wood burning heater

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Im building a wood burning heater with the burning chamber out of 20 inch. Above it I will set a 12 inch air to air heat exchanger with a blower, and then a 6 inch flu out the back of my garage. Ill keep posting progress. Attached Images
Reply:I have to finish the weld out on the vessel, then cut in a door on the front. Then its onto building the exchanger. Attached Images
Reply:oh yeah, completely free scrap build.
Reply:Looks like it will be heavy duty. Consider installing a tee instead of an ell on the outside as you'll have ash buildup in the horizontal part, eventually blocking off the draft. Just make some kind of easily removable cap or plug on the tee so you can clean it out easily. Or make one of the 90's into two 45's and use them to make the transition thru the wall.                                       MikeOl' Stonebreaker  "Experience is the name everyone gives to their mistakes"Hobart G-213 portableMiller 175 migMiller thunderbolt ac/dc stick Victor O/A setupMakita chop saw
Reply:very niceDynasty 200DXPassport plus w/ spoolmate 100victor 315c oxy/(act and prop)Miller digital elitemilwaukee power tools
Reply:yeah, i agree 100 percent with the 45s. From all the people Ive talked to who have done this, soot seems to be a major concern. I will probably do some sort of cleanout in the exchanger vessel too. Here is a rough plan of it. Ive already changed various details. but the general sense of things is still there. Attached Images
Reply:I'll also suggest making a sliding plate w/ holes to match the exchanger tubes. Attach a rod to it so you can slide the plate over tubes as they will get a lot of creosote buildup due to the cold air going thru them.                                        MikeOl' Stonebreaker  "Experience is the name everyone gives to their mistakes"Hobart G-213 portableMiller 175 migMiller thunderbolt ac/dc stick Victor O/A setupMakita chop saw
Reply:Nice, I will be watching this one!You have to learn the rules of the game. And then you have to play better than anyone else. Albert Einstein
Reply:Gotta love the VIC grooves!!what a great idea. this would be an awesome project for my un-heated shop!!Lincoln Power MIG 210 MP ( boat anchor )Lincoln Weld-Pac 100 HDHobart IronMan 230Cutmaster 42Jackson NexGenSumner Ultra ClampsDWM120
Reply:Awesome build, it'll never burn out that's for sure. It might take awhile to start throwing off the heat but once it does you'll be able to let it burn out. There'll be enough residual heat left in the pipe for a few hours. I wish I could put a woodburner in my garage but my insurance company won't insure me if I do, next year I'll be looking for another company....Mike
Reply:I am actually in the process of doing a wood burning stove for my shop. I have a lot of Pecan wood so I decided that I will put my heat exchanger on top also but will install shelves so I can smoke food at the same time.It will be nice at the end of the day to have a smoked brisket or pork butt for dinner.
Reply:nice jobi built a heater out of a 3' long 36" sch80. i made the mistake of using 6" sch40 for the chimney pipe. it filled with creosote in a short time. i think the regular stove pipe is thin for a reason.
Reply:started the exchanger today but theres only so long you can spend in the garage on Christmas day  before your girl locks the house door on you. So, again, only partially welded. Attached Images
Reply:Nice work!!Shop rigs -Miller Syncrowave 250 DXMiller 252Home rigs -Esab Caddy c200iHitachi E71 GeneratorMetabo chop saw, grinders, etc Two catsUnhealthy addictions to surfing and demolition derby
Reply:nice work, very interesting project,i feel your pain about being in the garage on xmas day (l.m.a.o.)
Reply:Today is a new day.  get out and burn some rod !  I can't wait to see this up and runningVERYYYYY COOLDaye
Reply:Nice job!  You should be able to work in shorts and a t-shirt once it heats up.
Reply:nice....whats the sad face on the shelf for?Someone needs to make an auto-darkening Predator welding helmet...complete with dreads and multiple spectra of IR vision.
Reply:Why not make the tubes of the heat exchanger a removeable unit.  Make them like a "spool" with a front plate, the tubes, and a back plate.  Make the back plate small enough to fit through the front hole.    This way you can remove the whole thing out the front.  Maybe make the back plate slip-fit (or use line-up pins) and use studs on the front plate so the threads are on the outside and don't get gunked.  You shouldn't need to get really tight tolerances to get it to seal.  Any small holes will probably gunk up quickly.  After warm up it should be under negative pressure anyway.  Just an ideaDynasty200DX w/coolmate1MM210MM VintageESAB miniarc161ltsLincoln AC225Victor O/A, Smith AW1ACutmaster 81IR 2475N7.5FPRage3Jancy USA1019" SBAEAD-200LE
Reply:Well here we are, I guess Ive felt like I need to entertain you guys now, because I started using different welding processes just to make things more interesting. So now theres a 12" Heli-arc weld, a 20" 5p+ downhill backstitch, a 7018 stringer saddle, a regular 5p+ downhill saddle and still several unfinished welds. Im thinking the rear 20 inch plate needs a 7018 downhill cap, we will see how froggy I feel. Anyways next weekend Ill finish the exchanger and start the door. Attached Images
Reply:That thing is going to be AWESOME! Cant wait to see it burning!You have to learn the rules of the game. And then you have to play better than anyone else. Albert Einstein
Reply:Originally Posted by rjmnice jobi built a heater out of a 3' long 36" sch80. i made the mistake of using 6" sch40 for the chimney pipe. it filled with creosote in a short time. i think the regular stove pipe is thin for a reason.
Reply:well, my plan is to address it as I come to it. Ha. Actually Im still deciding what to do. Ive talked to people that have used sch 40 pipe as a flu, avoiding horizontal runs seems to be a good idea. having a cleanout at the rise is the other idea Im messin with right now. I guess it boils down to how I intend to set the whole unit. I will probably also put some sort of cleanout on the exchanger itself because Ive been told the tubes like to collect soot.
Reply:very nice welds...if you dont burn pine  creosote might be not be an issue....
Reply:Originally Posted by weldbeadvery nice welds...if you dont burn pine  creosote might be not be an issue....Nice looking stove build!  It looks well thought out.  I might suggest adding a nipple for a flue thermometer.   Here are a couple of links to some information on the different quality of fire wood and the basic operation of a wood stove to prevent creosote build up in the flue.  The general consensus appears to be maintaining a 250 to 275 degree flue temp is about right for well seasoned wood.  I run mine in that range and have no trouble with creosote in the last 30 years.http://extension.missouri.edu/explor...try/g05450.pdfhttp://extension.missouri.edu/public...b.aspx?P=g1731I might suggest you contact your insurance carrier as well.  Mine has some rather specific "Have to haves" for wood stove installations in the shop, like the 18" above floor clearance to prevent fumes from causing explosions and fireproof backing 1" off the wall within the area of the stove.  My agent also informed me that the company will no longer cover any non UL listed installations meaning if the stove isn't a certified stove and you have a fire they won't pay regardless of the cause of fire.Before you start flaming the guy as just another suit type, he was a pipe welder for about 10 years before joining his FILs insurance agency and his Great Grand dad and Grand dad taught me the art of auto body and sheet metal shaping.  He was in my shop getting some aluminum welded and the topic of stoves came up because I told him that the big piece of pipe he was setting on was going to be my new stove, similar to citizen smith's build.RogerOld, Tired, and GRUMPYSalesman will call, Batteries not included, Assembly is required, and FREE ADVICE IS WORTH EXACTLY WHAT YOU PAY FOR IT!Dial Arc 250HFThunderbolt 225 AC/DCAssorted A/O torches
Reply:minor update. Exchanger is done. remaining work is the fan mount, door and air intakes, and flu. Total cost invested to this point: zero dollars. (minus consumables) Attached Images
Reply:That is AWESOME!You have to learn the rules of the game. And then you have to play better than anyone else. Albert Einstein
Reply:That is totally kick butt guy, I love it!HH187Hobart 500i plasma cutterClark 4.5" GrinderDewalt 14" chop saw30 gallom 1.6 hp compressor10 gallon pressure pot sand blasterlots of hand tools
Reply:its been a while since Ive been able to spend some time on this. But here it is, put in the door and latch, and the section of 8 inch coming off the back for mounting the fart fan to.... I also finished all welds up until this point. Next step is to set the unit in its place, cut in a 6 inch branch off the front top for the flu and begin piping it out the window..... Attached Images
Reply:That should keep your shop nice and toasty. That thing is nice!!!
Reply:AWESOME!!! Now THAT is a stove! Did you use the Lincoln or the Miller for the stick welds???"Where's Stick man????????" - 7A749"SHHHHHH!! I sent him over to snag that MIC-4 while tbone wasn't looking!" - duaneb55"I have bought a few of Tbone's things unlike Stick-Man who helps himself" - TozziWelding"Stick-man"
Reply:both, all the heli-arc was done with the miller, alot of the stick was done with the lincoln but the battery in it went bad so now I gotta jump it to start it so I finished all the stick welds with the miller. Ive been too busy to deal with the battery issue as of late..... as nice as that lincoln is to weld with, it has caused me a ton of annoyance with all the little things that pop up.... not complaining just saying. Now I need to track down a cheap 240v machine to use in the winter with the doors shut so i can keep the heat in.
Reply:Well, its almost ready to go out the window. Put a damper in the 45 set, and an air vent below the main door. I can feel the heat already. Attached Images
Reply:Pure awesomeness!
Reply:That is seriously cool and, some pretty nice looking welds.Bruce.You get what you put in and people get what they deserve...
Reply:Looks great!  I've got a few questions, as I need to build something similar for our shop.  My shop (not including the offices in the front) is 60' X 70' (building is 60' X 100'), with 16' side walls.  Kind of a big area to heat.  It is insulated, and the 3- 12' X 14' doors are insulated as well.  I've got a natural gas heater that we installed when we built it, but right now it just isn't cost effective to heat it in that manner.  I'm in Oklahoma, we rarely have daytime highs below 25, so I'm thinking something like this would work.  We just started a dirt pit, in addition to our other work (mainly utility lines and general excavating) so we have over 20 acres of mature trees we'll be clearing in the next several years.  So firewood isn't a problem.For this size shop, would I need to build a larger version of this?  Material isn't a problem, we used to do natural gas pipeline work, and I have a large stock of used pipe (everything from 8" to 26") plus quite a bit of 1/4" inch or thicker plate.Would more tubes in the heat exchanger increase the BTU's?  What kind of fan would work best, and could it be hooked up to a thermostat?What about a door in the heat exchanger to facilitate cleaning?Did you put a grate in the fire chamber part for the wood to sit on?  What about a lower door to clean the ashes out from?Again, I think your heater looks great, I'm just trying to figure out what I would need to build for my needs.  I'm not trying to get it 90 degrees in there, would just like to be able to maintain 60-70 degrees for the most part.  The nastiest days of the year are when we have to most time to repair and rebuild equipment, but it's hard to motivate yourself when you know how miserably cold it's gonna be.  I don't like to have to wear 3 or 4 layers of clothes to work on stuff in the shop...
Reply:Ive heard of guys heating pretty big pole barns with similar set ups. The guy I got this design from did one from 30 inch, it was considerably larger. Theres also this guyhttp://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/b...ing-stove.htmldoing similar big inch waste oil...As for the exchanger, my guess would be that increasing the surface area heated would raise the efficiency of the whole affair. If I had had the flatstock I would have finned the outside of the exchanger but I didnt although I still could.... Really, all I want to do is get rid of the smoke and keep all the heat, so If I could heat more steel the better. Id imagine there would be a threshold of heatable surface area after which the heat source wouldnt be able to keep up with the demand of the surface and thus never actually be able to heat the surface enough to have it radiate out into the room. But Im no thermal engineer so I couldnt tell you where those thresholds lie or if they even truly exist. fan wise, Im planning on using a typical fart fan because.... thats what I have and I already spent 7 bucks on weld hinges and 20 bucks in gasoline for the welder so ive reached my 27 dollar budget on this thing. Ive seen some larger blowers, they are pretty common on these things. If you look at the commercially available wood burners they sometimes use multiple blowers. even draft inducers....as for a door in the exchanger.... its coming... Im just still debating the best route for mine. But I agree, cleaning will need to be done. Ive heard dried potato skins thrown in will help combat buildup but I couldnt say myself having never done it.I will be putting grate/s in the burner, thats the last step. Ive also got this little thought growing in my head to scrounge up a heavy plate of cast iron and maybe try alittle coal in there from time to time. Having said all this, I would bet my life there are many many many other people on this board that can better answer all of your questions so hopefully they will add.
Reply:Nice one Citizen Smith!I can hardly wait for firing day.Hope you don't mind if I piggy-back on your thread, but I wonder if you or any other thermalogists have considered installing an oil burner gun into a wood burning stove's chamber?The idea would be that the oil gun could be fired when instant "lazy man"  heat was desired, and also the burner would light-off a load of wood without kindling and poking.I wonder if the burner's nozzle and such could survive in the wood-burning  environment?Or should I shut-up and go wait in the truck? Good LuckLast edited by denrep; 01-26-2011 at 07:57 PM.
Reply:Very nice stove & welds Citizen Smith.  I have been fabricating larg wood stoves for several years now from natural gas casing.  Most are 36" and about six foot tall.  I also tap them for waste oil it really saves on wood.  And like denrep said they are alot easier to light up with no kindling and achieve heat fast. The last one I made is heating a 40' x 100' shop with ease. Ill see if i can dig out pictures if you dont mind me jumping in on your thread.I stand behind my welding, I just won't stand under it!
Reply:stoves are also lined with a refractory to help with the heat.  Two seperate fans control the air through the upper & lower set of exchangers. Attached ImagesI stand behind my welding, I just won't stand under it!
Reply:wow, that heater  is really nice looking. Im suprised you can mount the fans right onto the back so close... kinda makes me wish I hadnt put all that 8 inch sticking out the back of mine to keep the fan away.   I like that shape and design... as for the waste oil, that link I posted above is for a guy that made a pretty interesting oil burner if you follow it to the end he ends up pushing compressed air through the oil line to spray at the conical, but he does burn wood in it too If I recall correctly...  first thought would be that sticking a conical in the middle of a wood fire might make it alittle cramped in there. at least for mine.
Reply:Wow Unknown, that's nice too.By the way, I was thinking of supplementing wood  with conventional heating oil (fuel oil) through a conventional oil burner gun. For those times when you're willing to pay to play.So thermologists, as far as combustion goes, not handling, is there any downside to a long stove design which is charged with long lengths, say 6'-8' long?Good Luck
Reply:There is a wall in the rear of the stove about six inches in. The back of the stove that the fans are mounted to is only ten guage, its a dead air space that keeps the fans cool & alows the air to also be heated before being passed through the exchangers.  Looks like this is not your first time fooling around with pipe?I stand behind my welding, I just won't stand under it!
Reply:denrep nice to meet you i have enjoyed many of your threads & input of knowledge I think alot depends on the size & location of your air inlet so you can achieve proper combustion in relevance and size of the exhuast.  If it was set up right i think a extra long heater would work i have 35' of 38" casing if you want to take alfred for a road trip to NM.I stand behind my welding, I just won't stand under it!
Reply:Ok so its almost complete. I need to get a chimney cap and put some grate inside the burner and then light it up. I know I know, I still have to put some cleanouts in and do a more permanent support for the flu. I just want to do a test burn before I lock it all in. And, no, thats not a gas line, its an air line and it will be moved anyways. Attached Images
Reply:I am loving that pipe man! You have to learn the rules of the game. And then you have to play better than anyone else. Albert Einstein
Reply:Yeah, hopefully the smoke wont mind that horizontal run. When the weather breaks Ill probably pour a concrete pad and run some 3 inch up to support the flu for the long run. Found a pallet maker around the bend that puts all his oak and maple scrap out in hoppers at the end of his driveway.
Reply:I got it up to a solid 65 degrees according to the thermometer on the far side of the room by the man-door. outside it was 25 at its warmest.  It held steady there. I didnt really filler' up either. Just burned what I had laying around.  Draft took off with virtually no effort, probably because the exchanger sits just above the burner and starts pulling right away. Some small details need to be addressed, handles and the like. I slid a piece of 3/8ths plate the size of the whole heater between it and the wall and it took the heat off the wall like it was nothing, so, now thats going to become permanently mounted there too. All in all, a successful build, worked better than I hoped.... now I have to figure out how to weld up a big condenser and coil and make some garage air conditioning. Attached Images
Reply:About Time! I was getting Cold!   Very nice build.  If it aint round ,it aint Right!  Pipes, the Life!DayePound to fit, paint to match