Home Made wood stoves

[Sono]

I havent had any luck finding the wood stove I want. Sold the tiny one and the pellet stove I refurbished.
Well, yesterday I was in the woods pulling out more scrap metal the previous owner scattered about ( amazing whats out there as Ive hauled and made over $1000 already at the scrap yard ) so, yesterday I pulled out a 12 foot long "I" beam.... I got to thinking, if I cut this up correctly, weld and build a nice wood stove using this as part of the stand/heat exchanger channels... this thing could be awesome. Now I just need some plate steel and other materials.

Has anyone built their own wood stoves and pictures ( not the vozelgang barrel kits ) as I worked with an old guy in the past that built his own and it turned out awesome. Something I plan to do this summer to pass time. I want to build it heavy duty and safe for in home use.

 

[begreen]

Check with the insurance company first. They may not insure a stove that is not UL tested.

 

[stoveliker]

Check with the insurance company first. They may not insure a stove that is not UL tested.

Insure a home with a stove that is ...

 

[Gas-man]

It's a fun project and can be challenging depending on how detailed you want to be and how you want it to function. I'm currently trying to finish a home built wood stove that I started in early January. Been working on it 1-1.5 hours each night after the kids go to bed. Mainly 1/4" plate with some 1/8" in specific areas. The firebox is 1.14 cuft and lined with exact fit firebrick. It's sized to fit in our home's open fireplace but its permanent location will be on our covered patio.

I have over 400 pictures showing the whole build process but here are a couple to show the concept. I'm including my own designs for air distribution, controls, etc and am pretty excited to see how it works. I'll paint the inside black but the outside with be an almond color. All parts were hand cut with an angle grinder and Dremel. Mig welded and will be sealed with stove cement. Currently a rear exit to maximize the cook top surface but I think I'll add a top exit as well.

 

[stoveliker]

I'd not paint the inside - it'll burn off the first fire?

 

[xman23]

Gas Man so cool! Did you use a current stove dimensions? Can't wait to see your final report. No paint inside

 

[Gas-man]

Not painting the inside would make things easier. I was under the impression that it was still important for extending the life of the stove but I guess I need to rethink that.

The size of my stove is actually based off of of few things: (1) size of a partial sheet of 1/4" plate that I've had around for years, (2) standard firebrick dimensions, and (3) the size of our home's fireplace. The firebricks fit in place with 1/32 - 1/16" clearance on the floor, back, and sides. I built everything else around the bricks using my own ideas for air paths and controls but of course following lots of research. My goal is to maximize pre-heat temperature to be as efficient as possible without a catalytic combustor. Primary air, secondary air, and air wash all have independent controls.