Sometimes situations arise when it is necessary to heat a small space (garage, workshop or warehouse) as efficiently and quickly as possible without significant material costs. Great solution The problem will be a compact potbelly stove made by yourself, the creation of which requires ingenuity, desire, tools and metal.

A simple potbelly stove can be built from materials that are at hand. You can use a regular can or a thick-walled barrel. Many years of practice have shown that very thick metal (over 8 mm) is too difficult to heat. Thus, the efficiency decreases and most of the heat is not used for heating.

If the metal is too thin, under the influence of high temperatures it will begin to deform and quickly lose its original shape. The best option is walls of about 3-4 mm.

Introductory video on the operation of the furnace

Rectangular stove with reflector

When deciding what shape and size a finished potbelly stove should take, everyone must do it on their own. A person with an engineering education and skills can take on any, even the most simple design, and make the desired changes to improve it.

Drawing of a rectangular potbelly stove:

A simple and multifunctional do-it-yourself potbelly stove is made from the following materials:

• Sketches and simple drawing of the structure indicating all the main dimensions
• Sheet metal (its quantity depends on the desired dimensions of the furnace)
• Steel corners (thickness 4-5 mm)
• Metal tube 25-30 mm
• Pipe 180 mm
• Welding machine
• Working hand and electric tools

The furnace body will be made in the form of a rectangle steel sheets, which are butt welded together. It is necessary to cut the workpieces into five main planes (bottom, top, side and back walls). On the front panel there will be a blower and a door for the furnace, so the issue can be resolved with it later.

First, the side surfaces are welded to the bottom. It is necessary to ensure that they are positioned strictly vertically, using a level or square, and are joined at right angles. Having grabbed it in 2-3 places, we once again make sure that their location is correct and finish cooking.

Afterwards it is welded back wall. The entire internal space must be divided into three parts:

1. Smoke circulation
2. Firebox
3. Ash pan

The last two must be separated by a grate on which the solid fuel(peat, firewood). It is done as follows:

1. From the inside on the sides at a certain height (10-15 cm), corners are welded over the entire length
2. For the grate, it is necessary to prepare strips of thick sheet steel with a width of 25-30 mm and a length corresponding to the width of the potbelly stove

• The distance between the plates is about 5 cm
• The strips are welded to two metal rods with a diameter of 15-20 mm as reliably as possible, since they have to perform another role - stiffeners

There is no need to weld the grille to the inner corners. If necessary (cleaning the potbelly stove, repairs), it can be easily obtained. After some time, some plates may burn out and will need to be replaced. There are many more reasons to leave the grille removable.

The next step is to weld two metal rods on top on which the reflector will be located. The latter is a metal sheet that separates the smoke circulation and the firebox. The reflector is made removable.

It is necessary to position the reflector so that a channel is formed in front, allowing smoke to escape. It will heat up inside the most, so it is made of very thick metal (12-16 mm).

The time has come to begin the final stages of work. First, the potbelly stove is welded. It would be a good idea to provide a hole for the chimney pipe in advance. Then the upper jumper is cut out and welded, then a narrower one, placed at the level of the grate and separating the doors of the grate and the ash pan.

There is no need to worry too much about the size of the doors. The main thing is that it is convenient to lay firewood through them and remove ashes and ash. The door for the firebox is made, as a rule, almost the entire width so that the reflector and grate can be removed; for the ash pan it is narrower.

Having put everything together, it’s time to think about installing finished design on the legs. It is recommended to make them from a metal tube 2-3 cm in diameter and 8-10 cm in length with a nut welded at the end and a bolt screwed in. This will allow you to adjust the height. This step may seem strange to many, but during the installation process everything will become clear.

The time has come to think about a chimney, which will be made of a pipe with a diameter of 15-18 cm. In this case, it should be led out through a hole in the wall. Bends are made at an angle of 45 degrees; there should be no horizontal sections.

A rotating damper must be provided at the lower end of the chimney. For her from sheet metal a circle is cut out with a slightly smaller diameter similar characteristics pipe in which a hole is drilled for a handle for rotation. The latter can be made from a metal rod.

The chimney pipe must be placed on a sleeve 15-20 cm high. It is made from a product with a diameter slightly smaller than the chimney pipe and is welded along the hole to the top cover. It's time to install the stove, adjust the height and that's it - you can heat the room.

A simple potbelly stove made from a can

The simplest potbelly stove is made with your own hands from an ordinary can. There is no need to talk about the durability of such a structure, but it is quickly built, easy to install and provides enough heat.

All the work consists of installing the legs, arranging the outlet pipe and some cosmetic operations. To work you need:

• Can
• Flue pipe
• Wire for grate
• Welding machine
• Tools

Let's get started

1. We install the can horizontally and mark where the blower will be, shaped like a rectangle or sickle. Place it under the lid
2. A hole is cut in the wall or bottom of the can, equal to the diameter of the chimney pipe
3. To make a grate, you need to stock up on steel wire. It is bent, carried inside through the lid and carefully unbent so that the zigzag is positioned in the desired position, while it remains convenient to lay wood chips, firewood, etc.
4. The can must be secured to legs, which are cut from tubes or corners and welded
5. The chimney is welded

On outside tank, you can attach a reflector, thanks to which less generated heat will evaporate. Having welded the handles on the sides, the structure can be moved to any other place.

Pros and cons of homemade potbelly stoves

Among the many advantages of such a nondescript, but useful installation highlight:

• Full autonomy and energy independence
• Working with any solid fuel, including plant residues, allows you to save a lot of money
• The versatility of the design, which can not only be installed in various rooms, but also used for cooking
• A simple design that you can build yourself from materials available in the garage
• No need for construction monolithic foundation and installation of a permanent chimney pipe

But despite the significant and numerous advantages, a number of disadvantages of potbelly stoves can be identified:

• The high thermal conductivity of the metal leads to rapid fuel burnout and cooling of the furnace
• If the wall thickness is insufficient, they will soon begin to burn out and the oven will fail.
• You need to watch the combustion process and add firewood in time, control the draft
• Resinous and damp logs cause difficult to remove soot in the chimney pipe

Video - another option for making a stove

In custody

A homemade potbelly stove is a reliable and effective assistant in a cold workroom or your own garage. Its production is not difficult, and to start work there is no need for large material investments.

Heating technical premises often becomes a real problem. Electricity is expensive, resulting in high heating costs. The best way out is to use alternative sources energy. It could be firewood coal, anthracite and much more.

Furnaces of various formats are used to burn solid fuels. One of them is a potbelly stove, characterized by extreme simplicity and low cost.

In this review we will talk:

• About the features of potbelly stoves;
• About the materials needed for their assembly;
• ABOUT step by step assembly potbelly stoves.

Upgrading the potbelly stove will also be considered, which will help increase its efficiency. The article will be interesting - read and get acquainted.

What is a potbelly stove?

Potbelly stoves have been known among our compatriots for a very long time. They gained their popularity due to their extreme simplicity. A simple metal box with a door and a blower - and the simplest version of the stove is already ready. Considering the ingenuity of our people, this world has seen many different bourgeois women, delighting their owners with the coveted warmth. Let's see what you can assemble such a stove from:

You can make a potbelly stove not only from a used safe or a well-worn gas cylinder, but also by simply welding several sheets durable metal between themselves.

• From an old gas cylinder is an excellent option, all that remains is to find the cylinder itself (you will get a horizontal or vertical stove). Plump modifications are suitable here, since thin and tall oxygen cylinders are too narrow;
• From an old flask - someone probably has such a thing lying around in their garage or barn. There is already a door here, all that remains is to attach the chimney;
• From old barrel– they are often used to make homemade potbelly stoves long burning, since the capacity of the barrels allows you to organize a large combustion chamber;
• There is no point in throwing away the old safe, it will still serve.

Homemade potbelly stoves can also be made from sheet metal - for this you need to arm yourself with suitable tools.

The construction of a potbelly stove is extremely simple. Its basis is a certain capacious container, which plays the role of a combustion chamber. A pipe emerges from its upper or rear part, to which the chimney is attached. In the front part there are two doors (less often one) - fuel is loaded through the large one, and ash is removed through the small one. The internal space is divided by a metal grate through which air is supplied - through which the ash formed during the combustion of wood is removed.

The lower door simultaneously acts as a blower - by adjusting the degree of its opening, you regulate the intensity of the flame and the temperature in the room.

The dimensions of the potbelly stove can be very different, for example, 250x450x450 mm (WxDxH). A gas cylinder will make a larger and more efficient stove. Most big size the stove will be made from a barrel - after all, the internal volume of 150-200 liters accommodates a huge amount of firewood. You can make a unit of almost any size - you don’t even have to worry too much about strictly observing the dimensions indicated in the drawings.

Scope of application for potbelly stoves

These simple stoves are used in great demand. For their work they use firewood, coal, coke, wood waste and many other types of fuel, pleasing with its unpretentiousness and stable operation. Such a stove can be placed in the garage - it will take up minimal space, but will provide the room with pleasant warmth. If you have a large supply of firewood or access to a cheap source of solid fuel, feel free to build a long-burning potbelly stove.

Wood is the simplest, cheapest and most widely available type of fuel for stoves. However, its consumption leaves much to be desired.

A mini potbelly stove can be used to heat a barn or home utility room, which has no heating. Agree, doing something here in winter is not so comfortable - your teeth chatter and your muscles cramp. And with the stove, things immediately go smoothly - just have time to add firewood so as not to freeze.

Long-burning potbelly stoves are useful not only for the garage, but also for any other premises, including residential ones - these can be temporary buildings, cottages, poultry houses, premises for keeping livestock and much more. In general, the scope of their application is huge. They are most in demand in towns and villages where there is no gas, but residential and non-residential buildings need to be heated somehow.

Advantages and disadvantages

Let's see what's good about homemade potbelly stoves made by folk craftsmen:

• Cheap - most materials can be found for free or you can pay mere pennies for them;
• Omnivorous - in fact, any solid fuel can burn in a potbelly stove;
• Simple design - if we look at the drawings, we will not find anything complicated in them;
• Possibility of cooking - for this purpose, potbelly stoves are equipped with cooking holes with lids;
• Ease of operation - provided there is a good chimney, the potbelly stove will work properly and without causing smoke in the entire room.

Unfortunately, heating with a potbelly stove also has its disadvantages:

• Low efficiency of the stove - without proper modernization, most of the heat will fly into the chimney;
• Not the most respectable appearance- although some craftsmen make real works of art out of potbelly stoves;
• High body temperature can cause burns;
• High fuel consumption - in order for the stove to retain heat for a long time, without requiring the burning of tons of wood, you will have to resort to tricks.

Despite some shortcomings, simple potbelly stoves wood burning stoves are still in demand among those who need heat in the absence of a gas main.

How to make a potbelly stove with your own hands

You can make a potbelly stove with your own hands surprisingly quickly. First you need to decide what material it will be made of. Prepare the following tools:

A home-made potbelly stove can have the most intricate and elaborate appearance. Show your imagination and you can get a unique thing, which cannot be found anywhere else in the world.

• Grinder (angle grinder);
• Welding machine;
• Sandpaper and file for processing metal edges;
• Tape measure for measuring sizes;
• A powerful drill and suitable drill bits.

Let's see how to cook a potbelly stove with good heat transfer for a summer house or garage from an iron barrel.

Do-it-yourself potbelly stove from a barrel

The simplest option is a potbelly stove made from a large-volume barrel (150-200 liters). It needs to be supplemented with grates, doors and a chimney. We begin the manufacture of the stove by constructing a reliable non-combustible base. The best option is to post a small brickwork, on which the barrel itself will stand. It will take several days to make it. After this, we proceed to further work.

In the front wall of our potbelly stove, you should cut a rectangular hole for the loading door - use a metal jigsaw for this. The resulting piece of metal will act as our door - we attach a rotating lock, handle and hinges to it. After this, we weld the second part of the loops to the barrel. We weld on the opposite side metal loop, into which the constipation will fit.

At the bottom you need to make an ash pan with another door. We allocate 10-15% of the total volume for it. We make the door using the method described above, but it should be narrower - the ash is raked out through it, and it also serves as an ash pit. The optimal height is 40-50 mm. Next, we proceed to the manufacture of grates:

• Cut off the top lid of the barrel;
• We make a grate from segments metal pipes(you should get a circle with long slits);
• We weld the grate with inside barrels, between the loading door and the ash pan door.

An old can or flask is also a great option. Using it, you free yourself from the need to weld the loading door.

We make a hole in the lid with a diameter of 100 mm, weld a small piece of pipe of the same diameter here - this will be the chimney hole. Next, weld the lid in place. Our potbelly stove is ready, all that remains is to attach a chimney to it and we can start testing - load the wood and try to light the flame.

We have made a long-burning potbelly stove with our own hands - it has an extremely large combustion chamber. Please note that you can make a cooking hole in the top lid - its diameter is 100-150 mm. Instead of a barrel, you can easily use a gas cylinder or a piece of pipe of a suitable diameter. Remember that a potbelly stove made from a pipe and a cylinder must have a sufficiently large diameter (at least 350-400 mm).

If necessary, you can make a similar potbelly stove in a horizontal design - you just need to slightly change its design. Otherwise, the assembly principle does not change.

The most efficient stove is a pyrolysis stove, which burns the remaining flammable gases and releases a large number of heat compared to other ovens. There is no need to think that this will be a complex unit. Making a potbelly stove of this type will take you about 20 minutes longer than a conventional unit without pyrolysis. Let's see how it is produced.

A unit welded from sheet metal with a thickness of 3 to 5 mm. Using thin iron does not make much sense - the stove will be too thin, the heat will bend it, and in the end it will be destroyed by corrosion. So find steel thick enough so that you don't have to make a new furnace every heating season.

We need to cut out seven pieces of metal (our iron thickness is 3 mm):

The main advantage of using sheet metal is that you can make a potbelly stove of any size and volume.

• Two pieces measuring 450x450 mm are the side walls;
• Four pieces measuring 450x250 mm are the front, rear, top and bottom walls;
• One piece measuring 440x240 mm will be the grate;
• Two pieces measuring 244x350 mm will be the internal partitions.

Thus, we will get a Loginov furnace, which has two internal partitions to increase efficiency. These same partitions will be responsible for pyrolysis.

We make two doors in the front wall - in accordance with the instructions described above. Next, we weld all the pieces into a metal box without a top lid. The next stage is making the grate. To do this, we take a metal sheet and make many holes in it with a diameter of 10-15 mm. We fix the grate at a height of 80 mm from the bottom of the stove. Next, we weld the partitions, placing them at a height of 60 and 120 mm from the top cover.

We make a couple of small holes on the back surface and weld thin metal tubes (10-15 mm in diameter) into them. They should be located above the lower partition, extending to the front wall. Their length is about 150 mm - secondary air will be sucked through them. The tubes are welded before securing the second partition.

We prepare the top cover - we cut a hole in it with a diameter of 100 mm for the chimney. If necessary, we supplement the wood-burning stove with a cooking hole. We weld the lid to our stove - everything is ready! Now we install the stove on regular place and let's start testing. And yes, don’t forget to attach legs to it or install it on a non-combustible base (for example, made of brick).

The height of the chimney for potbelly stoves is at least one meter. The optimal indicator is 1.5-2 meters from the horizontal outlet or top cover.

Modernization of potbelly stoves

Now you know how to properly make a potbelly stove so that it can be used to heat a country house, garage or utility room. But we need the furnace to be efficient - to provide maximum energy while burning a minimum of fuel. You will be surprised, but one possible variant We have already considered modernization - the pyrolysis unit presented above is an improved version. Take out the partitions from there, and you will get the most banal stove-stove.

The choice of chimney pipes should be approached with special attention- pipes that are too thin or poorly welded will quickly burn out, which will lead to smoke in the room.

Not only pyrolysis will help increase the efficiency of the stove. If you look at the drawing of the potbelly stove given above (made of sheet metal), you will notice that the unit is covered on three sides with metal sheets. They are spaced 50 mm from the body and play a protective role. But that’s not all - a draft is formed in the internal space, a convection process occurs. Thanks to this, the efficiency of the potbelly stove increases.

The next stage of modernization is the creation of a chimney bend. The thing is that a gigantic amount of heat escapes through it into the atmosphere. By increasing the length of the chimney using a horizontal section, we can use it to heat the room. The disadvantage of this approach is the deposition of soot on a horizontal area.

Since homemade wood stoves remain the simplest means of heating garages and cottages, in this article we will look at making a potbelly stove with our own hands. With the help of our instructions and drawings you can make a heater from available materials– gas cylinder, steel pipe and even rims.

Making a stove from a cylinder

From old 50-liter propane cylinders, home craftsmen have gotten the hang of making several types of wood-burning potbelly stoves:

• simple vertical stove;
• long-burning unit Bubafonya, where fuel is burned from top to bottom;
• horizontal furnaces - conventional and with a secondary pyrolysis chamber.

Note. From a former gas tank installed in a vertical position, you can weld a dropper furnace using waste oil and diesel fuel. How to do this correctly is described in.

There is no point in disassembling the simplest designs of country and garage potbelly stoves - there are plenty of similar drawings on the Internet. We propose to consider more efficient, and therefore economical, models with modifications that increase heat transfer and efficiency of iron furnaces.

Instructions for disassembling a gas container

The flammable propane-butane mixture filled into gas cylinders is heavier than air. To safely cut the tank for making a potbelly stove, the remaining mixture must be displaced with water. The correct disassembly technology looks like this:

When the reservoir is partially empty, continue working and remove the lid. Whatever design of the homemade stove you choose, the cylinder will have to be cut, so the procedure of filling it with water is mandatory.

Vertical model with air chamber

The structure of a potbelly stove - a wood-burning housekeeper - is shown in the diagram below. The modernization consists of adding a separate chamber with a heat exchanger in the form of steel fins, blown with air through 2 pipes in the upper part of the heater. Increased efficiency is achieved through forced air supply by a fan, which allows you to quickly warm up the room.

Important point. An additional chamber isolated from the firebox can also serve as a water circuit connected to registers or heating radiators. One caveat: this inexpensive version of a boiler for a summer house or garage must work with forced circulation coolant from the pump.

For production you will need Additional materials from the list:

• sheet metal 3 mm thick for the doors and chamber partition;
• scraps of thick iron for the heat exchanger;
• fittings Ø16-20 mm for grates;
• pieces of pipes with a diameter of 40-50 mm for the air connection and Ø100 mm for the chimney;
• asbestos cord, ready-made handles.

Drawing of a heating stove of a vertical design

If a propane tank is not available, make a potbelly stove from big pipes with a diameter of 300-500 mm with a wall thickness of up to 5 mm. The assembly technology is the same in both cases:

Note. When making a stove from a pipe Ø300-500 mm, you will need to install the bottom of the ash pan (2 mm steel), and the air chamber will be cylindrical.

To prevent the potbelly stove heating stove from smoking into the room, install a chimney with a height of at least 4 m (counting from the grate). If you plan to burn sawdust, then the distance between the grate bars should be kept to a minimum.

Thanks to its small dimensions and forced submission It is convenient to use heated air for a variety of purposes - to heat a garage, cottage or greenhouse. The technology for assembling such a heater with your own hands is demonstrated in the video:

Horizontal two-chamber stove

In this case, the design improvement consists of installing an additional chamber with partitions for afterburning pyrolysis gases released in the firebox during the slow smoldering of firewood. The emphasis is on long burning, so the useful volume of the firebox is not taken away by the ash pan - it is taken outside.

To increase the efficiency and heat transfer of the potbelly stove, the outside of the housing is equipped with flat heat-exchange fins, which is reflected in the drawing. According to the principle of operation, the heater is similar to Buleryan-type stoves: before exiting, the flue gases bend around 2 partitions in the secondary chamber, giving off heat to the iron walls.

In addition to two tall 50-liter cylinders or a steel pipe with a diameter of up to 500 mm, for manufacturing you will need:

• 3 mm metal for the ash pan and doors;
• 2 mm steel strips on the ribs;
• any suitable rolled metal for legs;
• a pipe with a diameter of 10 cm and a length of 15 cm for the chimney pipe;
• fittings for strengthening the grating;
• asbestos cord for door seals.

Trimming and joining propane vessels, installing door frames and ash pans

The manufacture of the stove begins traditionally - with disassembling the cylinders. The bottom part of one is cut off, and in the second an opening is made for the doors and slot-like holes in the side wall - future grate bars. In order for combustion products to pass into the secondary chamber, on the other side, round hole with a diameter of about 10 cm. The further order of work is as follows:

1. To from high temperature the grate bars did not bend, weld reinforcement from the bottom using periodic profile reinforcement.
2. Make a frame at the end and install the door, sealing it with asbestos.
3. Weld the ash chamber with the door and install the legs.
4. On the second cylinder, cut the walls in such a way as to connect it to the horizontal firebox at an angle of 90°. Inside, secure 2 partitions by welding according to the drawing.
5. Connect the secondary chamber to the firebox, carefully welding the joining seam.
6. Install the chimney pipe and external heat exchange fins.

Advice. It is better to make partitions in the vertical chamber from semicircular pieces cut from the sides of the second tank. This will increase the heat extraction from the flue gases.

The resulting potbelly stove for a summer residence is quite capable of providing heating for various utility rooms, including steam rooms in the bathhouse. It is easy to adapt it for cooking by making a flat top of the firebox hob made of metal 4-5 mm.

Heater made from car rims

The advantage of the rims is the decent thickness of the metal. If you make a potbelly stove from them, it will not burn out for a long time, although such a product cannot be called beautiful. Let's give some recommendations for production:

If there are only two rims on the farm, you can collect combined option potbelly stoves by inserting a section of steel pipe of suitable diameter between them. How to make such a stove, watch the video:

Classic steel stove

We propose to weld the wood-burning stove shown in the photo from iron sheets 3-4 mm thick. Externally, it is similar to a classic rectangular potbelly stove with low efficiency (up to 40%), but inside the design has been modernized. To make it more economical, two smoke teeth are installed above the combustion chamber, like brick fireplaces.

The partitions inside the body, shown in the drawing, cover the section of the firebox in horizontal plane and leave a small passage 10 cm wide for combustion products. The flow of heated gases through two smoke circuits increases heat transfer by 5-10%, which is much better than factory cast iron stoves.

Advice. Dimensions heating unit, indicated in the drawing is not an axiom, you can change them at your discretion. The main thing is to maintain the size (height) of the flues. We do not list the required materials, since their list is obvious - sheet metal, cuttings of pipes for the chimney, and rolled metal for grates and legs.

The manufacturing procedure is as follows:

1. Weld the body of the potbelly stove, starting with the bottom sheet. The primary assembly of parts is performed using tacks.
2. Cut and install 2 partitions. For the lower one, located above the flame, it is worth taking thicker iron - 5-6 mm.
3. Make a grate and place it on supports made from corners welded from the inside to the side walls of the firebox.
4. Attach a cover and chimney pipe, install simple doors with locks.
5. Finally weld all seams.

If you plan to heat your potbelly stove with small fractions of coal or sawdust, make a grate from steel corners with the profile facing downwards. Make the distance between them minimal - 5 mm.

Conclusion

Design engineer with more than 8 years of experience in construction.
Graduated from the East Ukrainian National University. Vladimir Dal with a degree in Electronics Industry Equipment in 2011.

Related posts:

Winter in Russia is more than winter. It's no secret that at this time of year it is uncomfortable to be outside a room with heating, but what to do if there is such a need? For example, you need to visit a garage and spend some time there. And the love of the stronger half of humanity for gatherings with friends in the company of their iron horse is known to everyone.

Of course, gatherings with even a slight “minus” outside rarely bring joy if the garage is not heated around the clock. There is a way out if you manage to install a homemade potbelly stove in the garage.

Features: pros and cons

The advantages of a homemade stove made from a barrel usually include:

• fast heating with minimal fuel consumption;
• simplicity and accessibility;
• the ability to make it yourself from a variety of materials, even improvised ones;
• unpretentiousness when choosing fuel (firewood, mining, diesel fuel, coal, peat, etc.);
• sometimes for better heating and heat exchange, a kind of “labyrinth” of metal sheets is installed on the furnace.

It will also be quite true to say that a stove made from a barrel probably has more disadvantages than advantages:

• large heat losses and, as a result, significant fuel consumption during long-term use;
• if you make a potbelly stove from an ordinary barrel, then you need to be prepared for the fact that it will not last a relatively long time due to the insignificant thickness of the walls - they will quickly burn out;
• poor ability to regulate temperature;
• if the potbelly stove is made in horizontal version, it will take up quite a large space in limited space boxing;
• the vertical orientation of the stove will benefit the use of space, but the walls will burn out faster than a horizontally placed potbelly stove;
• due to burning out of the walls, the stove can be a fire hazard and will require more attention when heating;
• such a stove needs a high chimney with a height of more than 4 m, which will have to be cleaned regularly.

Most of these shortcomings can be eliminated by making the body of the potbelly stove from a gas cylinder. It has thick heat-intensive steel walls that are well welded.

Preparing an old cylinder for welding is very important due to the likely presence of explosive gas residues inside, even if the neck is removed.

There are several preparation options: you can simply fill the cylinder with water and leave it for a long time, or add alkaline substances to the water to neutralize the gas. However, this method is considered the most reliable:

• the cylinder in a vertical position must be securely buried in order to cut a hole with a grinder;
• fill it completely with water, wait a few hours;
• mark the cutting line;
• cut with a grinder until a through hole appears - water begins to flow out;
• complete the cut and drain the water - the risk of fire is guaranteed to be eliminated.

Principle of operation

Let's take a closer look at the operation diagram of a homemade potbelly stove:

• Combustion air is supplied through the ash pan to the furnace firebox;
• During the combustion process, heat is released, which heats the bricks and walls of the furnace;
• smoke, soot and combustion products are drawn out through the chimney;
• combustion regulation to obtain the necessary heat transfer is carried out by increasing/decreasing the open gap of the blower door;
• a potbelly stove is heated using different kinds both liquid and solid fuels (firewood, mining, diesel fuel, coal, peat).

Potbelly stove under development

A potbelly stove, the fuel for which is not wood, but waste oil, has its own characteristics. It can be either a small stove for a regular garage or a device designed for heating large territories. In any case, all models work on the same principle and have similar designs and operating principles.

• The potbelly stove has 2 parts. Used oil is poured into the lower part, where it is heated and brought to a boil.
• The vapors are drawn through a perforated pipe for oxygen access, where their initial afterburning occurs.
• The vapors are completely oxidized and burned in the upper part connected to the chimney.
• The temperature in the lower container is relatively low; the upper chamber heats up to the maximum, heating the room. Its walls can even glow from the heat. Accordingly, this affects the choice of material for making cameras.

Drawing diagram of a potbelly stove during testing with conventional dimensions and proportions.

Let's consider the advantages of potbelly stoves during testing.

• Unpretentiousness and “independence”. There is no need to constantly add firewood or perform any actions, the main requirement is correct adjustment filler neck gap (10-15 mm).
• Efficient heat dissipation.
• There is no soot from the chimney, the stove does not smoke.
• Relative fire safety, since waste fuel is difficult to ignite, and only oil vapors burn.

Flaws:

• noisiness;
• a characteristic odor (sometimes it is eliminated by installing a water circuit or an air heat exchanger with a supercharged fan, which directs part of the air from the chimney to another room for heating);
• the combustion chamber (connecting pipe with perforation) and the chimney have to be cleaned quite often;
• the coked layer of burnt oil in the lower chamber is also quite problematic to remove.

When using a potbelly stove with waste fuel, you must adhere to the mandatory rules.

• Not allowed to use oil waste with gasoline or other flammable impurities.
• Filtration of waste from solid particles is required.
• Water should not be allowed to enter the mining area.
• Strong drafts are not allowed.
• Compliance with all fire safety regulations when installing a stove indoors.
• Reliable ventilation is a must.

• It is strictly forbidden to leave the stove unattended or sleep while the stove is running.
• Do not use water for extinguishing!
• Horizontal sections of the chimney hood are prohibited. The permissible angle of inclination of the chimney is 45°.
• The chimney should have a length of 4 to 7 m.
• It is recommended to pour waste into the furnace to a height of less than? volume of the lower chamber.
• It is necessary to have a powder fire extinguisher and/or sand in the immediate vicinity of such a stove.

DIY making

Drawings and dimensions

The potbelly stove will produce maximum efficiency provided that it complies with the calculations made.

Let's look at the design of the chimney.

• The vertical part (up to 2 m) is covered with fireproof thermal insulation.
• The pipe is inclined or parallel to the floor (2.5-4.5 m), the distance from the ceiling in the absence of heat-resistant protection is 1.5 m, from the floor – 2.2 m;
• The diameter of the chimney must be calculated with great accuracy so that its operating speed is less than the rate of fuel combustion, and it does not throw out all the heated air along with combustion products outside immediately, but allows it to heat the walls, which is the main feature of this type of stove. The design permeability of the pipe should be 2.7 times more volume fireboxes That is, with a firebox with a volume of 40 liters, the chimney should have a diameter of 106 mm.
• If there are grates in the potbelly stove, the height of the firebox is calculated from the top of the grate.
• Complete combustion of fuel can be ensured by creating a high temperature, which can be achieved by using a metal or brick three-sided screen around the potbelly stove. Install it with a gap of about 70 mm from it. Heat reflection also has a fire-fighting function.

• Bedding or a fireproof surface under the stove is strictly necessary, because:
  • thermal radiation from the furnace emanates in all directions, including downwards;
  • the floor can become very hot, which can lead to a fire.

Sheet metal is used as bedding; the area is 350-400 mm larger than the vertical projection of the stove on the floor (preferably 700 mm). You can use sheets made from other fireproof materials with a thickness of more than 1 cm.

Chimneys are installed differently in different rooms.

• Part of the pipe is routed through the wall of the garage; this is the most common type.
• The chimney is completely left inside the garage box and exits through the roof. Thus, the garage is heated better, but the installation process itself is much more labor-intensive.

Required materials and tools

For self-made potbelly stove in the garage will require the following materials and tools:

• sheet metal for making an ash pan and a hob if the stove is located horizontally;
• metal for the chimney pipe (preferably with two elbows);
• materials for fixing grates and supports;
• oven doors;

• cast iron discs;
• welding machine;
• sander;
• welding wire/electrodes;

• hammer;
• tape measure/measuring tape;
• chisel;
• pliers;
• drill;
• metal stripping brush;
• chalk pencil.

Let's look at the manufacturing process step by step.

• As already mentioned, the stove can be manufactured in horizontal and vertical versions.
• The dimensions of the stove are selected based on the dimensions of the garage box, taking into account all measures fire safety.
• The walls must be welded from sheet metal with a thickness of more than 4 mm.
• The grate is welded inside the firebox or placed on fastenings welded to the walls of the firebox from the inside (removable version). It can be purchased in retail chains or made with your own hands from a sheet of steel by drilling holes no more than 20 mm in diameter, or from thick wire.
• Weld the bottom.

• Cut a convenient hole for fuel supply and 5-7 cm lower for the ash pan.
• The doors can be made from sheet steel yourself, or you can purchase a ready-made cast iron block.
• The stove is installed in the selected location in the garage.
• At this stage the chimney is attached. The longer its area indoors, the warmer it is in the garage, since it also heats the air around it.
• At the last stage of work, you need to put the potbelly stove on its legs. They are made from profile pieces, joined by welding or screwed to the body. You can also use a metal box without a front wall (used as a woodshed), and the materials for the base can be bricks or forged elements.

Where to place it?

Compliance with fire safety rules when using a potbelly stove in a garage is vitally important. Here we're talking about both about the safety of the car and about preserving the life of the person himself. The location of the stove is one of the important tasks. Most often, the corner of the garage box formed by two walls, which is located opposite the gate, is chosen. Direct contact between the stove and the car is strictly prohibited.

The distance must exceed one and a half meters. Similar conditions must be observed for the distance from flammable substances and objects.

The surface of the walls near the stove must be covered with fireproof material. They can be additionally lined with brick. If the garage is wooden, then the distance from the surface of the stove to the nearest wall should exceed 1 m.

If a potbelly stove is used for heating or cooking, it is very important to follow the rules of its operation. Their implementation, in addition to fire safety, will help increase its service life.

• Before the first lighting, the stove must be checked and made sure that all connections and components are tight, and all defects must be corrected immediately to avoid the penetration of combustion products and carbon monoxide into the garage room.
• For certain reasons, the chimney must be vented outside. The part of it located inside the garage space must be sealed.
• The chimney is strictly prohibited from being vented into ventilation system. Even if the stove is installed in the basement, it must have a separate chimney.
• The passages of the wall or ceiling of the smoke exhaust pipe must be insulated with fire-resistant, non-fire-hazardous materials.

• A box of sand and a fire extinguisher must be kept in the garage in accordance with fire safety regulations.
• A potbelly stove is also used as a stove and for boiling water. To do this, install a hob with burners on it (usually made from a cast iron stove) or a tank for heating water.
• The potbelly stove heats up quickly, but also cools down quickly. This disadvantage can be partially compensated for by a brick screen that accumulates heat and returns it to the room as it cools after the potbelly stove goes out.

Direct contact between the screen and the potbelly stove is prohibited. The gap between them is left at least 10 cm.

• Typically a brick screen has a significant weight, so it will most likely require own foundation. Let's consider the stages of its manufacture.
  1. Dig a hole about 50 cm deep.
  2. The bottom of the pit is covered with a layer of sand (average sand consumption is 3-4 buckets) and compacted.
  3. The next layer is 10-15 cm of crushed stone, which is also compacted.
  4. The laid layers are leveled, then filled with a layer of cement mortar.
  5. Wait for the cement layer to completely harden. The longer the hardening time, the better (usually the time period is more than a day or longer, this will give additional strength to the foundation).
  6. Then several layers of roofing material are laid.
  7. The screen itself is laid out in half a brick, the initial two rows are made with continuous masonry on roofing felt. In row 3-4 you need to do ventilation gaps, then continue laying the brick in a continuous layer again.

Correct ways Cleaning a potbelly stove mainly comes down to removing contaminants inside the chimney, which is done relatively rarely. Mostly a brush is used. It is quite possible to make it yourself from a cylinder-shaped brush, tying it to a rope.

It is best to use brushes with plastic or iron wire bristles. The diameter of the brush is selected in such a way that when passing chimney there was no significant resistance.

Cleaning is used to increase the passage of smoke flow through the pipe and improve heat transfer. Sequence of the cleaning process:

• plug the combustion hole with a rag;
• make 2-3 careful movements with the brush so as not to break the seal of the chimney (stop if the brush moves freely);

The design of the potbelly stove, which became widespread back in the 19th century, has not lost its relevance today. At the dawn of the last century, it served as the main method of heating in residential areas where it was not possible to install a stationary stove. With the advent central heating The popularity of the potbelly stove has decreased, but during the war, and simply in army field conditions, the help of such a stove is irreplaceable.

Types of homemade stove

The choice of the most suitable stove design depends on the location and purpose of its operation. The garage is your second home and you spend everything in it free time regardless of the weather outside? The optimal solution will make a furnace using spent fuel. Have you decided to get a potbelly stove at your dacha? Then it is better to provide an option with the possibility of cooking. If you plan to use the stove outdoors, appearance is not particularly important, but for the home it is advisable to make a beautiful heating source. Depending on their purpose, potbelly stoves can be classified into the following types:

• devices equipped with a cooking surface;
• long-burning furnaces;
• design with increased heat transfer effect.

Often, making a potbelly stove does not require significant financial outlays for the purchase of materials. Craftsmen suggest making a stove from the following available materials:

• metal box;
• gas cylinder;
• a milk can or other cylindrical metal object;
• suitable sheets of metal.

The standard elements of a potbelly stove include:

• fuel combustion chamber;
• grate;
• ash compartment;
• chimney pipe.

Individual potbelly stove designs may differ from the usual standards, be improved and supplemented with individual elements.

Spent fuel device

Making a potbelly stove for your garage using spent fuel for heating is a double benefit. Receiving the desired heat, the owner of the stove simultaneously disposes of waste. A device of this design includes two tanks, a connecting pipe and a chimney. Reservoirs for a potbelly stove can be made cylindrical or rectangular shape. Any construction is preceded by preparatory stage, including the design of the future furnace.

Tank sizes vary depending on the intended fuel volume. It is necessary to make a connecting tube in compliance with certain proportions: 10 cm is the minimum diameter, the length exceeds the diameter by 4 times. It is necessary to make 50 holes along the entire circumference and length of the connecting tube. It is located between two containers. The height of the stove chimney is at least 4 meters.

What else needs to be done for such a potbelly stove? The lower tank is equipped with a lid with two holes for supplying oil and air, and legs are mounted below. After which all parts of the furnace (2 tanks and a connecting tube) are carefully welded.

The principle of operation of a potbelly stove during mining is as follows:

• spent fuel is poured into the cold furnace through the neck in the lower container;
• then kindling material is fed into the same hole;
• During operation, a slight hum is heard - this is a normal process.

If you make containers of sufficient size, the top one can be used to heat food or water.

Important ! The fuel level in the stove should not reach the tank lid; be sure to leave some free space.

Gas cylinder construction

Being the owner of a gas cylinder, making a potbelly stove out of it with your own hands is the best decision. Thick walls will allow you to make a mobile and durable structure. It is proposed to make a stove in two options - placing the cylinder horizontally or vertically. Let us consider in detail the second version of the potbelly stove. Manufacturing takes place in several stages:

• in the center of the cylinder the entrance to the combustion chamber is marked;
• stepping back down 10 cm, apply the contour for the blower;
• You can make holes using a grinder;
• a closed line is drawn between the two doors, along which the cylinder is cut into two parts by an autogen;
• a grate is welded to the lower shape of the stove in the cutting area, through which ash from burnt firewood will fall into the ash pit;
• after attaching the grille, the gas cylinder is connected back together by welding;
• in the area of ​​the valve for proper operation the stove needs to make a hole with a diameter of about 20 cm, into which a pipe is installed that performs the function of an exhaust hood;
• All that remains is to make the legs for the potbelly stove, and the main part of the work is completed.

If you consider yourself an aesthete and want to amaze your friends who come to visit for a light with your neatness, you can open the structure with heat-resistant paint.

This type of stove is suitable exclusively for heating purposes. If your tasks include heating or cooking food, then some adjustments will need to be made to the top of the oven. To do this, instead of the cut off top, rods are welded inside to be able to install the dishes. It is necessary to make a hole for the pipe, mandatory for any potbelly stove, on the side at the top of the device. At times when the potbelly stove is used only for heating, the grate for dishes is covered with a lid made from a cut-off part of the cylinder.

Advice ! Don’t forget to equip the furnace lid with comfortable handles for easy removal when heating the metal and weld the hole where the valve was located.

Rectangular potbelly stove

For country houses Rectangular is more suitable. For effective and long-term use, it is very important to make a heating device from correctly selected thickness metal sheets. Unnecessarily thin material will quickly burn out and the potbelly stove will fail in the shortest possible time, and if you make the stove from too thick sheets, long heating will significantly reduce the efficiency of its operation. Optimal thickness material for walls - from 4 mm. It is better to make partitions from metal with a thickness of more than 10 mm. For a rectangular potbelly stove you will also need a grate, a hood pipe and corners for a stand. Correct design will ensure economical fuel consumption and the ability to regulate air flow.

You can make a stove in the same way gas cylinder with a vertical arrangement, but it is better to upgrade the device in order to increase efficiency. In this case, in addition to the body, it is necessary to make partitions from thicker metal intended for installation in the upper part of the fuel compartment. A small improvement creates a kind of labyrinth for the smoke, which slows down the cooling process of the potbelly stove. At the top, in addition to the hole for the chimney, it is recommended to make another hole to allow cooking.

Advice ! When welding the side walls of the potbelly stove to the bottom, use a level to ensure strict adherence to the vertical lines.

The internal space of the stove is divided into 3 parts - the ash pan, the firebox and the “labyrinth” for smoke. Between the first two, a grate is installed on which solid fuel is placed. If you want to make it yourself, make sure you have thick sheet steel. Strips with a width of 2.5-3 cm and a length corresponding to the size of the potbelly stove are welded to metal rods with a diameter of 1.5-2 cm at a distance of 5 cm from each other. Experts recommend making a removable grill so it can be cleaned or replaced. For fastening inside the potbelly stove, corners are first welded along the entire length.

The next stage is to make support strips welded to the side walls of the stove and you can proceed to making doors for the firebox and ash pan. Hinged hinges will help secure them to the main structure of the potbelly stove. Finally, you should make a chimney pipe.

Long burning stoves

Firewood in standard devices burns out quickly and requires regular addition. But craftsmen suggest making a long-burning potbelly stove, especially necessary for heating a dacha. Its design is radically different from the types described in the previous sections. For manufacturing, you will need a cylindrical container made of metal of suitable thickness. The process of creating a long-burning potbelly stove includes the following steps:

• the upper part is cut off, in the future it serves as a lid;
• a hole should be made at the top side of the potbelly stove for exhaust hood;
• firewood is placed through the top hole, and not through the side doors as in standard stoves;
• then you need to make a metal circle, with a diameter slightly smaller than a potbelly stove, with a hole in the center;
• a pipe is inserted into the prepared opening, exceeding the height of the stove and performing the function of a blower, in order to maintain the combustion process due to the supply of oxygen;
• Finally, it is necessary to make an opening in the lid of the potbelly stove, ensuring a free but tight passage of the blower pipe.

Note! A long-burning potbelly stove is intended exclusively for heating purposes and does not allow organizing the cooking process.

Fuel is initially loaded into the finished device. When the firewood is well lit, a disk with an exhaust pipe is placed on top, then the lid is closed. The operating principle of the stove design is based on an insufficient supply of oxygen, as a result of which the wood does not burn out quickly, but smolders slowly, providing heat for 8 hours.

Manufacturing Features

To increase the efficiency of a potbelly stove, it is advisable to make an exhaust pipe that extends throughout the room as much as possible. Horizontal position of the hood on certain area will allow the smoke to additionally provide heat rather than immediately escape.

Taking care of safety measures, experts recommend making a box around the potbelly stove to prevent the risk of burns. To do this, you will need to install additional plates at a distance of 5-10 cm from the stove. Air gap will not allow significant heating of the box and will provide a comfortable feeling when you are near the potbelly stove. It is better to make such protection for a rectangular oven, with cylindrical shape the design is impractical.

Some craftsmen adapt a potbelly stove for two types of fuel. Adding an infrared burner to the design allows you to make a universal stove that runs on wood and gas. Showing their imagination, some create models that serve original decoration cottages or capable of heating water in a tank located next to the stove.

Advantages and disadvantages of a potbelly stove

Having studied the advantages and negative sides design, we can conclude that it is necessary or not to make a potbelly stove with your own hands. The main advantages are as follows:

• the possibility of using inexpensive raw materials: sawdust, firewood, peat or coal are suitable for heating;
• small financial costs to make the device, purchase finished oven will cost much more;
• compact design dimensions;
• the ability to operate a potbelly stove without a major chimney;
• easily transported to another place.

Negative aspects include the following:

• mandatory protection on the floor in case of falling embers;
• high-quality thermal insulation of the wall surface located near the stove;
• hot walls are a source of risk for burns;
• fast fuel consumption, heating is carried out only with regular addition.

Like any heating device, a potbelly stove has certain advantages and some disadvantages. Therefore, before you make a comfortable stove with your own hands, think over the design that is most suitable for your purposes, then the result will please you for a long time.