MadModder

The Shop => Our Shop => Topic started by: one_rod on January 27, 2018, 03:27:34 PM

Title: Workshop heating.
Post by: one_rod on January 27, 2018, 03:27:34 PM
“There's some guy up the street throwing an old woodburner out. You wanted one for the workshop, didn't you?”, said Mrs_Rod.

I certainly did, thanks.

Took a walk up, and there it was, left out for the scrappies. Went back with a sack-truck, and five minutes later it was in my workshop, on the bench, ready for a good looking-at.
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4538/38623846641_9f510fa2a8_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/21R4iYn)20171124_212212 (https://flic.kr/p/21R4iYn) by Mick (https://www.flickr.com/photos/one_rod/), on Flickr

Opened the the door, and...ahh.....
Turns out it's not a woodburner at all, it's a gas heater tricked up to look like one.
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4523/26847715739_8542ecdc97_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/GUrywF)20171124_212305 (https://flic.kr/p/GUrywF) by Mick (https://www.flickr.com/photos/one_rod/), on Flickr

Still, it's a nice cast-iron box, with a glass-fronted door and a dummy ash pan hatch, complete with non-functioning air vent. So it's sort of half way to being a proper stove, and might save me from having to convert a propane bottle, or make something from scratch. Besides, who could resist iron casting with this level of detail.
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4585/38567356626_bf56717000_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/21L4MsA)20171124_212411 (https://flic.kr/p/21L4MsA) by Mick (https://www.flickr.com/photos/one_rod/), on Flickr

So let's see what can be done.

Stripped out all the gas-related gizzards.
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4571/24751704658_5d4b6d4ac2_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/DHdXsA)20171124_220326 (https://flic.kr/p/DHdXsA) by Mick (https://www.flickr.com/photos/one_rod/), on Flickr

And loosened a few bolts.
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4548/26848185859_b3f0f0a988_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/GUtYhc)20171124_220339 (https://flic.kr/p/GUtYhc) by Mick (https://www.flickr.com/photos/one_rod/), on Flickr

The base casting has a huge air inlet vent and some kind of vanes cast in.
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4569/24784066748_fbceff1084_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/DL5PzE)20171126_151908 (https://flic.kr/p/DL5PzE) by Mick (https://www.flickr.com/photos/one_rod/), on Flickr

An angle grinder can deal with the vanes...
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4564/38663105671_2b8036ed1b_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/21Uwwjc)20171126_184747 (https://flic.kr/p/21Uwwjc) by Mick (https://www.flickr.com/photos/one_rod/), on Flickr

And a handy off-cut of steel plate fills the hole nicely.
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4523/38794616942_578daf2aed_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2279y2U)20171203_172700 (https://flic.kr/p/2279y2U) by Mick (https://www.flickr.com/photos/one_rod/), on Flickr

Some penetrating oil, and some attention from a spanner...
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4565/27049282349_643b638471_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/HdfDg4)20171203_175422 (https://flic.kr/p/HdfDg4) by Mick (https://www.flickr.com/photos/one_rod/), on Flickr

Gets the air vent working.
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4538/38109409244_febd2f3851_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/214AFE5)20171203_175601 (https://flic.kr/p/214AFE5) by Mick (https://www.flickr.com/photos/one_rod/), on Flickr

The stove's back plate is the only part not made from cast iron. It's steel plate, so can be welded.
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4554/38109414304_f3d11167e3_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/214AHaj)20171203_190609 (https://flic.kr/p/214AHaj) by Mick (https://www.flickr.com/photos/one_rod/), on Flickr

Convenient, when it comes to filling in another big, unwanted hole.
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4576/38794654232_c694a4c166_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2279K7Q)20171203_191523 (https://flic.kr/p/2279K7Q) by Mick (https://www.flickr.com/photos/one_rod/), on Flickr

New rope gaskets all around.
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4686/24379884967_ffff9ea2f2_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/D9nhqg)20171223_163313 (https://flic.kr/p/D9nhqg) by Mick (https://www.flickr.com/photos/one_rod/), on Flickr

And a trial re-fit. All good, so far...
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4680/38370200465_3bbd8decf9_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/21sDiNr)20171223_200841 (https://flic.kr/p/21sDiNr) by Mick (https://www.flickr.com/photos/one_rod/), on Flickr


The flue adaptor was originally on the top plate, and that blanking plate was on the back. I decided it would be better for me to have a nice flat top on the stove, and the flue on the back, so swapped them over.
That simple sentence does not even begin to describe the titanic struggle I had getting those six little screws out without shearing them off.
Don't even ask...
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4644/24453016017_6b085f39cc_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/DfQ6Jr)20171226_185731 (https://flic.kr/p/DfQ6Jr) by Mick (https://www.flickr.com/photos/one_rod/), on Flickr

The thing about a gas appliance, of course, is that it doesn't have a grate. So I would  have to make one.
Fire grates are usually made from cast iron, and for a reason. I had visions of anything that I made from steel bar sagging under the weight, when it was red hot.
So I went straight for the “over-engineered” approach.
This plate is 10mm thick, with enough holes drilled to allow good air flow, but not enough to weaken the steel. Well that's what I hoped anyway...
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4681/27580142269_e48cf20132_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/J2arqi)20171228_201614 (https://flic.kr/p/J2arqi) by Mick (https://www.flickr.com/photos/one_rod/), on Flickr

The other thing they don't have is an ash pan.
Never mind, find a bit of sheet metal, and cut it up,
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4689/25501786168_c53b472392_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/ERvjyq)20171229_144036 (https://flic.kr/p/ERvjyq) by Mick (https://www.flickr.com/photos/one_rod/), on Flickr

My high-tech metal folding apparatus comes into play. (Hoofing great mallet, just out of shot..)
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4595/38662727034_c499c18304_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/21UuzKY)20171229_144425 (https://flic.kr/p/21UuzKY) by Mick (https://www.flickr.com/photos/one_rod/), on Flickr

Job done. And while I had the welder out, made a little tool for pulling the hot pan out from under
the fire.
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4638/38665752674_8d3e0424e0_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/21UL6bb)20171229_175702 (https://flic.kr/p/21UL6bb) by Mick (https://www.flickr.com/photos/one_rod/), on Flickr

I decided to make a little plinth for it to stand on. As you'll see, I'm better a metal-work than bricklaying...
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4633/38851877494_ccd9807d46_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/22cd2AN)20180107_181134 (https://flic.kr/p/22cd2AN) by Mick (https://www.flickr.com/photos/one_rod/), on Flickr

Stove in place, knocked a hole through the wall and fitted a flue pipe.
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4698/39669220211_fdedce951c_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/23rr87B)20180113_164456 (https://flic.kr/p/23rr87B) by Mick (https://www.flickr.com/photos/one_rod/), on Flickr

(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4710/39683694561_a932a7a730_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/23sHiQn)20180114_115916 (https://flic.kr/p/23sHiQn) by Mick (https://www.flickr.com/photos/one_rod/), on Flickr

(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4743/38974824364_38ee350728_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/22o5aqq)20180114_115903 (https://flic.kr/p/22o5aqq) by Mick (https://www.flickr.com/photos/one_rod/), on Flickr

Ready for the first burn.
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4604/25796313598_3587f64ab9_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/FiwRiy)20180113_161427 (https://flic.kr/p/FiwRiy) by Mick (https://www.flickr.com/photos/one_rod/), on Flickr

Nice and gentle to start.
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4669/38960102394_8a12e911dc_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/22mLH6m)20180113_163718 (https://flic.kr/p/22mLH6m) by Mick (https://www.flickr.com/photos/one_rod/), on Flickr

That's fine, now let's open her up, and see what she can do.
With the vents fully open, roars like a blast furnace and consumes fuel at an alarming rate.
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4740/39091599244_e9f1f9a680_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/22yoEwq)20180120_192127 (https://flic.kr/p/22yoEwq) by Mick (https://www.flickr.com/photos/one_rod/), on Flickr

At more sensible air valve settings, there's a good controllable heat that keeps the shop at a nice working temperature, and quietly gets rid of the many scrap pallets we have laying about at work...

Title: Re: Workshop heating.
Post by: tom osselton on January 27, 2018, 05:04:32 PM
Nice find and refit!
Title: Re: Workshop heating.
Post by: Stilldrillin on January 27, 2018, 05:09:33 PM
Very nicely done, and shown, Rod......  :thumbup:
Title: Re: Workshop heating.
Post by: SwarfnStuff on January 27, 2018, 11:42:52 PM
And here am I in OZ and 38C wanting to COOL the playpen down. Besides that stove would take up 25% of my floor space.
   Plenty of room on top for the kettle or fry-pan too.
Great find by your eagle-eyed wifey though, and nifty bodge up by your good self.
Regards,
John B
Title: Re: Workshop heating.
Post by: bertie_bassett on January 28, 2018, 10:40:07 AM
looks like that should keep the place nice and warm for you!

i keep thinking about putting a cheap one in my shop, but being as its all made of wood that might not be such a great idea!
Title: Re: Workshop heating.
Post by: Brass_Machine on January 28, 2018, 11:04:12 AM
Nicely done one_rod... I like this post!

Eric
Title: Re: Workshop heating.
Post by: SwarfnStuff on January 28, 2018, 11:05:46 PM
Bertie,
Not impossible to do although I know that here in OZ there are rules about the distance from the wall, heat resistant / fire proof base and double skinning the flue etc.

   Gov't like rules within rules here.

Regards,
John B
Title: Re: Workshop heating.
Post by: DavidA on February 12, 2018, 04:37:28 PM
Nice job.

But I would have run the flue up the inside of the building as far as possible. The flue is where most of the heat comes from.

Dave.
Title: Re: Workshop heating.
Post by: timby on February 12, 2018, 05:19:50 PM
Nice job.

But I would have run the flue up the inside of the building as far as possible. The flue is where most of the heat comes from.

Dave.

That is what I thought, there must be  a lot of heat escaping outside .
Title: Re: Workshop heating.
Post by: PekkaNF on February 13, 2018, 04:39:19 AM
That's why you see on warmer climate kitchen stoves and comfort fireplace chimneys outside. Here pretty much all chimneys are located inside.

But there are some problems with inside chimneys.

1: They need extra space around and more than you think (to prevent inadvert touching/leaning/falling into)
2: There are minimum distances to most of the building materials
3: You need special parts to route the chimney trough ceiling and roof and insulation + membranes might be a problem.

All that means jump in the cost.

Pekka
Title: Re: Workshop heating.
Post by: Meldonmech on February 13, 2018, 01:01:38 PM

 An interesting post,and nice conversion.

                                                               Well Done
                                                                                 Cheers David