Cast Iron Stove in Outdoor Workshop- Problems??

I'm looking at purchasing a second hand (approx 15yo) Jotul Model 3 to recede into a stone hearth/fireplace that I just completed in my uninsulated backyard workshop. I'm wondering if the sharp changes in temperatures when lighting the stove at ambient outdoor winter temperatures could lead to cracking or other issues. Should I hold off on the Jotul and maybe stick to steel?

Also, the clearance of the top of the stove will be about 1 inch on the short legs, would it be conceivable to set the stove in place with no legs on the stone hearth?

Here are a couple shots of the new hearth

Thanks for the compliments guys! I built the hearth with a stove in mind all along, fireplace just doesn't do the trick to heat the uninsulated 500 square feet. Here's the link to the stove I'm looking at. Can't quite make out the ash pan. Either way my main concern is whether the temperature fluctuations will cause the stove to crack.

http://www.kijiji.ca/v-home-indoor-...ve/1036512776?enableSearchNavigationFlag=true

begreen said:

Given the uninsulated walls, I would be inclined to put in a larger steel stove or insert body of a larger size. maybe a Buck stove? The F3 firebox is small.

What is with the beam going through the upper part of the chimney? How is this isolated from the heat of a fire or more importantly many fires?

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The 'beam' is just a 2x4 brace wrapped in boards. It's about 8 feet from the opening of the fireplace so I didn't think it would be a problem. It's anchored to a stud behind the stone facade. No contact with the actual flue pipe if that's what you were thinking.

As for the size of the stove I'm looking to get enough heat to work comfortably but don't want to get the place too warm/dry as I'll be storing some old wooden canoes in there in the winter. I'd be content with 60 degrees.

xman23 said:

I couldn't imagine any issue, IMO. I recall that thermal expansion is fairly linier. So starting the cold stove at 0For 60F and bringing it to 500 or 600. The starting temp is not a big deal. You do need to expand the complete stove evenly. Every piece needs room to expand. So slower the temp rise the better. This needs to be part of the stove design.

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Thanks! That's what I was hoping to hear. I just realized that my father's had an old VC Resolute in his patio green house for years and there's no cracking as far as I can tell with thousands of cold starts.

begreen said:

A proper chimney should have 1" clearance from all combustibles. Heat is transmitted through the stone fairly well.

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The chimney runs on the outside of the building. Clay flue pipe in cinder block. The inner stone is a facade.

Simonkenton said:

Why would you go to all the trouble to build a masonry fireplace, when all along you wanted a wood stove?

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I wanted the look of masonry fireplace with the the increased efficiency of a stove. It was a pet project. Other than the sand and masonry I sourced all the material for free and the labour was done by myself and my father. It fits the look of the building too.

begreen said:

That's very beautiful work and a great father/son project. Still making a fireplace just to house a small stove is a bit odd. At least it should have been sized for a big stove, no?

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I suppose I could have gone a but bigger but I'm not too concerned. I think I should be able to get enough heat from that size stove. Haven't ruled out insulating all together.

Cynnergy said:

If you insulated it and put in an f3 I would live there .

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I could use the rent money... I'll get started on the outhouse

begreen said:

The F3 will be working it's tail off to heat the place when it is 20 outside. It has too tiny a firebox to sustain that kind of burn for more than an hour or two. But cold never happens in Ontario, so not a problem, eh? Will an F8 fit in there? There are versions without an ashpan. Or maybe an F118?

What is going in the cement block openings below the windows?

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Haven't decided about that yet. Was thinking some sort of decorative wooden inlay. Faux doors maybe.

Like I mentioned I'm not really looking for a super warm/cozy environment in there. Just enough to comfortably work in a sweater maybe for a couple of hours at most. The opening is only 27 inches high at the corners so that limits my options. I understand where you're coming from though.