The Barrel Stove Thread

Sweet. When I was a young lad, teen yrs; I used to hang out with my neighbor, Used to call him uncle Don, who was almost 60. In his barn shop, he had a double barrel stove w steel flue pipe out the side and up past roof.
We built it, welded it together w stick welder. No kit, just had 3/8 steel door w hand made hinges..He taught me so many things. I was a lucky kid.
It would heat that 50 by 30 foot shed like the sun heats a hothouse in a field in Alabama mid summer..
Sorry to say Don passed away from the cancer when I was 20. ..21 years ago. He was a good friend. I was like a son to him..
Rip don.

 

I built one as an evaporator and after working in the barn on my wife's car this weekend I wished I had more than the wimpy electric heater in there. The evaporator wouldn't work due to open top but now that I know how to build one it wouldn't be bad to do another.

I just can't figure out where'd I put it not to take up a bunch of room and how I'd do the exhaust.

 

This is the weld shop, south half of the shop. Not too cold due to sun and hot work.
The machine shop on the north side is cold. SoCal cold anyway. Think a double barrel will take the chill off in the morning? Ceiling is awful high…

 

We have some kerosene burners and they only warm the immediate area.

 

Too much volume...you won't even feel it unless you are nearby

 

Hey Deadwood, Nice looking start on your stove! Did the door kit come with a gasket? If not, caulk under the door flange with automotive muffler cement before bolting and it will go a long way helping the air tightness of the stove leading to longer controlled burns. I would definitely put an arc of firebrick on the bottom and 1/3 of the way up the sides to prevent the iron being burned away or sagging. Don't forget brick on the the back of the stove. If your shop or garage does not have high ceilings and a huge amount of square feet, your single barrel stove will heat great. You can also gain a lot of extra heat from your exhaust pipe depending on how long it is and how you route it. The biggest threat to barrel stove life is water or a damp environment. If you keep the exhaust pipe and roof penetration and stove cap tight and free from leaks and drips, the stove will last longer than you would think! I have built a lot of barrel stoves large and small. Some for shops or barns but most smaller and more ornate for elk camp tents and cabins. Here is a couple I have done. Don't forget a warming shelf next to the pipe collar for perking your coffee and keeping it warm! Wish you the best of success on your installation!

 

We had barrel stoves when I was a kid/teen. Dad made one for the house. It was in the basement, so the heat had trouble circulating through the house. He put it inside a 275 gallon fuel barrel and plumbed it into the forced air furnace ducting. The air blew between the two and the house was 90-100°! Too hot. He would stuff it full instead of 1/3 or 1/2 full.

Not exactly the safest thing with a thin barrel on the inside, but it worked.

I made a barrel stove for working in the shop, but it only heated a small area due to drafts and large space. It took the brunt of the cold off when in negative temps, and that was what I needed at the time. Now I have a bigger shop 40x80, and a 55 gallon barrel stove would be way too small. I have a plan for a stove, and might get to make it this year.