The Amazing $500 Wood-burning Stove ... That You Can Build for $35 (or Less!)

In my world, none of the things that people find "everywhere" are anywhere, at least not for free. I just paid a bunch of money at my local recycling center (they sell metal for $$$$) for a water heater that weighed 75 pounds (at .20 per pound).

I dropped some stuff off at the local dump the other day. I spied a bunch of windows and asked if I could take them. They said that surveillance cameras precluded the workers themselves from taking anything.

In my area, at least, the dumps are HOSTILE toward re-purposing discarded goods.

ihi i was looking at building one of these hot water tank wood heaters and i was wondering how i can get the plans?
thanks for your time guys
matt

I purchased plans approx. 30 years ago and had a welder make me a stove from a 30 gallon drum. We successfully heated our 820 Sqft Idaho home at least 80% of the time using only this great stove!

This is a reply to Smith's comment that you could burn your house down with this stove. Of course you could... if you didn't build it correctly. Most heat stoves are NOT cast iron as it is cost prohibitive and heavy as hell. Most stoves are welded sheet steel these days. I have friends who have used a steel barrel stove for years and it is MUCH thinner than the water tank suggested here. Inspect the steel often for pin holes and burn throughs. Small pin holes can be welded closed. My grand father had an old pot belly cast iron job that had cracked from 60 years of use. It cast lovely light in the dark but never posed a fire hazzard. Bottom line, all wood stoves can burn your house down if you don't know what you are doing and this stove is as safe as any commercial stove if built properly in my opinion.

yes i think if you open a New Bitmap Image on your desktop you can then highlight the drawings 1 and 2 of the water heater wood stove and right click and copy then right click the New Bitmap Image and click edit then paste the copy and rename it and then you can open it and zoom as close as you would like and still see the image clearly i hope it works as good for you as it worked for me

How do you remove the ash?

How do you remove the ash?

the pipe has 1/2 inch hole in it and the front apears to be a slider draft but if I remember the plans called for a screw type draft, just a plate with a 1/2 inch bolt inside a 3-4 inch well casing

I am a retired eng. tech., machinest, welder, pipe fitter and I was unable to figure out the bottom thing that looks like a pipe??? It was blurry and I could not clear it up. It seems that with so many comments that ME would think about making the plans available again to it's members.

Rnnie

Bought the Plan for this in the 70s and built it as per plan. Didn,t care for the top loader so cut the front sean and made a door if you weld a peice around one side of your cut you will still be as airtight never did wear it out

the drawings are blured but there in last photo of photo shop if you send them to your pictures then when you view it it will blow them up but there blurry as the devil

This is awsome! I just had a water heater removal, its sitting outside my garage. Would love to build but I can barly read the blue prints supplied. Any way to blow this up? or make it more legible?

Thanks James

The article on how to build a$500.00 wood stove they weren't any drawing plans with the article to show you how to build.

THank you

Arless

Does anyone have more detailed drawings for this project?

I wish there was an abundance of these. I've been looking for one in Michigan for a year now, no luck. I even have a $20 finders fee for these with some local contractors. :(

I really love this site
Thanks for the artical about the wood burning stove. Now do you have any advice about how to help me get my husband motivated?
The Pagan Pixie

This Is not a thing you can use in your home if you do it may burn your home down.The heat will brake the steel down and burn a hole threw it that is why thay make wood heaters out of cast iorn...

Question: How does one clean the ashes out of Dennis Burke-holders $35 wood stove after you assemble it? Also how is it possible that the air vents do not become clogged with ash build up according to the diagram shown??

Does anyone know if there is a higher resolution image available of the plans for this stove? (or reproductions/plans available for purchase? I am very interested in building one but can't see the dimensions of the hopper on top etc.

I built one before I read this article.Does great heats a 30 by 40 garage.I used 3 water heaters and purchased a barrel kit from Tractor Supply,used the door out of the kit.

Back in the 70's we sent for the parts to make a barrel heater from a company called Sotz. The kit included an airtight door, legs, and a collor for the smoke pipe. We ordered the double barrel kit that had the parts to stack a barrel above the fire barrel to reclaim heat that would go up the chimney. We used this 2 barrel assembly in our basement for 20 years to heat our entire 2 story house with the original barrels that never burned out. The beauty of it was that it controlled how hot the fire got. Wouldn't let it get over 800 degrees. If it did the barrel would burn out. We only stopped using it because our boys grew up and left home and we both worked and couldn't cut enough wood to heat the home. Now that we are retired and the fill-up of our heating oil cost us $1800 last August we are making plans to use it again.

This is an excellent use of an old water heater. But if you want to get even more heat from your wood, build a heat exchanger / smoke tank just above the stove. It need only consist of a horizontal tank with a baffle laying parallel to the top, midway up. I designed one for my neighbor, and he says he uses about 1/3 the wood and his heat output has increased dramatically. He no longer has problems heating his older two storey home, with just one stove.

Could I get a clear set of plans for the "hot water" stove. I can't make out the numbers in the one in this article.
Thank you

Where can I purchace the plans for the water heater wood stove?.

Thanks, Mark

I tried to print drawing and the dimensions are unreadable. Any chance to get a better jpg somewhere?

Just got an old water heater and would like to see if there are any comments from other folks

I don't understand the "draft control". Can someone please explain?

I am very interested in building on of Bob Smyers' woodburning stoves but am confused with his directions. Could you send me more complete info especially about the draft. Sounds like the perfect heat source!
Love your magazine.
Sue

There was no drawing of the wood stove made from a water.I'm intersted in seeing it. thanks,bill robey

Water heater tank are galvanized. These stoves are toxic at the temperatures created by a wood fire. I have made several water tank stoves and every one of them was fired outdoors several times to fully melt off the zinc. This is important unless you are interested in heavy metal poisoning. I am not certain but it may be illegal to make these stoves due to environmental regulations.

I actually bought the plans from mother earth news for one of these stoves and built it in 1978. It worked great and was the only means of heat I used in the farm house I was living in at the time. I was quite surprised to see this article and will say it is a great project that can also be very beneficial.

i was an avid mother reader back in the 70's and 80's and saved most of my issues and will be going back thru them. i wish i had signed up for the lifetime sub-scription back then (oh well). i had to drop out for awhile. about 10 years ago i loaned my nephew my back issues and now he loans me his.

back in the 70's i bought plans for mothers pig and had it built for me. the material was free,(my water heater tank), my dad supplied the misc. steel, and the welding cost me $85.

this wood burner easily heated an 800 sq ft area on week ends and sometimes for two or three weeks at a time in some realy cold illinois winters with minimal amount of ash. we even cooked on it and roasted marshmellows.

the pig is only used occasionally now but is still in great shape. we are looking for a buyer for it. it wants a new home.

Although there are now federal laws about the amount of pollutants a wood stove emits, they can be 'gotten around' if you can demonstrate low smoke and ash production by your unit to any local health department official who complains or comes to check out the unit. How do I know this? I've built a different plan (my own) for over 20 years & have yet to have a complaint hold up. Come to think of it, I don't recall that anyone I made one of these stoves for had any complaints lodged against them for having a wood stove, either. Hopefully, this continues 'forever'.. In any case, the only people who have ever raised even one eyebrow about a woodburner for house heat have been insurers, and their questions have all been about distance to nearest combustible materials, kind of chimney installation...

There are no separate plans for this stove. The construction illustrations are in the Image Gallery at the top of the article.

Where can I get plans for this Water Heater Stove? I live in Texas and our last months electric bill was over $600 (actually LOW for our area) due to heating costs. I NEED PLANS FOR THIS STOVE! :)

where can you get a copy of the plans for the water heater stove? Thanks!!

I would like to get the plans for the stove or how to get them. Thanks

these are great stoves. i've had one since 82. used it as my only heat source for 8 yrs, then as suplemental heat.
they're quite simple to build. the legs don't matter, 3 work better to keep from wobbling. pipe, angle, rebar;doesn't matter.
drill a series of 6 to 10- 1/2" holes down both sides of the pipe. cap the end.
to clean out the ash, get a stick, a can and a screw. if you can't figure out how to put the ash thingy together, don't bother with the stove.
to make them last forever, put an inch layer of mortar on the bottom.
if it smokes when you open the door, cut a piece of sheetmetal to cover 1/4 of the opening when the door is open. experiment, it's not brain surgery

Wow! Finally a woodstove that makes sense. Please send drawings on how to make the water heater woodstove. Also I would like to subscribe. Thank You, Mike

Is the bottom 8" draft pipe continuous or perferated? This very necessary detail is not at all clear from the internet plans. Will someone please clarify. That pipe dimensions appear 30" to just under the chimney pipe... open? Closed?

Wow! Finally a woodstove that makes sense. Please send drawings on how to make the water heater woodstove. Also I would like to subscribe. Thank You, Mike

Can I get the information on how to build these it sounds like a nice easy way to biuld a wood stove and would be great on my porch.

We would like to get the plans for the stove or how we can get them. Thanks

just click on images

Sorry, this is a rather poor design for a wood burner for several reasons. Cleaning out the ash for one thing, as well as no smoke trap. When reloading with wood the house will get a lot of smoke in it. There is a very large amount of improvement needed, and several other better designs.

Hello everyone. You will find the plans on page 5 of the Image Gallery. God Bless.

Just trying to find the plans that are mentioned in the article

I do see the plans....but, they're darn near impossible to read. I just replaced my water heater. Before I haul it to the curb (something I'm quite apprehensive about doing), I think I might give this a try!

Could make for a neat outdoor firepit.

I would also like to obtain a detailed (legible) drawing of the hot
water heater heater stove. I guess my eaysight is not what it used
to be.

How do I get these plans for the woodburner??

That would be the top right corner NOT left. My margins on my
computer are off.

THE PLANS ARE IN THE IMAGE GALLERY AT THE TOP LEFT OF THIS WEB
PAGE! AS STATED IN THE FORTH POSTING... PLEASZZZ tell me you guys
are not registered voters

WILL SOMEONE POST A DAMN LINK TO DOWNLOAD THE PLANS FOR THIS WATER
HEATER HOME MADE STOVE PROJECT???!!! GEEEEZ!!!

need plans on your $35.00 WOOD BURBER...drawings and instruction
also, please

interested in your WOOD BURNER for $35.00...where can I get copy of
PRINTS & DRAWINGS and detail instruction?????

where are the drawings sick of electric heat and on tight budget,
would love to see how u did it Adam

This is a very interesting concept for the do-it-yourselfer,
although it appears that this design may be a rather high
maintenance approach. The vent holes in the tube may become blocked
as a fire consumes the wood and creates ashes. Daily or bi-daily
cleaning appears quite likely. I have considered some simple
changes to the design that may make it a really great stove for my
work shop...

Happy New Year , Stove Builders , "2008" I came across the stove
article like most of you while, "Surfing". I have most of my
material, and will be checking evening welding classes at the local
college for the assembly. I can build the stove with the three view
plan. What intrests me more is that,these plans pre-date secondary
air , internal dampers , down draft top loading , fire brick
,grating , and so on. So.... Research. Oh, did I mention, I don't
need a stove ? Jim , Peachtree City , Ga.

I live near Wilton IA and would love to purchase a stove like this
from the Smyers. Mother, Bob or Emerson, if you are reading this, I
would love to get contact info. Thanks a bunch. Sharon

total cost: $315. i do not have welding materials or skills. i
could not install completed unit until zoning codes were satisfied.
with all the labor and extra materials required, it was a cash
price of $295 ($20 tip to installer).

Please send me the drawings for this neat wood stove. Thanks Jim

please send me a drawing of this heater.thank you for your time.
jeff

i grabbed an oil hot water heater from craigslist and want to heat
my swimming pool with it. I'd like to plumb it soas to minimize
iron introduction to the pool. perhaps i need to add a heat
exchanger. would i need to torch open the top and slide one in, or
is there an easyier way to do this ?

I am sorry, we no longer have the plans for this stove.

WOULD LIKE A COPY OF PLANS FOR THE WOOD BURNING STOVE

I think your cad drawing is very sufficient to build the burner but
how do you clean out the ashes?

I think that no additional drawings are needed to build this stove.
Look at the view in the bottom right hand corner containing the
'cam shape' at the bottom of the circle, with the dimensions 1" R
and 2"R. I suspect that the view containing the 'cam shape' should
be to the left of the drawing that contains the text that begins
"Best Way to Light a Stove". If that view is moved to the left
side, then the plans become much clearer. That view shows the 2
inch radius tube running along the entire length of the bottom of
the stove. I am guessing that it is through that tube the outside
air enters. In the side-view (containing the text), that tube is
clearly shown to have many holes running along its length. Then,
the outside air from the 2 inch radius tube must leak through these
holes into the stove. Then,any burning firelog above this tube will
get its air supply from under it. It is good for wood to get its
combustion air supply from beneath. I suspect that the 'cam shape'
on one end of the 2 inch radius tube is just a handle that can be
used to pull that tube out of the stove. If I understood the plans
right (as described above), then no additional drawings are needed.

can i please have a copy of the plans and drawings, those provided
do not have enough information thanks

The newer hot water tanks have a glass coated tank. Does this
matter? If so, how do you remove this coating? Thx

greenarrow: Don't use the aluminum pole. It is possible to get a
hot enough fire to melt it. In addition, 4" is not a sufficient
size. Use steel. To the rest of you, those plans in the image
gallery are sufficient. Using Firefox, zoom the plans image on the
last page to 125%. it is readable. Anyway it wouldn't take much
imagination to fill in the blanks on this project, it's meant to be
customizable.

Nice site

Could I please have a copy of the plans and drawings? The image is
too small for me to make out. Thank you

Nice site

Could you please send me a copy plans and/ or drawings? I can't
make out some of the measurements? Thx

I've just been given an aluminum pole that used to hold a 30mph
sign. It's only about 4" in diameter but could it be used as a flue
for a small wood burner?

can i please have a copy of the plans and drawings, those provided
do not have enough information thanks

would you send me the drawings and plans for the stove. Thank You

very interesting, i'd like to see a drawing, and instructions for
the stove, thx

interesting idea. i'd like to see the drawing of it. thx

Can you please send me drawings for the fabrcation ofthe wood
burning stove! Thank-You very much! Pete

A friend and I bought the plans and built one of these when this
article first came out.He had found some sort of tank shorter and
squater than a HW heater tank. It had about a 3/8th in wall
thickness! It worked like a charm. We had it in the basement. It
burned very slowly. I've only recently moved to an area where
almost everyone has a woodstove. Most of them seem to be 'wood
burners' compared to the one I describe above. I think I will go
look for a HW heater tank and someone with some welding equipment.

The drawings are in the Image Gallery at the top right of the
article.

Please send me the drawings for ther fabrication of the wood
burning stove. Thanks you Jeff

Greg, I'm assuming that the tank should be from an electric heater
because the gas models have an exhaust pipe running the length of
the tank to vent exhaust gases up and into the vent pipe. Seems to
me that, with a little skill, one could overcome the problem,
assuming that you have a gas model at hand.

Can someone tell me why the wood burning stove should be made out
of an electric water heater as opposed to a gas water heater?
thanks.

please send me the drawings for the fabrication of the wood burning
water heater stove thank you

We do not have any further information or illustrations for this
project.

I am looking for more DETAILED "step by step" instructions on how
to build the Water Heater Wood Stove. The drawing alone doesn't
provide enough info. Are there written instructions available?
Thank you!

I am looking for more DETAILED "step by step" instructions on how
to build the Water Heater Wood Stove. The drawing alone doesn't
provide enough info. Are there written instructions available?
Thank you!

Do you buy or build the hopper door? if you buy it where? Thanks

The illustrations and photos are in the Image Gallery at the top
right of the article.

cant find pics for water heater wood burning stove please let me
know thanks Jake

thanx for the article appreciate it now to get started building the
wood stove will post photo once it is done

I cannot find the drawings for the amazing 500.00$ wood burning
stove if you can please help me. Thank you in advance. Sergio