Thread: Shed Heater Project (warning-large pics)

That's a nice job !.

Well done Plushy

Thats a very nice bit of fabrication there !
Very well thought out and executed.


regards
Grahame

When you get it done........try Shed Toast

I like the heater. Well done.

Originally Posted by Plushy

Mesh Welded in and Rim number 1 and 2 welded together .

This probably my best weld so far

cheers Plushy

Plushy, is that heater load bearing ?

That's a really sweet job that you've done there.

Thanks Guys , i am pretty happy with it .

Marc the only load it will be bearing will be a couple of large Steaks when i get hungry .

I am going to Fire it up tomorrow and see what amount of heat it puts in my shed . I am going to Shut the Shed up and light it and take a before and after temperature reading to see if it makes a difference in a 30x50 foot shed

cheers Plushy

yeah nice job plushy well done!what do they say improvisation is the mother of invention...., one mans scrap is another mans treasure.... will have to put ole mate terrian on to this one, he was trying to source out a cheap and efficient way to heat his shed this will do the job a treat

A couple of questions and comments.

• How are you going to regulate the burn rate? You really should consider a sliding door to regulate the amount of air getting in.
• Are you loading your firewood from the top? You should consider changing this to a side load as every time you open the lid you will let smoke , etc escape. You should also consider an upper shelf to stop the heat escaping straight up the flue.

You may find that a 4 inch flue is not sufficient for that size firebox.

Kev ,
i was thinking about those questions today and i am not to worried about losing some heat up the flue because if it burns like my Father in laws one then i will probably be trying to lose heat from it . But i reckon i will add a sliding door for the flue just so i have a bit more control of the burn rate .

i have some 5 inch and 6 inch Stainless pipe lying around so i may eventually build a progressive taper flue i.e 6 inch to 5 to 4 but i will only do that if i find the 4 inch isnt sufficient .

I dont think the top loading will be to much of a problem but time will tell .

Thanks for the comments and questions they are appreciated and i will use the ideas for the next couple i build for friends .

Cheers Plushy

Hi Everyone ,
I just thought i would let every one know how the heater went . I finished the Flue and installation and fired it up early monday morning and it works its warmed the shed so that i can keep working out there . Havent done any exact readings yet but i will soon and i can cook a mean steak on it if i load it right up with wood . The only modifications i might make is to increase the bottom 6 feet of flue to a 5 inch diameter as the 4 inch might be a touch small that being said though the heater works fine with just the 4 inch flue .

Cheers Plushy

great looking heater, 10/10.

Hey plushy,, I really dig that heater,, I got a question,
What size rims are those,,13, 14,15 ?
I was thinking of knocking a heater up,,I got a few 14 inch rims lying around ,,!,,
I might add scrolled legs and some nice latches,, yours looks like a practical killer!! dont burn the place down now!
good stuff!

Hi Artemis ,
Sorry for the slow reply i missed your question . From memory the Rims are 15 or 16 inch i will measure them for you tomorrow . Are you a Blacksmith by trade ? I have some questions on Blacksmithing as its something i would like to try as a hobby .
First Question is Do you know any good suppliers that have a website so i can get an idea of how much it will cost me for a basic set of tools ? Do you use a gas forge or a traditional coke forge ? And what size Anvil is best for a beginner should i go all out for a big 120kg anvil or something smaller to start with ?

Thanks for any help

Cheers Plushy

Originally Posted by Plushy

Hi Artemis ,
Sorry for the slow reply i missed your question . From memory the Rims are 15 or 16 inch i will measure them for you tomorrow . Are you a Blacksmith by trade ? I have some questions on Blacksmithing as its something i would like to try as a hobby .
First Question is Do you know any good suppliers that have a website so i can get an idea of how much it will cost me for a basic set of tools ? Do you use a gas forge or a traditional coke forge ? And what size Anvil is best for a beginner should i go all out for a big 120kg anvil or something smaller to start with ?

Thanks for any help

Cheers Plushy

Hey Plushy,, thanks for the reply,, I think I have no choice but to use the rims I have,, judging by the way you put your heater together I dont think the 14 inch rims will be too bad size wise,,I might put some heat cut- outs around the top though.
In answer to your question,, I am a qualified boilermaker,,15 years,, and during that time , I took courses in blacksmithing,, in the United States, my grandfather was a blacksmith and I was fascinated with the whole twisting and heating thing watching him as a kid,, I worked with many smithies till I finally settled here.
As far as tools go,, it took me about 6 years to source what I need for this type of work,, I bought a lot of tools from a local blacksmith who went out of business a while ago, but what I can say is, if you are interested in this kind of thing,, start off with a mid-sized anvil, around 90 kg, I started off with an english 40kg and later bought a vintage 120kg $500-$1000 . To be honest I use large lumps of solid steel with differing contours more than my anvils,,try Simsmetal for those,,and any farrier supplies for your anvils.. Make sure you mount those on a stump and bolt the stump onto a rim for easy movement,, this also keeps things square on your floor.Heres a tip for anvil height!! Standing with your body straight up and hands by your sides, clench your fists,, your knuckles are the top of your anvil, get me? As I said anvil heights vary according to user arm lengths.
The second indispensible tool is a roller,, Try EXELMETAL ( gold coast) they have a website I think,, and various blacksmithing tools, hammers ,tongs,chisels, hardies, etc, also try METALCRAFT, for various specialized tools, you will find as I did, that once you see these tools you might say to yourself ,, Hey! I can make that myself,, as I did.
One place wanted to sell me a bar twister for $900,, but after viewing it I made one for $85,, you will need a scroll former,, and be prepared to spend big for a good one,, and as far as forges go,,$1500.00 I have both a coke and a gas forge,, I dont use the coke forge anymore ,, takes too long to fire up,, but any farriers supply can order you a good gas forge.
I bought mine from the states,, Its a double burner 3minutes from Go to Whoa, Try googling "valley forge" for other stuff,,, I got a treadle hammer from those guys,, ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, I hope I havent scared you off,, but I am always willing to help out with any info,, just ask me,,,, and good luck!!!