Do-it-yourself potbelly stove made from a barrel, vertical and horizontal

Advantages of a homemade heating device

A potbelly stove can be assembled from various materials. Craftsmen for this work use old cylinders or metal sheets, which are then connected using a welding machine. However, not everyone has the items mentioned, especially since welding metal correctly is not an easy task. In addition, iron sheets will have to be purchased, and their price is high. Therefore, experts recommend making a stove from a 200-liter barrel. This is an inexpensive and accessible design from which a heating device of any complexity can be made.

Why is it recommended to use a barrel of this particular volume? The answer is: it can hold a lot of firewood or other raw materials that can be used to ensure long-term combustion. In addition, there is enough space in the metal barrel to create a spacious ash pit. However, you need to know: the equipment cannot be heated with coal, since its walls will 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. In addition, you can quickly assemble it with your own hands. You need to know: making a stove from a barrel is only allowed from high-quality raw materials - the thicker the metal, the better the quality of the manufactured device. Therefore, it is recommended not to skimp on the source material.

The advantages of a potbelly stove made from a barrel are as follows:

• spacious ash pan;
• the volume is enough for the flame to burn for a long time;
• the device will instantly heat the room;
• unpretentiousness to fuel;
• ease of manufacture and operation.

But there are also disadvantages, namely:

• low efficiency;
• the case gets 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.

The principle of operation of a potbelly stove from a barrel

A potbelly stove made from barrels is very similar to the type of potbelly stove that we perfectly imagine. However, it is not mass produced. This structure is purely the creation of self-taught craftsmen. Among other things, the modernized stove has a round shape and is similar to the metal Slobozhanka stove.

The main difference between them is the fuel combustion option. Wood sawdust is used for the following reasons:

• if you heat a potbelly stove with this fuel, it will be quite economical due to the low cost of this type of fuel;
• Sawdust that has been previously compressed burns out for quite a long time. One load is probably enough for 6-10 hours for this design.

It is quite obvious that a potbelly stove made from a 200 liter barrel looks good. Such a stove usually has a diameter of 600 mm. A hexagon with sides of 314 mm can easily fit into this circle. This makes it virtually no different in technology from conventional oven appliances. The efficiency in such stoves, as a rule, does not exceed 15% (We already wrote earlier and recommended bookmarking the article.). If a screen is used to increase it, then such a stove does not last long and goes out of service after about one season.

Read the article about it and get answers to your questions.

The main reason for this efficiency comes not only from the fairly thin metal, but mainly from the height of the barrel of 850 mm. The height of the firebox in potbelly stoves made from a barrel should be approximately 1.3-1.5 times less than the depth. In the case when the ash pan is made high and the grate bars are raised, then the lower part, as practice shows, will take heat and give it back to the air, thereby violating the entire correctness of gas dynamics. In this case, there are only two ways out:

You can wall the barrel up to the middle of the height in brick. This can be seen in photo 3.

It is also possible to equip a refractory-lined oven at the top of the oven. And run a chimney through it.

In both cases the work will become more difficult. The service life of this furnace does not exceed five years, but the efficiency cannot be raised above 20%.

Required materials and tools

Before you begin assembling the device, you need to prepare the following construction equipment:

• grinder;
• grinder;
• welding machine;
• file;
• hacksaw

To make a potbelly stove from 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 grating);
• brick;
• cement and sand (for mortar).

Making a heating device with your own hands is not a difficult task. The main thing is to comply with the technical conditions and strictly follow the instructions.

Features of a homemade recycler

Homemade designs attract attention due to their simple maintenance and low cost. If you have a metal barrel, manufacturing costs can be minimal. To build such a stove, you can literally get by with a grinder, a drill and a hammer. However, it will not be possible to assemble a functional device at home.

Factory heat exchangers allow you to use the generated heat for cooking or heating your home. Such products have good build quality and attractive appearance. Some options are equipped with filtration systems, which reduce the level of harmful emissions into the atmosphere. The devices are more durable than a barrel, but their cost is quite high. Therefore, such a purchase for use in the country is not always justified.

How to burn garbage in a barrel

The design of the stove must be made taking into account safety regulations. Before you start burning waste, you need to prepare fire extinguishing agents, such as water and sand.

Despite the fact that anyone can build such a stove, you need to know about the advantages and disadvantages of such a device.

The advantages include:

• the ability to move to any place on the site;
• compactness;
• no scorched soil.

Flaws:

• improper placement and lack of control can lead to fire;
• Frequent use contributes to metal burning and failure of the container.

What should not be burned

Inorganic waste cannot be disposed of by burning. Such waste includes plastic, glass, metal, electronic circuit boards, and synthetics. It is strictly forbidden to burn aerosol cans of paints and other substances. Also, do not burn chipboard, various posters, or painted boards, since during the combustion process they release toxic substances. The exception is wood coated with water-based emulsion.

Safety precautions

Before you begin recycling street waste, you should consider the following points:

1. The barrel must be located at a distance of 25 m from buildings, trees and bushes and 50 m from the forest.

2. There should be no dry grass, branches or other easily flammable materials nearby.

3. If there is a strong wind, you should not burn garbage.

4. Be sure to control the combustion process.

5. You need to prepare a sheet of metal to cover the tank.

Initial stage: barrel preparation

The first thing you need to do is put the metal container in order. The barrel is covered with paint, which means this layer must be removed using a sanding machine. If you neglect this point, you will have to inhale the toxic aromas emanating from the heated metal.

After this, you need to carefully cut out two small rectangular holes using a grinder. In the future, the cut pieces of metal will be useful for making doors. The sharp edges of the barrel must be processed with a file. The device will have two doors: one for the firebox and one for the ash pan. The first must be larger than the second.

A grate will be placed inside the barrel stove, so the upper part of the container is completely removed. The cover will later be welded together with the chimney pipe.

How to make a stove with your own hands: preparatory stage

Before you start assembling a potbelly stove from a barrel, you should purchase the necessary tools and materials. It is also very important to prepare the tank itself, since not every tank is suitable for constructing a solid fuel heating device. During the manufacturing process you will need:

• two barrels (200 l);
• door;
• grate;
• sheet metal;
• metal corners;
• rods;
• metal pipe;
• brick (fireproof);
• Bulgarian;
• drill;
• welding equipment.

Installation is carried out in accordance with the stove diagram completed in advance. It’s worth saying right away that the barrel for making a potbelly stove must be prepared before starting work. To do this, the paint and varnish material is removed from the surface of the container. If you ignore this stage, then during operation the stove will emit acrid smoke that is harmful to health for some time.

You can make a potbelly stove with your own hands from a barrel of a more complex design thanks to the diagram

For those who care about the appearance of the future device, experts recommend sanding the container after removing the paint. A regular metal grinder is suitable for this purpose.

In addition to removing the paint, you will need to cut two rectangular windows in the body of the canister. When performing this work, you should be careful, since the removed segments will be used as doors in the future. After cutting out the windows, you need to sand the edges of the holes with a sander. This will smooth them out, which will ensure convenient and safe use of the wood-burning stove. It won’t be difficult to do all the steps with your own hands. Any beginner can do this job.

Note! The door used for the firebox must be larger than the flap for the ash pan.

The last thing to do during the preparation stage is to remove the top of the container. This must be done in order to install the grate.

Making a simple stove from a barrel is not difficult even for a beginner

Stove from a 200 liter barrel: dimensions and installation of the grate

Metal reinforced rods are used to assemble the grate. The diameter of a standard canister that has this volume is usually 571.5 mm. When assembling the grate, you need to take this indicator into account. In any case, it should be smaller.

The grate is installed between the doors of the firebox and the ash pan. Metal corners are used to secure it. Video materials on this topic allow you to give a more accurate answer to the question of how to make a stove with your own hands using a barrel.

When making an ash pan, you should take into account approximately how much fuel will be processed per day. Such homemade heating devices generate quite a lot of ash, so the recommended depth of the collecting compartment is 10-13 cm.

The doors for the ash pit and combustion tank must be enlarged using welding equipment and strips cut from metal sheets. The width of the strips should be approximately 2 cm. It is recommended to mark this stage of work in advance in the drawing of the potbelly stove. You will need to design handles with your own hands. The simplest option involves welding individual pieces of reinforcement to the doors. Then you need to install the hinges.

Metal reinforced rods are used to assemble the grille

The next stage involves assembling the supporting elements. In order to make the legs, you need to prepare sections of dense reinforcement. And also for this purpose you can use metal corners, the thickness of which should be at least 3 mm. When choosing the optimal stand height, you must be guided by individual preferences. The standard distance from the floor to the heating device is 10 cm.

How to make a stove from a barrel: chimney preparation and final assembly

The place where the homemade potbelly stove will be installed must be prepared in advance. It is recommended to cover the floor and walls with metal sheets. This will protect the surfaces from the negative effects of high temperatures. The design of a stove made from a barrel necessarily requires a chimney. The best option is a removable device (pipe in pipe).

A removable chimney is quite easy to do yourself. To do this, you need to weld a pipe with a smaller diameter to the tank. The length of such a segment should be no more than 15 cm. Then a second pipe with a larger cross-section is simply put on. Specialized forums help answer the question of how to make a potbelly stove with your own hands. Before designing a heating device, it is recommended to read the advice of the experts.

Metal pipes for chimney installation

Helpful information! Collapsible factory versions of chimneys are often used. It is not recommended to construct a one-piece pipe, since if it becomes clogged, it will be much more difficult to clean it from soot and fumes.

After the chimney is welded, you can proceed to the final stage - assembling the heating device. A stove made from a 200 liter barrel must be placed in a place prepared for its operation. Next, a grate made of reinforced rods is placed in it. Then you need to weld a lid with a narrow tube to the top of the barrel and put a wider pipe on the outlet. This completes the assembly of a homemade potbelly stove from a metal tank.

After the stove is ready, you need to test it. Such a device can be used not only for heating a room, but also for cooking. Some owners use a stove made from a 200-liter barrel to burn garbage.

Proper operation of such a heating device is the key to its long service life. In order for a potbelly stove made from a canister to serve for at least 5 years, regular preventive cleaning of the unit is required.

A stove made from a barrel can be used not only for heating a room, but also for cooking

Manufacturing of grate

Steel reinforcement is the main material for this structural element. Experts say that the diameter of a 200-liter barrel is 57.15 cm, so the grate needs to be made smaller, since it will need to be installed inside the heating device. To secure it, you need to make projections from steel sheets between the ash pan and the firebox and weld them to the inner walls of the barrel. The grate must be installed on the received support pins.

Craftsmen recommend making wide doors to make it easier to clean the stove from the barrel, since during heating, burnt raw materials will fall into the ash pit. In addition, the optimal height of the ash pan is 10-13 cm.

Preparing the doors

This process is an important stage 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 welded with pieces of metal, the thickness of which is 20 mm. It is recommended to use the factory door for this purpose.

The next stage is welding the 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.

Preparing the base

Before installing the stove, it is necessary to provide it with a safe and non-combustible place. Such a base 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.

Under no circumstances should you place the barrel near flammable materials or explosive objects. The first include linoleum, polystyrene foam, polyurethane foam and bitumen. And for the second - gas cylinders and cans of gasoline.

Craftsmen recommend making steel legs on the stove from a barrel. To do this you will need reinforcement or metal corners. If the bottom of the barrel is 10 cm from the floor, then the device is located at a safe distance from the base.

Choosing a quality barrel

To make a potbelly stove, you can use any steel barrel used in the petrochemical, paint and varnish, chemical, and metallurgical industries for storing and transporting technical products:

• bulk - oils, solvents, paints, diesel fuel, sodium liquid glass,
• pasty - thick lubricants, bitumen,
• bulk - caustic soda, various plasticizers.

They are produced in two types - with an open and closed top; they also differ in the thickness of the bottom, lid and shell.

Any of these containers can be used as a potbelly stove if you first thoroughly clean and rinse its inner surface. However, the thinner the walls of the container, the faster they will burn out and the stove will fail. Therefore, for a potbelly stove you need to choose a product with a metal thickness of more than 2 mm.

Expert opinion Nikolay Davydov Stove maker with 15 years of experience Well, the best option is a stainless steel barrel. High-alloy stainless steel is most resistant to high temperatures in the fuel combustion zone, which means a stove made from it will serve for a longer period.

Making a chimney

A pipe is an essential element of a 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 pipe can be located both on top and on the side of the stove. However, it is the latter option that is considered optimal: in this way the gases slow down and there remains space for arranging the cooking unit.

In order for the room to warm up faster, the pipe must be routed to a distant point, and not in a straight line to the nearest hole. It is recommended to install a damper on the chimney: with this element you can regulate the removal of warm smoke. In addition, when the stove is not in use, it is recommended to close the chimney pipe.

Final assembly of the furnace

All that's left to do is move the barrel onto the prepared brick base. After this, install the grate in the stove. Next, you need to weld the top cover and make a hole in it for the pipe. Once the chimney is installed, you can heat the stove with wood.

The next step is to place paper on the grate and set it on fire. Dry firewood must be laid carefully, since there is a high probability of accidentally getting burned. The stove from the barrel will gradually heat up. All that needs to be done next is to add more wood so that the flame does not go out.

The device's ash can become clogged with ash, so it must be periodically cleaned of burnt materials.

Features of operation

To promptly eliminate the risk of fire, you need to place a box of sand and a fire extinguisher next to the unit.

The stored fuel should not be kept near the stove; it should be placed in a separate place.

Drying shoes and clothes on the structure is prohibited, as the items will heat up to a fire hazard. For drying, you can pull a rope, but at a height of at least 1.5 from the stove.

Only if you follow these simple rules can you be sure of safety.

Clean the device carefully. Spilled hot particles can also cause a fire.

How to improve a stove: optimal options

The question often arises of how to make a barrel stove more modernized. To do this, the device must be improved in the following way:

1. Build a wall of refractory bricks on the right, left and behind the barrel.
2. To get some kind of convector, the potbelly stove must be boiled with round 20-mm pipes. Thanks to this, warm air will circulate in the room.
3. Run the chimney through the entire room.
4. Line the inside of the stove with bricks.
5. To get a hob for cooking, you need to install a cast iron insert in the lid.

Craftsmen recommend combining several barrels into one design. This can be done in both vertical and horizontal positions.

Principle of operation

Barrel stoves, or so-called “potbelly stoves,” are non-serial production designs, but quite effective in heating and affordable to use.
Primitive in appearance, the heating stove made from a barrel has a solid bottom and, as a rule, has a standard diameter of 60 cm.

In a simple design, any available solid fuel can be used, including ordinary firewood, wood chips and sawdust, and brushwood.

Due to its small size and relatively low weight, this oven is quite portable.

For safe operation, it is necessary to periodically remove ash, as well as clean the inside of the structure from accumulations of soot. Despite the insignificant accumulation of thermal energy, a high-quality non-combustible base must be installed under the barrel stove.

Among other things, in order to ensure normal draft for the fuel combustion process, it is necessary to install a sufficiently high chimney pipe. The main disadvantage of the operating principle of a stove made from a barrel is the need to control the combustion process, since otherwise backdraft or heavy smoke in the room is possible.

The efficiency of a barrel stove rarely exceeds 10-15%, but with some modernization of the design, such indicators can easily be increased by almost two or three times.

Long burning stove for garage

This device is a good solution if you need to heat a small room using a minimum amount of firewood. If the question arises of how to make a stove for a garage out of 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 do the following simple work:

1. Cut a hole for the loading window.
2. Make a circle from a metal sheet, the thickness of which should be at least 4 mm. After this, make a 10-centimeter window in it for the chimney pipe.
3. Weld a steel pipe to the resulting circle, and 4 channels to its inner side.
4. Lower the manufactured structure into the barrel.
5. Weld the cut off lid and make a 10 cm hole in the middle for the pipe.
6. Make a concrete or brick base on which the potbelly stove will stand.
7. Weld all structural elements to the barrel: doors, hinges and valves.
8. Install a chimney.
9. 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 move down as the raw material burns out. The main advantage of this potbelly stove is that there is no need to control the operation of the device: it works almost autonomously, due to which the metal gradually heats up. The only thing you need to do is light the stove.

Welding diagram and procedure

Pre-prepared channels should be carefully welded to the bottom of the first cut metal circle.

Their length should allow the structure to fit absolutely easily into the inside of the barrel, which will help create a sufficient load on the smoldering fuel in the combustion chamber.

Legs are welded at the bottom to ensure the stability of the barrel stove.

To construct a chimney, almost any metal pipe can be used, the diameter of which does not exceed 15 cm. Such a pipe is welded at the top and slightly to the side of the structure. It is also very important to properly weld the doors for the combustion chamber and the so-called “podzolnik”, which allows you to clean out the ash. The door should provide the most convenient loading of fuel into the combustion chamber and removal of ash.

After the welding work is completed and the structure is installed in the selected permanent location, a reflector must be installed, which will save fuel and also improve the distribution of heat output.