Home made forced air woodburner

Widow maker 223

Widow maker 223

Active member
I just got done building a polebarn a few months ago. up next is a forced air wood burner. I dont want to mess with a hydronic set up as im only heating the barn and wont have it heated all the time. Im going to use these two barrels the outside one is 3/8" thick 38" long and 42"diameter. The inner one is sloped from one end to the other. At the back its 35" the front is 30". I figure the air gap will be sufficient, but with the small area I want the air to move kind of slow to pick up a lot of heat. Plan to weld in some tabs with holes all the way around the fire jacket to restrict some air movment. Once its done I plan to wrap it wirh insulation and sheet metal. I have a squirrel cage fan I picked up for free which is always sweet! A buddy has a chimney pipe made from a 8" water main pipe.

Anyone ever build one similar?

 
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Is your stove going to be inside or outside your shop? A grate with a removable ash pan under it is really handy. The top 1/3 of your firebox will be considerably hotter than the bottom 2/3 especially around your chimney connection. Try to divert your forced air to compensate for this. Firebrick to the ash level is a little pricy but probably worth it. So is a sealed door with good air inlet control. If your fan motor isn't designed for high heat applications keep it further away and below your firebox. Just a few initial thoughts. Oh,and yes I've helped build 1 and heat my house with a commercially built one. Good Luck.

Be careful welding that galvanized. Have good ventilation and don't inhale any of those zinc oxide fumes. It's always a good idea to drink milk before and after welding galvanized. A box fan carrying the fumes away also helps.
 
Its not galvanized it has graphite on it, im going to use a needle scaler to clean it then start a fire in it. It will be outside. I plan to mount the squirrel cage fan in the window pushing air to the woodburner and back in the shop for the heat side. Will probably plumb the duct work into the bottom side and out toward the top for the return. Still have to figure out the fan for the firebox. Might be able to come up with one of those too. Im real familiar woth the hydronic set ups, iv fixed many of them that have sprung leaks.
 
The shell is done. The octagon is 30x30 im afraid the door will warp being so big. After the chimney is welded in I might weld the octagon back in then cut a 20x20 door.


 
use cast iron for the door, try and find a door from a large boiler, I grew up in a house that had a coal furnace in the basement and had a big cast door on it. Check the scrap iron recycle places and any old abandon factories. This is going to be one heavy wood burner.
 
Getting closer. Hope to have it done real soon. Still at 0$ so far, scored the fan in the door from a buddy. I think all im going to have to buy is the duct work to go from the window to the burner and back. Iv been wanting a smoker, the pipe for the fan would make a great port to run to a drying rack of some sort. Welding in a pipe nipple toward the top of the door is another good option.


 


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