Building a wood stove

[LvDemWings]

Between the devistating hurricanes, the threat of bird flu and planning for the unknown I have been reassessing our familys needs for emergency preparation. I had always planned to leave here and go to a location that I know can meet our needs better but I am now planning what to do if I have to stay in this house. I'm ok with the summer plans but its the winter cold that has me concerned. How can I build a wood stove out of scraps or city foraged materials? This would have to be built on the fly, I have no room to build it now, and it would have to be vented out a window. I have no real tools so it would have to be very simple construction (I own a hammer, a screw driver and a pair of pliers). I need it for heat and some basic cooking. I have been studying this http://www.hadfield.ca/Gear/stove.html but adding wood every 30 minutes would be tough. I'm wondering if a metal drum or a beer keg would work. I can forage for those easy enough in a pinch. I don't think the beer keg would give me a flat surface on the top though.

Your thoughts suggestions and links are appreciated.

[GrannieD]

Backwoods Home had a great article & plans for a stove from a 55 gal. metal barrel...Great for heating as well as cooking in a hunting camp..or cabin...you might go there to see if you can access the article...It might require a few more tools..not high priced...! GrannieD

[tobo6]

Lots of men around here use barrels for makeshift woodstoves in their shops. You can buy a kit that converts barrels to woodstoves too, if I remember right it was around $70 for the kit.

[thedonkeyman]

Make sure you keep that Damper at least ONE length of pipe above the stove and OPEN it before you OPEN the door. Concrete blocks open side up,on sides(over lap) (say three high) and up around this barrel OR what ever you decide is going to hold your wood.This way you can put a flat plate of steel on the top for cooking and heating water . Use two sheets of metal one inside and the other out to support the pipe going out the window.You might want to support the floor. Have a couple of buckets of water incase of FIRE. Make sure there is a metal (or concrete)piece on the floor in front of the door to the stove. Keep all combustable materials way back. GOOD LUCK.

[HermitJohn]

You need an airtight stove. The barrel kits other than the now defunct Sotz made kit are not airtight. Though it might be possible to make them so with some fiberglass rope sold to repair seal on commercially made stoves. You will need minimum of tin snips and either an electric drill or at least a small sharp punch to make bolt holes.

I have seen several homebuilt shop stoves that were effective and airtight but would require welder I think.

And the old Sotz kits occasionally show up at local auctions and even ebay. They are great. I am still using one I bought in like 1981. Old water tanks tend to outlast barrels a bit. If you really want long lasting one, go to scrap yard and find a two or three foot length of 1/4 steel tubing the diameter of a barrel. Cut and weld appropriate ends and install the kit. This will last very long time, but will be heavy. Size of barrel depends on size of building you want to heat and severity of your winters. If you have small space to heat, dont use a 55 gal barrel. Mild winters here and small space so I presently have Sotz kit installed on 15 gallon barrel. This barrel has lasted almost 10 years and I am going to move the kit over to an old water pressure tank that is around 20 gallon for this winter (bigger diameter but same length).

You can replace a pane of glass in window with sheet metal, cut a stovepipe size hole in middle of sheetmetal, and run stove pipe out, but be aware this isnt safest thing in world and it wont draw particularly well. Really the best chimney is equivalent of two story and no stovepipe elbows though usually you will require at least one. The chimney is what makes any stove either a pain or a pleasure to use. Bad chimney and best stove is royal smoky pain in the rear. Good chimney and even one of those $100 import cast iron stoves works decent enough though they arent airtight so you have to babysit them feeding little wood at time to keep constant temp. And you want dry seasoned wood.

[comfortablynumb]

I have no real tools so it would have to be very simple construction (I own a hammer, a screw driver and a pair of pliers). I need it for heat and some basic cooking.

well you cant do much with that. better think ahead and procure some better tools.

the easiest wood stoe for the effort involved is a 55 gal oil drum stove, but youll need a good saw, or a torch. the hardware kits for them are cheap (25 bucks from northern tool online) and with one in reserve, all you really need is a saw and a few drums.
http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/w...=20894&R=20894

here is my realistic and best suggestion; go to lowes, or to any good hardware store. a simple, 2 hole cooktop stove, like this
http://www.vogelzang.com/bx26e.htm

which I see my buddy has in his store for 200 bucks, and amazingly lowes has this one for sale for a measily 129 last week.
buy one.

I had one I used it as an end table for yrs till my brother bought it off me for his garage... I was AMAZED by how much heat this thing put off..

I suggest since your planning ahead, do it right and buy one of these small cooktop stoves, they weigh about 150 pounds, less if you remove the plates door and top.


this stove will last for many yrs.
no tools needed.

for under 200 bucks

"we dont have 200 bucks"

I submit if you dont have @200 to invest in a stove, your in deeper trouble than you realize.

BTW... you can fiond these things used for about 20 bucks, Ive passed up at least 50 of them over the yrs in yard sales.

if your going to "be on the run", youll need a lightweight stove, like this;
http://shop.sportsmansguide.com/cb/cb.asp?a=163075

again... 150 bucks, and it comes with all the stuff to use it. this whole setup weighs only 28 pounds.

make one, and be afggrivated by the flaws of your own trial and error or invest now, and have it onhand to save you misery.

for 50 bucks.... a twin burner dual fuel coleman camp stove can provide heat, and cooking in a small space.. with ventilation of course. these newer stoves can burn white gas,, unleaded gasoline, diesel fuel or kerosene, if you buy the muti fuel type, of which I saw ONCE for sale and never again. I dont know why.. (boom?)

building it yourself is a good skill to work on perfecting, but if your outfitting your home for "emergency off grid living".... dont trail and error in the house with fire... youll die.

[comfortablynumb]

when the bird flu hits, you dont have to worry, fearless leader will have you quarrantined or shot.

no worrys there.