With the onset of cold weather there is a problem of heating the premises. This is especially true for country houses in which there is no central heating. However, any difficulty must be resolved on time. In the post-Soviet space, a furnace called a "potbelly stove" is known. It is made from various metals, but sometimes improvised materials are also used. The article will discuss the process of how to make a stove from a barrel with your own hands.
The benefits of a homemade heating device
A potbelly stove can be assembled from various materials. Craftsmen for this case use old cylinders or metal sheets, which are then connected using a welding machine. However, not everyone has the mentioned things, all the more so the right way to weld metal is not an easy task. In addition, iron sheets will have to be bought, and their price is high. Therefore, the masters recommend making a furnace from a barrel of 200 liters. This is an inexpensive and affordable design from which you can make a heating device of any complexity.
Why is it recommended to use a barrel of precisely this volume? The answer is: it will fit a lot of firewood or other raw materials, with which you can ensure long burning. In addition, there is enough space in the metal barrel to equip a roomy blower (ash pan). However, one must know: the equipment cannot be heated with coal, since its walls simply deteriorate due to the high combustion temperature of the mentioned raw materials.
A potbelly stove is an optimal heating device that can be installed in a small barn, garage or basement. Moreover, you can assemble it with your own hands quickly. You need to know: making a stove from a barrel is allowed only from high-quality raw materials - the thicker the metal, the better the manufactured device will be. Therefore, it is recommended not to save on the source material.
The advantages of a potbelly stove from a barrel are as follows:
- capacious ash pan;
- enough volume for a long burning flame;
- the device instantly heats the room;
- unpretentiousness to fuel;
- simplicity in manufacturing and operation.
But there are also disadvantages, namely:
- low efficiency;
- the case is very hot;
- thin walls.
If you need to make your own heating equipment, a barrel stove is an ideal device for heating a small room.
Necessary materials and tools
Before starting the assembly of the device, it is necessary to prepare the following construction devices:
- grinder;
- grinder;
- welding machine;
- file;
- hacksaw.
To make a potbelly stove out of a metal barrel, you must also purchase the following additional materials:
- metal for legs and chimney;
- door hinges;
- pieces of sheet iron;
- bolt;
- fittings (for grilles);
- brick;
- cement and sand (for mortar).
Making a heating device with your own hands is a simple task. The main thing is to comply with technical specifications and clearly follow the instructions.
Initial Stage: Barrel Preparation
The first thing to do is tidy up the metal container. The barrel is covered with paint, which means that this layer must be removed using a grinder. If you neglect this item, you will have to inhale the toxic aromas emanating from the heated metal.
After that, carefully cut out two small rectangular holes with a grinder. Subsequently, cut pieces of metal are useful for the manufacture of doors. The sharp edges of the barrel must be filed. The device will have two doors: under the firebox and an ash pan. The first should be larger than the second.
The grate will be placed inside the stove from the barrel, so the upper part of the tank is completely removed. The lid will later be welded together with the chimney.
Production of grate
Steel reinforcement is the main material for the implementation of this structural element. Experts say that the barrel diameter of 200 liters is 57.15 cm, so the grate must be made smaller, because it will need to be installed inside the heating device. To fix it, it is necessary to make ledges from steel sheets between the ash pan and the furnace and weld them to the inner walls of the barrel. The grate must be installed on the received support pins.
Masters recommend making wide doors to make it easier to clean the stove from the barrel, as burnt raw materials will fall into the blower during heating. In addition, the optimum height of the ash pan is 10-13 cm.
Door preparation
This process is an important step in the manufacture of a heating device. First of all, you need to make iron handles and weld them to the doors, which should be scalded with pieces of metal, the thickness of which is 20 mm. It is recommended to use the factory door for these purposes.
The next step is the welding of steel hinges to the stove from an old barrel using electric welding. Do not forget that the door must be equipped with a locking device (bolt) from the outside.
Foundation preparation
Before installing the oven, it is necessary to make a safe and non-combustible place for it. Such a foundation can be made of brick laid on a concrete screed. It is important to know: the free space in front of the barrel is also made of non-combustible material, for example, sheet metal. The best option is to make concrete floors, and then put iron on them and install a potbelly stove.
In no case should you place the barrel near combustible materials and explosive objects. The first include linoleum, polystyrene, polyurethane foam and bitumen. And to the second - gas cylinders and gas canisters.
Craftsmen recommend making steel legs on the stove from the barrel. To do this, you need reinforcement or metal corners. If the bottom of the barrel will be at a distance of 10 cm from the floor, then the device is located at a safe distance from the base.
Chimney Making
The pipe is an indispensable element of the potbelly stove. Its diameter is from 10 to 15 cm. The pipe not only removes smoke, but also participates in heat transfer, so it is made of steel or cast iron.
The nozzle can be placed both on top and on the side of the furnace. However, it is the latter option that is considered optimal: in this way the gases are slowed down and space remains for the arrangement of the brewing unit.
In order for the room to warm up faster, the pipe must be brought to a distant point, and not in a straight line to the nearest hole. It is recommended to install a valve in the chimney: using this element, you can regulate the discharge of warm smoke. In addition, when the furnace is not in use, it is recommended to block the chimney.
The final assembly of the furnace
The only thing left is to transfer the barrel to the prepared brick base. After that, install the grate in the stove. Next, you need to weld the top cover and make a hole in it for the pipe. When the chimney is installed, you can melt the stove with wood.
The next step is to put paper on the grate and set it on fire. Dry firewood must be laid carefully, as there is a high probability of being accidentally burned. The barrel stove will gradually heat up. All that needs to be done next is to throw firewood so that the flame does not go out.
The blower of the device can become clogged with ash, so it must be periodically cleaned of burnt raw materials.
How to improve the oven: the best options
Often the question arises, how to make the barrel stove more modernized. To do this, the device must be improved in this way:
- Build a wall of refractory bricks on the right, left and back of the barrel.
- To get some kind of convector, a potbelly stove needs to be scalded with round 20-mm pipes. Due to this, warm air will circulate in the room.
- Pass the chimney through the room.
- Lay the inside of the stove with a brick.
- To get a hob for cooking, a cast-iron insert must be installed in the lid.
Craftsmen recommend combining several barrels in one design. This can be done both vertically and horizontally.
Garage long burning furnace
This device is a good solution if you need to heat a small room, using the minimum amount of firewood. If the question arises, how to make a stove for a garage from a barrel, then for this you will need a welding machine and the ability to work with it.
To make a heating device with your own hands, you need to perform the following simple work:
- Cut a hole for the loading window.
- Make a circle from a metal sheet, the thickness of which should be at least 4 mm. After that, make a 10-centimeter window for the chimney in it.
- Weld a steel pipe to the resulting circle, and 4 channels to its inner side.
- Lower the finished structure into the barrel.
- Weld the cut off cover, in the middle of which make a 10-cm hole for the pipe.
- To make a concrete or brick foundation on which the stove-potbelly stove will stand.
- Weld all the structural elements to the barrel: doors, hinges and latches.
- Install a chimney.
- Place the device on a concrete base.
The peculiarity of this design is that the firewood in it will not burn, but smolder. In addition, a circle with a pipe and channels installed inside the barrel will fall down as the raw materials burn out. The main advantage of this potbelly stove is that it is not necessary to control the operation of the device: it works almost independently, so that the metal gradually heats up. The only thing to do is to melt the stove.
Finally
Making yourself a simple stove-potbelly stove from a barrel is an easy thing, if you follow the instructions and listen to the recommendations of the masters. Another condition is the ability to make welds. However, do not forget about fire safety, since any home-made heating device is a subject of increased danger.