Making a grate stove

Recommendation points

• Firebox. More than just a barrel
• How to make
• Stove-stove from car rims
• How to make
• Vertical “garage” potbelly stove
• How to make
• Potbelly stove from gas cylinders with a heat exchanger

How to dispose of wood waste for the benefit of the household? How to organize free heating of a garage, greenhouse or utility room? What are the varieties of homemade stoves? Is it possible to make them yourself? You will find answers to these questions in this article..

Cheap heating will always be a topical issue for discussion with owners of a household, small production, garage or summer cottage. This is especially appropriate in the countryside and in carpentry shops, where there is a problem with the disposal of wooden waste. The easiest way to get rid of them is to burn them. It is not difficult, but how to utilize the heat from combustion and use it? We will tell you in detail about different methods of taming open fire in our review..

“Zero method” – a barrel without a top with material burning in it. We will simply mention this option as the primary way of organizing combustion. It is only applicable outdoors, and effectively handles the disposal of combustible waste. It can be used for heating, melting substances that are in a solid state of aggregation (bitumen, ice). Doesn’t require any additional tools.

All subsequent types of furnaces will be made of various shapes of containers of round or rectangular cross-section. The shape of a cylinder or pipe is ideal for combustion and offers the following advantages:

• unimpeded exit of exhaust gases;
• a single vortex of flame (independent vortices are formed in the corners, which disrupts the combustion dynamics);
• easy cleaning – combustion products are not clogged in corners, it is enough to knock on the body;
• the most important advantage – uniform heating does not allow local overheating (in rectangular walls they burn out faster than corners).

The iron stove-potbelly stove has earned eternal fame, saving people and animals from frost in any conditions. She is always ready to work, while it is difficult to break, lose or sell. The variety of its forms is limited only by the imagination of a single master. Everyone who has the skill of a welder and a little free time can realize their ideas. The result is surprisingly efficient combustion-based booster heaters..

To make all the “models” described below, you will need:

• welding machine;
• grinder or gas cutter;
• drill with drills for metal (can be replaced with an electrode burning);
• simple locksmith tools – hammer, ruler, center punch.

Commonly available options for a cylindrical body are already asking for work – a barrel, a spent gas cylinder or a piece of steel pipe. Metal in such a factory form – 70% of the entire structure of the stove. It remains to organize in this form combustion, gas removal and heat exchange.

Firebox. More than just a barrel

Description. This product is in second place in terms of manufacturability after an open top barrel. The firebox has an entry-level efficiency, suitable where there are no problems with fuel, and sterile cleanliness is not required.

Design. A barrel of 100-240 liters in a horizontal position with a fire hatch, grates made of scrap material and a chimney.

Advantages:

1. Can be crafted in 1 hour alone.
2. The price of the issue is just a barrel.
3. Dispose of large amounts of waste.
4. No welding required.

Disadvantages:

1. Local overheating in the central part (above the hearth).
2. Inconvenient firebox cleaning.

How to make

The barrel should be of a modern design – with a pressure relief hole (20 mm). It will serve as a channel for the supply of primary air (in common parlance, a blower). A large 50mm hole will be an extra duct from the top.

1. Cut out an even rectangle of 400×300 mm in one of the covers – we get a hatch with a finished door. In this case, one of the factory cover holes must be located strictly under it..

2. We install the door on any hinges using a drill and a rivet.

3. Any thick grate or perforated sheet can be used as a grate. If this is not available, drill holes 10-15 mm in a solid sheet with a thickness of 1.5 mm in staggered order with a pitch of 50 mm.

4. Fit the grate under the firebox so that there is at least 70 mm between it and the bottom of the firebox. If necessary, fold the edge of the grille or install a corner on it as a support leg. It is not necessary to fix the grate to the walls of the firebox – it will be easier to maintain.

5. Mark the diameter of the flue pipe on the upper side opposite the hatch. Make diametrical slots with a grinder and bend the metal sectors of the resulting circle (they will look like sharp teeth). If it so happens that the chimney is rectangular, cut through the diagonals and bend four “teeth”.

6. We intensively heat the barrel outside to burn the paint and the remains of the contents.

7. We install the firebox in the design position at a permanent place of work. We fix it by placing dry bricks, or in another way.

8. We mount the chimney pipe to the “teeth” with rivets.

9. We put a bucket of water and a ladle next to it – this is a fire extinguisher.

Where it comes in handy: greenhouses, production workshops, agricultural machinery garages, large fireproof rooms.

Stove-stove from car rims

Description. Heating and heating device made of scrap material for cooking and household needs.

Design. It consists of two steel discs welded together in the form of a container with a hatch for the supply of combustible material.

Advantages

1. No chimney required.
2. Thick walls will not burn out for a long time.
3. Used discs are used.
4. For motorists – free.

disadvantages

1. Questionable appearance.
2. High fuel consumption.

How to make

In principle, this firebox is a fire organized inside the tank and fundamentally differs from an open barrel only with the lower fuel loading and the vertical arrangement of the wall.

1. We take a pair of steel discs (for example, from a VAZ) with slightly jammed rims. Unbend heavily wrinkled rims with a sledgehammer.

2. Cut one side edge from each disc with a grinder.

3. Cut a strip from a metal barrel around the circumference of the wheel and weld it with a ring. The optimum strip width (element height) is 400–450 mm. High altitude will lead to loss of stability.

4. We weld all three elements so that the ring is between the discs, and the remaining ribs play the role of the upper grate and grate.

5. Cut out the fire hatch in the middle with a grinder (in the material of the barrel sheet). And we install the cut out element as a door on the hinges. We put a hook or latch.

6. We make a blower. To do this, cut from the lower disc (in the design position) a segment of the rim from the edge to the middle with a width of 100-120 mm at a furnace height of up to 500 mm and 150 mm at a higher height.

7. In the upper part opposite the firebox, cut a hole for the chimney and weld in a branch pipe or outlet with a gate.

8. For indoor use, the upper grille will need to be muffled by welding a thick steel sheet on top (it will also act as a heat sink).

Where it comes in handy: cooking (including for animals), heating change houses, cattle pens.

Another option for using discs is an outdoor open fire brazier stove (without a chimney).

In this case, two discs result in one rim and a disc with one rib. They are welded together, forming a vertical open firebox with a grate at the bottom (edge ​​of the disc). A loading hatch is cut through it, legs and handles are welded. Painted with heat-resistant paint, such a stove has an interesting and even decorative look.

Where it comes in handy: outdoor cafe, picnic, barbecue replacement.

Vertical “garage” potbelly stove

Description. Compact heating unit for utility rooms.

Design. It is a hollow cylinder (pipe, box) with thick walls in a vertical position with a chimney, firebox, blower and heat sinks.

Advantages:

1. Simple construction.
2. Compact dimensions (equal to the pipe diameter).
3. Can be made without welding.

Disadvantages:

1. Doesn’t allow food to be cooked.
2. Low efficiency.

How to make

For the firebox, you will need a pipe with a diameter of 250 to 400 mm and a height of up to 1 m, two sheets of iron 3-4 mm with an area larger than the section of the firebox. A steel box can be used instead of a pipe. The larger the section, the higher the oven can be made.

1. Cut the edges of the firebox evenly, without distortions on both sides.

2. Cut out the fire hatch. Top – 100-200 mm from the top of the firebox, bottom – not less than 250 mm from the grate level. Manhole width – 250-200 mm.

3. Cut out a rectangular area of ​​100×100 mm from the bottom edge of the pipe. This will be an inlet (blower) that can be adjusted with a brick.

4. We make the grate. We cut out a sheet of metal for the inner section of the furnace and make holes in it (with a drill or welding) 15–20 mm holes in a checkerboard pattern with a step of 30–40 mm.

5. We make a blank for the “cover” of the furnace. We cut out a sheet of metal exactly along the outer diameter of the firebox.

6. We make the door. It can be made from a barrel segment. It must completely cover the combustion hatch.

Further, the order of work is divided into two options.

Option 1. With welding

1. In the firebox cover we make a hole with a diameter smaller than the chimney pipe by 15–20 mm. We weld a branch pipe from a thick-walled pipe to it. If possible, the cover should be made of thicker metal..

2. We weld on the brackets for the grate 30 mm from the top of the inlet and install the grate on them.

3. We weld on the door hinges and empirically achieve the most snug fit and precise work.

4. We weld the cover with the pipe.

Option 2. Without welding (locksmith method)

The principle remains the same, but the fastening method changes. Additionally, you will need heat-resistant sealant and asbestos cloth (flaps).

1. Manufacturing of the cover. We cut a hole in the workpiece, into which the chimney pipe will freely pass. We cut the tin chimney pipe from the edge adjacent to the lid by 20–40 mm along (10–12 cuts). We unbend the incised stripes in the manner of “chamomile”. We apply sealant to the joints and fasten the pipe to the cover with rivets, screws or bolts.

2. Installing the cover. At 40–50 mm from the top of the firebox at an equal distance from each other we drill 4–8 holes. We install the bolts in them with the head inside the firebox and attach the nuts with washers. Apply sealant to the edge of the firebox and lay out narrow strips of non-combustible cloth. We also apply sealant to it. Carefully place the cover on the firebox and press down on top. Then, with a wire or cable, we pull the cover from bolt to bolt and fix it with nuts.

3. Grizzly brackets. We cut a corner 30×30 (40×40) 4 pcs. 30–40 mm long. We drill holes in them for M8-M10 bolts. We drill the same holes on the grate seats. We install the brackets on the bolts. Installing the grill on the brackets.

4. Burner door hinges are installed on bolts or rivets.

Such a vertical potbelly stove must be installed on a non-combustible base, or you can attach legs to it.

Attention! Hot coals will be poured from below during combustion. Consider this when choosing an installation location.

Where it comes in handy: garage, basement, cellar.

The stoves described above can be called “purebred” (full-fledged, one hundred percent) stoves, because they have one common feature – the principle of combustion on a large flow of air with active emission of hot products into the atmosphere. Simply put – heat flies into the pipe, the design does not allow it to pass through the walls into the room.

How to make potbelly stoves more efficient, their owners have been thinking for a long time. One of the simple and effective ways is to install an additional heat exchanger. These can be quite complex devices, including liquid-based ones. We will consider a variant of an “advanced” homemade stove with a heat exchanger arranged right in the chimney.

Potbelly stove from gas cylinders with a heat exchanger

How to use waste gases as an agent in a heat exchanger? The answer is simple – to slow down the flow of smoke by arranging artificial obstacles in the chimney. This will require the skills of a higher level (intermediate) welder, three empty gas cylinders and a little sheet and scrap metal..

1. From the first cylinder we will make a firebox. To do this, you need to cut out its top so that the diameter of the hatch is 200-250 mm.

2. Then mark a 500×200 rectangle on the wall and apply a grid with a cell of 30–40 mm. Drilling holes in the crosshairs.

3. We make a box (ash pan) with dimensions slightly larger than the field with holes. It must have a lid and only function as an ash bin. Weld the legs in the corners of the ash pan to the wall.

4. At 30–40 mm from the bottom of the former cylinder (rear wall of the furnace) we mark and cut a hole that is 30 mm smaller than the inner diameter of the cylinder.

5. The firebox door is best made from the head of another cylinder by cutting a hole in it in the center. A piece of pipe with a diameter of 76 mm and more and an adjustable damper (ideally with a gate) should be installed on it. Door mobility can be provided with hinges and locks from inventory boxes.

6. We make a heat exchanger from another cylinder. Cut out three bulkheads of 4–5 mm metal in such a way that they overlap the inner diameter of the cylinder. In them we make a hole with a diameter equal to the diameter of the chimney plus 20 mm.

7. Cut off the bottom of the cylinder and cut it out in the form of a landing on the firebox at an angle of 90 °.

8. Cut a hole in the valve part for the chimney.

9. We install the bulkheads for welding in such a way that the holes are staggered.

10. Install the heat exchanger on the firebox and scald the entire structure. We weld the chimney pipe to the heat exchanger.

Council. The efficiency of any steel furnace increases several times if a fan is directed at it.

Any stove with a heat exchanger is much more efficient than the “basic” stove. This is no longer just an incinerator, but a solid fuel heat generator, albeit of a primitive design. By limiting the air flow during combustion in the chimney heat exchanger, we have achieved a tangible effect – it burns longer and the fuel burns better, the temperature of the gases at the outlet is lower and more heat remains in the room.

How to develop this result and improve the heat transfer of the furnace, Our site will tell you in the next article.