Are you looking for a way on how to build a wood stove? There are five easy ways; these you will know as you delve into this article further. Well, this is a stove that burns blocks or chunks of wood; now more modern stoves are seen and used. They were made to fit the modern household lifestyle.
Wood stoves are more efficient than their counterparts. They can also be a great DIY project at home for those who are looking for one. This could be a good family project to work on or a gift for a family friend. It is better to have someone with experience to be present during the work. Keep on reading!
Wood stoves are used as a heating source for a room or the whole house. Now you may have heard of wood fireplaces too. This is the conventional heating source you used to see in movies and television series. Now there are many other alternatives to a fireplace. The wood stove is a very close second.
Wood stoves are generally made of metal and are easily installed in homes. Their source of fuel is any wood-derived biomass. Like a gas stove, wood stoves work more efficiently because their flames are directly used to radiate as the primary heating source.
Unlike the wood-burning fireplace, a wood stove has a built-in door. This prevents any of the fire or wood from jumping out of safety range. The only thing you should watch out for is touching the surface area when it is still hot or hasn’t been given enough time to cool off yet.
Ways To Build A Wood Stove
Once you have purchased your wood stove parts, it won’t take long before you have it up and working. In this section of the article, we will show you how to do that. Every wood stove can have its unique flair that might not be in the steps you are about to read. So here are the steps on how to build a wood stove:
#1. Sheet metal
You can do most DIY projects like these with sheet metal. It is lightweight and malleable. It is also inexpensive so which makes it suitable for such projects. Sheet metal is a good conductor of heat and cannot be easily deformed, so it should be good.
Don’t forget your other materials and tools needed, too, such as bolts and sheet metal cutters. Be sure you have good blades for these so your cuts would be smooth and not jagged, as that could cause injury. Always be equipped with safety gear, especially when handling the sheet metal cutter.
#2. Design
First, work on the design of your wood stove. Whether this is done on paper or digitally with a design program, starting with the design is good not to lose the vision. This also helps save time finding measurements as you would already have had those in your pre-made design. Make sure you have its flow or ventilation in mind when making the design. Do some research about this with wood stove ventilation to have a better visualization. Don’t be discouraged because many people have done this, and it will only take a few minutes to figure it out.
#3. Cutting
As previously mentioned, the sheets are malleable, and you can easily make grooves as guidelines to cut by bending them. You may use a rubber hammer to assist you in this step. You can also use the grinder on the sheet lightly to create that groove. Be sure to cut just a little bigger than your desired measurement for a piece if you need some leeway for adjustments.
#4. Welding
Now, of course, when dealing with metals and making stuff from them, you will always need to weld. If you or your family members know how to weld, that’s good. But when you have no experience and have not been taught, it is better to ask a professional welder to complete this step. Doing something wrong during this step can cause blindness, burns, and power shortages, leading to more significant problems.
You might also need some heating apparel to make the folding of sheets easier. Keep in mind there are seven main parts of the wood stove that you will, by all means, need to create. That would be the main box body, the baffle, the top, the bottom, the door, then, of course, the hinges and vents for it to function effectively.
#5. Flue
You might have heard you don’t need a chimney for a wood stove. But you will then need a flue pipe. Flue pipes are better purchased than made as a DIY as it will take forever to make a metal tube. You will also need to install a flue damper. The legs for the stove can be made at home and re-use some old metal legs of chairs. Read how to seal wood stove chimney pipe.
Conclusion
We hope you now have more ideas on how to build a wood stove. These are suitable for a heating source or outdoor activities along the porch. You could even use the top part as a place to cook certain foods for a cookout. It might be useful to read why does my wood stove smoke when I open the door and how to remove creosote from wood stove. Thank you for reading!