the shop a balmy 32...it's 14ish outside. I didn't get it lit til about 5:30 tho.

Several more pictures to add when I get a chance.

 

[AlaskaSue]

Good deal, thanks for the update; looking forward to your pics! Having grown up as the daughter of a steel-fabricator who loved his work, I enjoy seeing what hands-on artists like you can do!

 

[Millwright]

Follow up on the install.

I didn't want a roof penetration so this wall thimble was rolled out of stainless.

The standoff arms were a project in themselves. I finally just built a bender to get the correct inside radius on 1" box tube.

One time use, bender.

The pipe holding everything up is chain link top rail. I put a jack leg on the bottom so it would be easy enough to keep just a smidgee bit of fall on the horizontal pipe going through the wall. Much easier to keep water out that way....also for adjusting as the block settles over time.

 

[Profit of Doom]

Dennis, move over. I’m starting a rat bastard list of my own!
Impressive.
Just for the record, I built a pantograph for cutting brackets for an open beam ceiling, 1/4” plate, 6x8 beams, 6x14 main beam, fleur de leif pattern. Inspector took one look at them installed, “yup, that’ll do”.

 

[hiwall]

Somewhat surprised that you used an ell instead of a tee for your outside vent. A tee would have made clean out much easier but obviously the ell works.

 

[Bud in Fla]

Looks good!!!

Thing I learned about stove pipe - it usually only lasts about 1 year. I heated my house and shop with wood in WV. I got tired of buying new stove pipe for the shop every Fall so I bought a 20 ft stalk of 6" sch 10 A36. I had to do some fitting but as far as I know it's still there 5 years after we left.
Rather than make an elbow I made the joints Tees notching them handrail so I could cap it but still take the cap off and run a brush up from the bottom.

 

[NoDandy]

Millwright, thanks for posting. I am not a welder, but I find this interesting. Looks like you are doing a good job !!

 

[Millwright]

I finally found a blower that seems to meet all the engineering specs....$5 at a junk shop.

Note the high tech heat shield.

It's keeping the shop fairly toasty AND simmering a pot of green chile.

***NOTE: This fab and cooking app is powered by Modelo.

 

[Pinecone]

Looks good! And I know what I'm making for dinner tomorrow!

 

[Millwright]

It's moving a lot of air through the heat exchanger tubes.

Makes a big difference in the shop.

39 outside and falling, 51 in the shop and rising. 30x40 shop area with 12' to the trusses.

 

[Toy Maker]

Nice! Just in time for winter!

 

[blackjeep]

Wood stoves are a great way to heat on the cheap! Good work, MW!

 

[thorr]

Very cool, enjoy the shop.....