# Barrel Stove Kits



## emt1581

Unless I built it into a 30 gallon or smaller barrel...I really don't have any use for one at this point in time.  But they sure do interest me!!

Under $50 for a wood stove.... personally, I find that pretty intriguing. 

I've seen a ton of reviews on them and a bunch of videos on youtube as well.  Does anyone here have one or have experience with them?

I do have a few questions that no reviews or vids have been able to answer. 

These don't seem to have gaskets on them.  It wouldn't be a big deal to go to the stove shop and buy some then cement it on the door.  Will this work to prevent smoke from escaping or will it prevent the door from closing?

Is there really an airtight version?  If so, what makes it airtight?

The belly of the stove...some say they line it with playground sand, others with fire bricks.  If with sand, how do you clean it and NOT scoop out the sand?  If with bricks, just...how do you clean it?

Does anyone use a steel grate to hold the logs above the ash area? 

Any other thoughts or advice in regard to them?

Thanks!

-Emt1581


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## BrowningBAR

Several of the members have used the barrel stoves. Audios Pantalones and Brother Bart, I think, have used barrel stoves in the past.


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## emt1581

BrowningBAR said:


> Several of the members have used the barrel stoves. Audios Pantalones and Brother Bart, I think, have used barrel stoves in the past.


 
Ha!! There is actually a guy names goodbye pants!!?!  That's great!! 

Thanks for the heads up!

-Emt1581


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## emt1581

Anyone? 

This is a first.  Usually threads get lots of replies.

Thanks

-Emt1581


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## ScotO

They may  have a use to someone, but no way would I want one in my house or shop.  Not so sure the insurance company would like it, either.

Just my 2 cents......


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## Dune

emt1581 said:


> Anyone?
> 
> This is a first. Usually threads get lots of replies.
> 
> Thanks
> 
> -Emt1581


 
Yeah, they are a joke, from an earlier time, when the only competition was from "stoves" like Franklin Fireplaces, which were a huge improvement 250 years ago, now not so much. Like Scotty said, no way would I want one in my house or shop.


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## firecracker_77

I think it might be nice to have one in a shop or pole barn.  I wouldn't want one in a house.


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## ScotO

The really big problem with barrel stoves is that barrels are very thin gauge steel.......not to mention, made out of cheap, recycled stuff in most cases.  You would most definately have to firebrick the bottom, but you will still have the fire hitting the top of the barrel, and that steel ain't gonna last.  I would highly recommend you NOT build one for the safety of your home, shop, and/or family......because that thing is gonna go bad when you ain't around to catch it......


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## Seasoned Oak

I can speak from experience on this as in have been using one for about 5 years on and off. NO you would not put one in your house,but for a garage or work shop they do have their place.
I have roughly 7 wood burning appliances 4 EPA woodstoves 2 home made(from oil tanks)stoves and a barrel stove. The original lower barrel lasted 4 years in some very harsh conditions ,damp basement of a project house with a dirt floor. They burn with relatively little smoke and all the air leaks around the ungasketed door
prevent them from burning too slow and forming creosote,but you cant load them too full or those same air leaks will cause an overheat condition. they throw an incredible amount of heat especially with the second barrel on top. i  have used mine in the basement of a commercial bldg and now in the damp bsmt of a project house im rehabbing. Ill be glad to answer any questions about using them.


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## emt1581

Seasoned Oak said:


> I can speak from experience on this as in have been using one for about 5 years on and off. NO you would not put one in your house,but for a garage or work shop they do have their place.
> I have roughly 7 wood burning appliances 4 EPA woodstoves 2 home made(from oil tanks)stoves and a barrel stove. The original lower barrel lasted 4 years in some very harsh conditions ,damp basement of a project house with a dirt floor. They burn with relatively little smoke and all the air leaks around the ungasketed door
> prevent them from burning too slow and forming creosote,but you cant load them too full or those same air leaks will cause an overheat condition. they throw an incredible amount of heat especially with the second barrel on top. i have used mine in the basement of a commercial bldg and now in the damp bsmt of a project house im rehabbing. Ill be glad to answer any questions about using them.


 
I greatly appreciate the experience being shared.  As far as the time they last, this guy I think said his has lasted 20-ish years.



But a cabin environment is much different than a musty/humid basement. 

Now if you gasket around the door, will that allow the door to close and still prevent smoke from escaping?

Thanks again! 

-Emt1581


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## Seasoned Oak

Dont want to gasket around the door,the air goes IN around the door not OUT. Your draft pulls air in .i never get smoke coming out around the door,if you did, that would mean you have about zero draft. I do not try use this stove as an airtight overnight stove. you would get creosote if you did IMO. I dont recommend this type of stove to heat a house unless your flat broke and its all you have,its not very pretty either.


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## Seasoned Oak

Probably the lightest stove you will ever find,not more than 40 lbs or so. If i had a cabin like the one in the video i would use my Country Hearth 2000 EPA wood stove, great looking stove,you can cook on it ,.it burns the smoke no matter how low you close down the air,provides a great afterburn show and weighs just 275Lbs and cost just $499.
PS I do have an old smaller cabin like the one in the video im going to replace soon and ill use the Country hearth stove there.  Right now i have it in a 2 bedroom Apt.


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## begreen

Obviously he has a VERY tolerant wife.

The main issue with a barrel stove is safety. Even in the video there appear to be some combustible trim less than 36" from the stove. We'll have to hope there is micore behind the stone veneer because it does not look ventilated. In a shop area a properly setup, vented and safely installed barrel stove should be fine. It won't be a clean burner, but it will be cheap.


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## Seasoned Oak

begreen said:


> Obviously he has a VERY tolerant wife.
> 
> The main issue with a barrel stove is safety. Even in the video there appear to be some combustible trim less than 36" from the stove. We'll have to hope there is micore behind the stone veneer because it does not look ventilated. In a shop area a properly setup, vented and safely installed barrel stove should be fine. It won't be a clean burner, but it will be cheap.


Yes in the wrong hands(inexperienced users) a barrel stove could be dangerous.


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## emt1581

Ok, so the kits' place are mainly in the shop/garage. I thought these were common in cabins and hunting lodges. 

I see what you're saying about the door.  I guess gasketing it would not be smart.

Again, just the price, the heat it throws, and the fact that I can build it (I LOVE projects) really appeals to me.  But given what was shared I think I'll just pass for now.  Maybe once I get my garage the way I want it, I'll look at it again. 

Thanks for the info!  If there's any other things that would be important to know about these (good or bad) please share!

-Emt1581


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## n3pro

Use one at the cabin, never use one at the house.  It has often glowed red, it's a bear to get going compared to the new stoves but it does put out some heat fast. Takes very little time to get that thin steel warm.  I HATE not being able to see what's happening inside without opening the door and getting a face full of smoke.  

We have sand and rocks from the mountain on the bottom, no door gasket.  Cheap and easy but not a long burn or safe heater.  When I get it cranking with dry wood from here I can get a good smokeless burn from it unlike others who use it.


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## Seasoned Oak

N3pro 
looks like some serous heat affecting the paneling that the barrel is WAY TOO close to,not to mention the small table.


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## Seasoned Oak

emt1581 said:


> Ok, so the kits' place are mainly in the shop/garage. I thought these were common in cabins and hunting lodges.
> -Emt1581


 There are several reasons to put one in a cabin or hunting lodge
1. They are cheap and less likely to get stolen than a $500-$1000 wood stove.
2. They are light and sometimes cabins are far from a road.
3.What they excel at is just what you need in a cabin ,which is fast heat and good output.
I think they are relatively safe,but when installed too close to combustables like the one in the above pic any stove can be dangerous.


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## begreen

Given the 36" in all directions clearance requirement, and the size of the barrel itself, that seems like a lot of square ftg to sacrifice in a small cabin.


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## n3pro

Seasoned Oak said:


> N3pro
> looks like some serous heat affecting the paneling that the barrel is WAY TOO close to,not to mention the small table.


 
This was taken in the summer so the table isn't there but yea, it amazed me nothing every happened.  The history is kind of neat too.  Used to have six people (rangers and firefighters) living there in the twenties rotating shifts on the fire tower or .  Really would love to see some pics back in the day.  I don't understand how that many people stayed there.


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## Seasoned Oak

n3pro said:


> This was taken in the summer so the table isn't there but yea, it amazed me nothing every happened. The history is kind of neat too. Used to have six people (rangers and firefighters) living there in the twenties rotating shifts on the fire tower or . Really would love to see some pics back in the day. I don't understand how that many people stayed there.


Looks like that paneling was pretty close to ignition a few times.


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## Jason Hall

I could not trust all my toys to a thin barrel with cement sealing the door. I built this custom 28" x 4' x 5/8" thick pipe wood burner with a rope sealed door, 5/8" thick baffle Inside to keep the heat and flames from going up the chimney. Put a couple Inches of sand Inside along with a expanded metal grate to protect the bottom of the pipe. Some round adjustable vent's low in the door to regulate the fire. With a 4 foot long piece of Oak and some small limb wood around It, this baby will run you out of the barn lol. I still have lots of coals 24 hours later once I close her down after a weekend of burning. I have burned this stove for 10 years, and would not change a thing!


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## nate379

As I figured the keyboard commandos on here would start the comments about that type of stove killing baby seals, busloads of nuns, etc.

My Dad heated his workshop with one for several years. The barrels would last 4-5 years before they were junk. This was not heating the shop 24x7 by any means, just when we were out there. Maybe ran a cord of wood a year through it at most.

Didn't have firebrick or anything to insulate it. Just would make it "heavy duty" by cutting a second barrel apart and welding it in to the 1 barrel so it was 2 layers thick.

He now uses one of these http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200394664_200394664?cm_mmc=Google-pla-_-Heaters-_-Wood Stoves-_-172921&ci_sku=172921&cipa=pla&ci_kw={keyword}&gclid=CIqA0JLQw7QCFeGDQgodYn0A5w


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## Jason Hall

Sorry, I did'nt mean to offend anyone. I just heard a lot of storys about how often the barrel needed to be changed. I know there are thin barrels, but sometimes you can find the thicker heavy duty ones. I put sand in mine because a friend with a double barrel stove said he made his lower barrel last alot longer with sand In the bottom.


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## ScotO

Jason Hall said:


> I could not trust all my toys to a thin barrel with cement sealing the door. I built this custom 28" x 4' x 5/8" thick pipe wood burner with a rope sealed door, 5/8" thick baffle Inside to keep the heat and flames from going up the chimney. Put a coulple Inches of sand Inside along with a expanded metal grate to protect the bottom of the pipe. Some round adjustable vent's low in the door to regulate the fire. With a 4 foot long piece of Oak and some small limb wood around, It this baby will run you out of the barn lol. I still have lots of coals 24 hours later once I close her down after a weekend of burning. I have burned this stove for 10 years, and would not change a thing!


 Now THAT'S my kind of homebuilt stove.....total OVERKILL!

Love it, Jason!


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## Jason Hall

Yes Scotty, Overkill should be my middle name


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## ScotO

Jason Hall said:


> Yes Scotty, Overkill should be my middle name


 It's funny when I look at your stove because my buddy is going to be building a stove very similar to yours.  He's using a Michiana filter assembly off of a diesel locomotive as the main firebox.  It's almost the same exact size and dimensions as your stove.  It will probably pretty much look just like that one when finished.  What did you use for a door?  did you make the door yourself?  I'll have to forward him some pics of your stove.  I think we are going to build it sometime this coming summer, only difference will be I plan on getting some stainless steel 2" exhaust pipe, drilling holes along (2) four foot lengths of it, and welding them inside the stove to act as secondary air supply.  Here's a video on youtube showing what I am talking about.  This stove will be used to heat his workshop...


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## Jason Hall

For the door and end caps I used some 3/4" steel plate from an old retired heat treat oven from Clark Equipment here In Jackson MI. The door was my favorite part to make. I built the door, then got It hinged up. Then came the fun part lol, I stuck a drop light and the welding gun through the pipe outlet and welded the small angle and channel right where It needed to be on the door for the rope seal while Inside the burner. When building this I thought about adding a second smaller pipe to the top, kinda like a double barrel stove. A few 2" tubes ran long ways through the upper pipe with a squirl cage blower mounted to the back to blow the heat through It. My biggest worry with that was creosote build up because of the temp change from the fan cooling the tubes. I have used the old style magic heat units with the pull rod to keep the tubes clean, I did'nt want to take any chances of buildup on a bigger scale. I added a damper as hi as I could reach In the pipe to hold as much heat as I could as my ceiling Is 16', so I have lots of pipe to transfer heat also. Tubes In the fire box Is a great Idea, the way those tubes are run It would be Very easy to weld them In, and they are out of the way for the most part. I would not put them on the bottom, but thats just me. I throw the wood In mine lol. Maybe some scedule 80 black pipe (Remember Overkill lol) Instead of the stainless?? Stainless likes to crack from what I have seen, exhaust tubing It kinda thin.


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## Seasoned Oak

My first barrel ;lasted a long time im guessing 5 years. And that was in a very damp location with limited use. Being thin steel it treanfers heat quickly to the air. They are a great stove in the right location. Shop, garage ect.


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## BrotherBart

I had the single barrel and later the double in the basement for a few years. The concrete block walls and concrete floor didn't seem to mind. Later I cut doors in each end of the top barrel and put racks in it for smoking meat outdoors. 

Didn't kill any baby seals but I bet some birds dropped out of the sky from the heat coming out of that thirty foot chimney. After years of burning the terra cotta tiles looked brand new.


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## nate379

Found a pic of one of the stoves in my Dad's shop, taken about 10 years ago.


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## Jason Hall

Thats a pretty short barrel, probably a thick heavy duty little bugger. Cool looking door also.


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## nate379

Took 2 reg 55 gal barrels and made that out of them.  Didn't need full length, would take up too much room.  Shop is only around 600 sqft so doesn't take much to heat it.


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## bentonbee

I had one in a cabin back in the 80's.  It put out good heat.  Yes it would be good to have firebrick in the bottom and to watch the barrel metal when it gets older.  Vogelzang had a nice kit to make one, it has a gasket on the door.  The parts are cast iron.  Start with a new barrel, keep it painted and from moisture with firebrick in the bottom and I think it might be better than the way some run them.  Be sure to ck with your insurance company before installing it!  Here is the weblink to Vogelang kit:
http://www.vogelzang.com/browse.cfm/deluxe-barrel-kit/4,5.html

They also have a kit to put the second barrel on top.
Mike


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## Bret Chase

Before I would ever considered installing a barrel stove, I would consult the AHJ (Authority Having Jurisdiction) and my insurance company... There are several FD's near me that will go in and physically remove the barrel stove.. and then bill you for their time.... My current insurance carrier is quite "reasonable".regarding wood appliances... other carriers... aren't...


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## DevilsBrew

I had a metal fireplace with the sharp angles of the rumsford design.  Not something to be used to seriously heat with but darn, I loved that thing.  I can see where a barrel stove would be useful.

It does make you wonder what is possible with a heavier steel and angles.  I'm wondering if a barrel could be converted to a fireplace by installing angled panels on the interior.  Maybe even filling in the gaps between the barrel walls and panels with mass...just some thoughts running through my head.


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## Jags

If looking for usable heat, you would probably be better off researching an EPA insert.  Not to mention, but you still get to look at the fire.


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## DevilsBrew

My interest is based on learning about the science and construction of metal stoves.  In the end, I would love to have either a functional art piece, a replica of my old fireplace, or a piece of crap with character.  I would prefer to be able to hear (the crackle, pop, and hiss is missed), smell, and see the fire but who knows how it will all turn out...I am in the early stage.


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## arbutus

There is a "barrel in a barrel" homemade stove at the shooting range clubhouse.  It has the inner firebox welded up out of a 20" or so heavy gauge cylinder of some sort, surrounded by a regular 55 gallon drum.
There is a small blower on a thermostat that pushes air into the space between the firbox and drum and out an opening on the top.
It really works well for the weekly winter 22 bullseye league, feeding it another couple pieces every half hour for a few hours in a building about 20' x 20'.


I've also seen a barrel kit in use at a friend's garage.  It was equipped with an automatic oil drip system and worked fine to heat the small space when he was working out there.



I heated our former 1700 square foot house with a poorly constructed plate steel stove that was had thicker steel than a 55 gal barrel stove would have, and had a large 6? cubic foot firebox.  Fairly uncontrollable burn.  If you loaded it full it was 90 degrees in the house with a glowing red stove for about two hours, then comfortable for an hour, then cool and finally cold four hours later, and most of the wood had been burned up.  If you just loaded the thing with a moderate amount of firewood you got a moderate amount of heat for two hours, then the house cooled off.  Load the stove up at 10pm, go to bed, and the furnace, turned down to 50 degrees, was running at 3AM  We did that for three years then I bought a modern stove, cut the wood usage in half, and still had a warm house after an eight hour burn. 

Similar HOT, then quick cooling with a small thin steel "boxwood" type stove with uncontrollable draft that was the only source of heat a cabin the family owned at one time.  Get up twice at night to feed it the three pieces of firewood it would hold then go back to bed.




Barrel stoves have their place if you are handy, want something new yet dirt cheap, and need a couple hours of heat in a small shop or something similar and have a good supply of dry firewood.

The downsides are:
The burn is just slightly more controllable than that of a fireplace.
They use a lot of wood if steady heat is required.


If you want to heat a cabin through the night, save a little more, and watch craigslist like a hawk, and pick up something used for $200 that has the ability to meter the airflow and control the burn.


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## arbutus

Jason Hall said:


> I could not trust all my toys to a thin barrel with cement sealing the door. I built this custom 28" x 4' x 5/8" thick pipe wood burner with a rope sealed door, 5/8" thick baffle Inside to keep the heat and flames from going up the chimney. Put a couple Inches of sand Inside along with a expanded metal grate to protect the bottom of the pipe. Some round adjustable vent's low in the door to regulate the fire. With a 4 foot long piece of Oak and some small limb wood around It, this baby will run you out of the barn lol. I still have lots of coals 24 hours later once I close her down after a weekend of burning. I have burned this stove for 10 years, and would not change a thing!


 


This is an example of a useful barrel stove.
Very nice.


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## Seasoned Oak

I made a stove out of a 275 gallon oil tank. You could have just a few sticks burning in there and the fact that you  had so many Sq yards of sheet metal very hot the thing put out a tremendous amount of heat. Good for a large garage or pole barn. I tried to use it to rehab an old house but the ceiling got too hot.


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## DevilsBrew

arbutus said:


> There is a "barrel in a barrel" homemade stove at the shooting range clubhouse. It has the inner firebox welded up out of a 20" or so heavy gauge cylinder of some sort, surrounded by a regular 55 gallon drum.
> There is a small blower on a thermostat that pushes air into the space between the firbox and drum and out an opening on the top.
> It really works well for the weekly winter 22 bullseye league, feeding it another couple pieces every half hour for a few hours in a building about 20' x 20'.


 

  A barrel in a barrel.  I will look more into that.  Thanks.


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## DevilsBrew

I wonder if some sort of barrel liner would help store the heat.


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## arbutus

DevilsBrew said:


> I wonder if some sort of barrel liner would help store the heat.​


 

I wrote about my uncontrollable plate steel firebox stove that we attempted to heat our house with.  It actually had firebrick lining it.  If it was built into a huge masonry fireplace (Russian fireplace style) or the house was earth sheltered and had a slab for a floor and concrete walls, that thermal mass would have absorbed the heat better.  The killer was the inability to dampen the draft.  If you are building a stove, plan that part out well.  Door gasket, tight fitting lip with a couple of toggle clamps, or something.  Then use the screw dial type air inlets like several of the older stoves had.  Don't dampen it all the way down for the night, the fire needs enough O2 to prevent CO from forming and keep the chimney temp high enough to prevent creosote formation.


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## DevilsBrew

Thanks for that, Arbutus.  I will keep that in mind.  Up next I am going to look at what people use to heat their fishing and hunting cabins.


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## begreen

This will keep you warm on a cold Siberian night.


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## DevilsBrew

Lol.  Ya think?

I have been sidetracked by Youtube.  There are so many new videos coming out about Rocket Stoves.  So much so that I am glad that I am not building/buying anything soon.  It is amazing how things have changed in the stove world within 6 months.


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## Highbeam

begreen said:


> This will keep you warm on a cold Siberian night.
> 
> View attachment 101353


 
Geez, is that a piss pot under the hatchets? The rubber boots or waders ought to be melting and that tree, I wonder if it lived?


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## dafattkidd

The piss pot is the most disturbing part of that pic.  Yikes!


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## swagler85

n3pro said:


> Use one at the cabin, never use one at the house.  It has often glowed red, it's a bear to get going compared to the new stoves but it does put out some heat fast. Takes very little time to get that thin steel warm.  I HATE not being able to see what's happening inside without opening the door and getting a face full of smoke.
> 
> We have sand and rocks from the mountain on the bottom, no door gasket.  Cheap and easy but not a long burn or safe heater.  When I get it cranking with dry wood from here I can get a good smokeless burn from it unlike others who use it.


Nice


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## blades

DevilsBrew said:


> I had a metal fireplace with the sharp angles of the rumsford design. Not something to be used to seriously heat with but darn, I loved that thing. I can see where a barrel stove would be useful.
> 
> It does make you wonder what is possible with a heavier steel and angles. I'm wondering if a barrel could be converted to a fireplace by installing angled panels on the interior. Maybe even filling in the gaps between the barrel walls and panels with mass...just some thoughts running through my head.


Look up Elm Stoves


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## DevilsBrew

Thanks, Blades.

I'm still stuck on that mini mass heater I posted a while back.  I wish I could find something similar.


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## fshbt

I have one in my pole barn, on my second one actually. The double barrel( I installed it recently) doesn't have quite the draft that my single barrel did, but either way they put out the heat. Granted I have a fairly good size, uninsulated pole barn. But it'll raise the temp 30 degrees in the dead of a northern ohio winter. I like mine, not sure if I like the double as much as the single but very cost effective.


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## Seasoned Oak

fshbt said:


> I have one in my pole barn, on my second one actually. The double barrel( I installed it recently) doesn't have quite the draft that my single barrel did, but either way they put out the heat. Granted I have a fairly good size, uninsulated pole barn. But it'll raise the temp 30 degrees in the dead of a northern ohio winter. I like mine, not sure if I like the double as much as the single but very cost effective.


Iv found i get a lot more heat from the double barrel than the single. I usually use a free standing fan to blow the heat off the top barrel and even with that the flue temp is very high.Otherwise most of that heat is lost up the flue. I do use very dry wood though ,that helps a lot.


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## fshbt

Seasoned Oak said:


> Iv found i get a lot more heat from the double barrel than the single. I usually use a free standing fan to blow the heat off the top barrel and even with that the flue temp is very high.Otherwise most of that heat is lost up the flue. I do use very dry wood though ,that helps a lot.



I built my first one out of miscellaneous pieces and pats from my woods out back(no exaggeration) and drew from the hip. I made it "vented"to much. So I had the problem/benefits of the hot fire


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## Seasoned Oak

I made a MEGA version of the barrel stove out of an old oil tank. For a large building this baby really cooks, with all that large sq. footage of steel as a heat exchanger.  i had to train 2 fans on the thing to keep it from glowing. burnt the zinc off the flue pipe.
Easy to overfire these home made stoves,so sealing up the cracks is important.


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## kennyp2339

emt1581 said:


> Ok, so the kits' place are mainly in the shop/garage. I thought these were common in cabins and hunting lodges.
> 
> I see what you're saying about the door.  I guess gasketing it would not be smart.
> 
> Again, just the price, the heat it throws, and the fact that I can build it (I LOVE projects) really appeals to me.  But given what was shared I think I'll just pass for now.  Maybe once I get my garage the way I want it, I'll look at it again.
> 
> Thanks for the info!  If there's any other things that would be important to know about these (good or bad) please share!
> 
> -Emt1581


From your own signature, you should know that safety has no price tag.


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