I have a 40x80 pole shed that I use for a shop and equipment storage and I need to heat it. It is not insulated yet.
The bottom of the rafters is 11 ft and open to the steel roof. I have a mess of 275 gallon oil tanks and some of them are VERY heavy steel. I am planning on using the thinner ones for hopper bin cones, but don't want to "waste" a heavy one. I have done some searching on the topic and have found some interesting reads, but not quite what I am looking for. I plan on using a baffle with secondaries and lining with fire brick as well as having some sort of forced air heat exchanger. The shed will get insulated eventually. We see -30 here in the winter and I would like to be able to work in relative comfort during the winter, even if it means hanging a tarp to block off half the shed and contain the heat. I always have brush and long sticks to burn and end up with a good size bon fire a few times a year. After feeling how much heat those fires make, I would much rather use it to heat the shop than the atmosphere. After all, if you can grab an arm load of branches and stuff them in the stove, it saves the good firewood for the house.
I grew up with barrel stoves and we had one in the basement for years. The floor was always warm and the house was at least 80 degrees. I am not looking for a lecture on safety, just some good info from folks that built, used, have, or saw one. The drum I have in mind is the heaviest drum I have ever moved. I used to remove these things, so I am familiar with how heavy they are. This barrel was nearly impossible for 2 men to move when empty, so it should work great for a stove.
The bottom of the rafters is 11 ft and open to the steel roof. I have a mess of 275 gallon oil tanks and some of them are VERY heavy steel. I am planning on using the thinner ones for hopper bin cones, but don't want to "waste" a heavy one. I have done some searching on the topic and have found some interesting reads, but not quite what I am looking for. I plan on using a baffle with secondaries and lining with fire brick as well as having some sort of forced air heat exchanger. The shed will get insulated eventually. We see -30 here in the winter and I would like to be able to work in relative comfort during the winter, even if it means hanging a tarp to block off half the shed and contain the heat. I always have brush and long sticks to burn and end up with a good size bon fire a few times a year. After feeling how much heat those fires make, I would much rather use it to heat the shop than the atmosphere. After all, if you can grab an arm load of branches and stuff them in the stove, it saves the good firewood for the house.
I grew up with barrel stoves and we had one in the basement for years. The floor was always warm and the house was at least 80 degrees. I am not looking for a lecture on safety, just some good info from folks that built, used, have, or saw one. The drum I have in mind is the heaviest drum I have ever moved. I used to remove these things, so I am familiar with how heavy they are. This barrel was nearly impossible for 2 men to move when empty, so it should work great for a stove.
