# my OWB build



## avarageerod (Jul 30, 2013)

I've gotten a lot of great ideas from this site, so I thought I would post up my OWB build.

So I acquired this old air compressor and thought it would be a good candidate for a OWB





First I needed to get it off my trailer since I used it often. I put it on this old farm trailer I have to keep it mobile and out of the garage while I worked on it.





Step one was to cut the end off













Since the trailer was kind of large to be in and out of the garage often and I found it hard to work on the trailer, I found a boat trailer for free and repurposed it. It doesn't look great, but it works.














I have a 60 gallon air compressor tank I'm going to use as a fire box. I am open for comments and suggestions since I really have no idea what I'm doing, I'm just guessing my way through this


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## avarageerod (Jul 30, 2013)

I cut the top off cleanly incase I want to use it as the door. I am glad I did, I think I'll use it as the fire door. I can insulate easily it to keep it from warping and it will leave me with the full size of the tank as a fire box.





I didn't take as good of a picture of the 60 gallon tank as I should have. There are two 2" holes on the now bottom of the tank. I think I will face those down on the c-channel. Those will be for my forced air to come in through the bottom. The c-channel runs to the back of the tank to cover both 2" holes. The angle is just laying in there. I think that would be a good diffuser for the air without having to make a ash pan since I don't really have room.


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## avarageerod (Jul 30, 2013)

I welded the ends onto my C-channel, then welded the channel to the tank





the tank is upside down right now, but this will be where the air is forced in the tank. I welded a pipe nipple to a piece of flat and then threaded the c-channel so I can remove it when needed






here is a close up of my cover pass. I hope it holds since it will be on the water side





I found this 1/4" angle at the scrap yard. I think it will work great as a diffuser





and that is where I am at so far


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## H-Ranch (Jul 30, 2013)

I very much like the repurposing of stuff for little or no cost during your build. 

If you're planning to have the diffuser on the bottom to distribute air, keep in mind that there are going to be several inches of ash build up. Looking forward to seeing more of your project.


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## zogger (Jul 31, 2013)

wish my welds looked half that good!


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## AIM (Jul 31, 2013)

Looks great so far. My air comes in from the bottom on mine also. I think if I build another I will change to a top blower. Many times the bottom air just seems to not work quite like I planned plus it blows ash all over hell sometimes when I load without shutting it down.
I think my next one will go in the door blowing directly across the fire.


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## chaikwa (Jul 31, 2013)

Just a couple of observations that you may want to consider:

I'm no expert in OWB construction, so take this for what it's worth, but I'm not so sure the channel will be large enough to move the volume of air you'll need. Likewise, I'm not sure the 2 holes will be enough to provide enough air to the fire. As far as the whole 'air under the fire' theory goes, I think that's how I'd build mine as well because it just makes sense. But like member AIM said, I could never figure out how to avoid blowing the ash all over the place as that bottom area is where the ash is going to try and collect. 

The other thing is your welds. This is something I DO know a bit about being a welder/fabricator for the past 33 years. Your welds LOOK good, but they also look like they didn't make much penetration along their edges into the base metals. In other words, they may just be laying there. You might want to consider turning up the heat a bit until the beads look a bit flatter and the edges of the weld beads 'sink in' a bit more. You don't want them to appear under-cut either, but right now they're just not biting into the metal the way they ideally should. It'd be a shame to get this thing together only to find they leak, especially where they're on the bottom.

Here's an example of a decent weld bead with good penetration and no undercutting:








Here's an example of a weld bead that has good penetration but is severely under-cut:






Hope this helps!


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## JakeG (Jul 31, 2013)

Nice build! It's nice when someone repurposes junk.. The ultimate recycling imo. My dad, friends and I have done our fair share of repurposing. Good luck on the build and don't stop working on it!

As a side note, I too thought the welds looked a little cold.. But otherwise, I like the project a lot :msp_thumbup:


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## Rattler05.5 (Jul 31, 2013)

I wish I had the time to do this! Looks good so far! Keep at it!


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## cre10 (Jul 31, 2013)

Looks interesting.


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## hupte (Jul 31, 2013)

+1 on the welds it almost looks like your using a weave pattern, possibly? and possibly cold too? welding 1/4 inch steel, if you crank up your volts to 22.5 and set your wire speed to 250 with .045 wire in position/flat welding will come out nice without using a weave pattern. 

I also agree that you have a very small opening for air on the bottom of your burn chamber. it looks like you will have to clean the ashes out just about every day. as opposed to most owb that only need cleaned out every 2-3 weeks. 

hope this helps :msp_thumbup:


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## woodman6666 (Jul 31, 2013)

Looks good! I would however not put the air in where you are. I have built several owb's and I would definately put the damper, fan if you use one all in the door about 8" up from the bottom of your firebox. If you ever would happen to get a leak it is much easier to take care of. But the main reason is the ash, ash will plug off your current position within a week in my opinion. Good luck and good recycling.


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## avarageerod (Aug 1, 2013)

chaikwa said:


> Just a couple of observations that you may want to consider:
> 
> I'm no expert in OWB construction, so take this for what it's worth, but I'm not so sure the channel will be large enough to move the volume of air you'll need. Likewise, I'm not sure the 2 holes will be enough to provide enough air to the fire. As far as the whole 'air under the fire' theory goes, I think that's how I'd build mine as well because it just makes sense. But like member AIM said, I could never figure out how to avoid blowing the ash all over the place as that bottom area is where the ash is going to try and collect.
> 
> ...




thank you for the advice, I need all I can get. my welds do look cold. My lack of experience welding shows even more when I try to weld two different sized metals. I'm always worried that I will either blow through from being too hot or not penetrate which seems to be the case here. I was welding 1/4 to 3/16 and tried to set my heat somewhere in the middle leading off of the larger material. Any suggestions?


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## avarageerod (Aug 1, 2013)

after considering the ash and air movement problems I'm unsure of having the forced air coming in at the bottom. It makes more sense burn wise, but the cons seem to be adding up. I wonder how it would work to force the air in from the sides. I worry about the air moving out of the flue and bypassing the fire all together. I don't really want to put the fan on the door for a few reasons but with a small burn chamber I don't have a lot of options.


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## chaikwa (Aug 1, 2013)

avarageerod said:


> I'm always worried that I will either blow through from being too hot or not penetrate which seems to be the case here. I was welding 1/4 to 3/16 and tried to set my heat somewhere in the middle leading off of the larger material. Any suggestions?


Welding is 10% theory and 90% technique. When I teach people to weld I show them what they are trying to accomplish, then they have to develop their own style of achieving the end result. Personally, I push the molten puddle of weld around as opposed to trying to get the rod, (or wire, whichever the case may be), to deposit metal where it should go. In other words, if you're welding a vertical piece to a horizontal piece, (an 'L'), either let the puddle build up on the vertical piece and guide it to the lower horizontal piece, or, let a little puddle build up on the flat horizontal piece then 'push' it up onto the vertical piece and hold it there a second to let it burn in. Just don't hold it there TOO long or you'll end up with an undercut. Keep repeating this process; up, down - up, down, etc. See if that works. Of course, if one piece is thicker than the other, you'll have to compensate by holding the rod on the thicker piece slightly longer than the other. The basic goal is to melt both pieces and add a little filler metal, (the rod or wire), and join all 3 together in the form of the bead. Among the variables that will result in success or failure are pin holes in the weld beads from dirty metal, slag inclusions, moving too fast, too slow, not enough heat, too little heat... and the list goes on and on. Practice and technique development is the key.



avarageerod said:


> after considering the ash and air movement problems I'm unsure of having the forced air coming in at the bottom. I don't really want to put the fan on the door for a few reasons but with a small burn chamber I don't have a lot of options.


Honestly, I think the fan on the door will be your best option at this point. It's a tried and true method, and like you said, you don't have a lot of options. The more I see of the OWB's, the more I realize they ain't rocket science. Maybe there's a little more to the gasification units, but the kind you're building is really pretty simple. Extend your flue down into the firebox a little ways and it will force the heat, smoke and air to stay in the firebox a little longer. Most of the 'big name' manufacturers do this in one form or another and it seems to work well. I just bought a Hawken and I pick it up next Wednesday. I was going to build my own, but time is an issue right now and I'd only save about $3000 by building one myself. I'd use all new materials just from the standpoint that I don't have time to scavenge used materials. If you want me to take a few pics when I get it to give you some ideas, I'd be happy to do that, just let me know.


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## avarageerod (Aug 1, 2013)

pictures would be great. Right now my plan is to run my flue horizontal through the water side to scavenge all the heat I can. That's my "right now" plan, since they change daily with this project. The air inlet on the door may not be that hard to accomplish. If I can plum the air through a hose into the front of the door it should work just as well as going in the side. I'm really hesitant to mounting the fan on the door due to exposure to the elements.


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## chaikwa (Aug 2, 2013)

avarageerod said:


> Right now my plan is to run my flue horizontal through the water side to scavenge all the heat I can.


Good idea. Just put a downward facing elbow in the firebox end of it and maybe run a pipe about 1/2 way down the height of the firebox.



avarageerod said:


> If I can plum the air through a hose into the front of the door it should work just as well as going in the side. I'm really hesitant to mounting the fan on the door due to exposure to the elements.


The fans are usually quite small and they build an enclosure over it. You'll have to have a damper/door as well so the fire doesn't suck it's own draft when the unit is not calling for heat, but you'd have to do that with the hose set up as well.

I'll get pics as soon as I get mine home.


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## woodman6666 (Aug 2, 2013)

avarageerod said:


> pictures would be great. Right now my plan is to run my flue horizontal through the water side to scavenge all the heat I can. That's my "right now" plan, since they change daily with this project. The air inlet on the door may not be that hard to accomplish. If I can plum the air through a hose into the front of the door it should work just as well as going in the side. I'm really hesitant to mounting the fan on the door due to exposure to the elements.



Once you get everything built and operable on the door just build a hinged cover over it all and the element problem is solved.


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## avarageerod (Aug 2, 2013)

chaikwa said:


> Good idea. Just put a downward facing elbow in the firebox end of it and maybe run a pipe about 1/2 way down the height of the firebox.
> 
> The fans are usually quite small and they build an enclosure over it. You'll have to have a damper/door as well so the fire doesn't suck it's own draft when the unit is not calling for heat, but you'd have to do that with the hose set up as well.
> 
> I'll get pics as soon as I get mine home.



my plan to close the fan off is to use a solenoid to open a damper and close the damper as it is needed. that should seal it off.


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## avarageerod (Aug 3, 2013)

let me start by saying thank you for the advise on heat ranges. I turned up my heat and slowed down my wire speed and the welds turned out a lot better. I pressure tested my tank and I did have to go back and fix a few leaks, but they are fine now. So today I decided to move my air input to the top of the tank. Worse case scenario I move my fan to the door, which wouldn't be hard to do later if I need to. 

I welded these pieces of c-channel to the bottom of the tank to raise it up for water circulation. 





I then cut the hole in the burn chamber for the flue.





Next was the hole for the flue to come out of the water chamber. That was fun to measure and get right





It worked out great though. The holes are in line and look great. I will have 3 feet of flue in the water which should draw a lot of heat that may be lost otherwise.


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## hupte (Aug 4, 2013)

I like the pics and I like your design. if you decide to put the blower in the door. just pull the blower out in the summer when your not burning and keep it inside. that will make the motor last much longer. another tip is keeping a piece of aluminum inside the boiler. it works like a sacrificial piece of metal that will get eaten up by all the corrosive agents in the water. heatmore calls it an anode rod. burnrite called it a cathode block. but last I heard burnrite isn't doing it anymore. I hung one from my vent cap on my boiler.


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## avarageerod (Aug 4, 2013)

Both of those are great ideas. I haven't even thought of the aluminum or storing the fan out of the elements when not in use.

Sent from my DROID BIONIC using Tapatalk 4 Beta


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## avarageerod (Aug 7, 2013)

not a lot to report, but I did get the flue cut. It was a 10' piece of 6" galvanized conduit. It is a 1/4" and came from a scrap yard. Now it is a 100 pound, 5' piece of flue pipe.





I was really worried about the line up between the two tanks. I didn't want it to run up hill or down, and I didn't want to have to open the holes to compensate and have a wider gap to weld. To my delight it lined up perfectly. Very snug so it should make for good welds. It is as level as I could ask






I have over 3' of flue in the water side of the tank. It should retrieve a lot of heat. I left 6" inside the fire side.
My wife came into the garage and told me that if it doesn't work as a water stove it will make a huge potato gun!


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## avarageerod (Aug 8, 2013)

so I tack welded it together from inside the tank and pulled it out to complete the weld on the outside. I finished my first pass and wanted to test it just for fun. Duct tape works great for temporary leak seals.
BTW, this thing is getting almost too heavy for me to handle.


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## avarageerod (Aug 16, 2013)

I'm not sure what happened to my pictures :msp_sad: I'll have to fix that.

I did finish putting 3 passes on the flue and a cover pass on. It looked not so good so there are no pictures (it looks as though they wouldn't have worked anyway). I do have a question, any one have any suggestions on where to put my inlet and outlet for the pump? I've read all kinds of different ideas, but am torn on what is best


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## chaikwa (Aug 16, 2013)

I don't know what to tell you on the outlet. About half the manufacturers are on the top and the other half are on the bottom, so I guess either will work. They claim by putting them towards the bottom it makes for a more balanced temperature in the water.


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## avarageerod (Aug 16, 2013)

chaikwa said:


> I don't know what to tell you on the outlet. About half the manufacturers are on the top and the other half are on the bottom, so I guess either will work. They claim by putting them towards the bottom it makes for a more balanced temperature in the water.



I'm leaning toward putting the output at the bottom. I know the water would be warmer towards the top, but if I position it towards the front on the bottom, near the fire box, it should be sufficient for hot water. There would also be little to no chance of running the pump dry.


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## hupte (Aug 17, 2013)

I put my return up towards the top. just so the pump wouldn't have to work so hard. also it would be dumping cold water on top of hot water. that way it would keep the water circulating. you may also want to put the water return as far away from the intake as you can. just so it mixes the water in the boiler more and you don't get patches of hot or cold water or stagnant water. I know that burnrite runs their water return thru a long pipe inside the water jacket so the intake is on the bottom rear of the stove and the water return is on the top front of the stove. keep up the good work. :msp_thumbup:


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## chaikwa (Aug 17, 2013)

avarageerod said:


> I'm leaning toward putting the output at the bottom. I know the water would be warmer towards the top, but if I position it towards the front on the bottom, near the fire box, it should be sufficient for hot water. There would also be little to no chance of running the pump dry.


Want to be further confused?

One friend of mine who built a boiler took the water off the top and returned it to the bottom, basically relying on the fact that hot rises. He'd get wildly varying water temps in the house, I think because he'd pull all the REALLY hot water off the top then get the less hot water as it rose to the top after the REAL hot water was removed. He ended up switching his lines around and now it's all good with even temperatured water.

Another friend has a Taylor and they take the water off the bottom, relying on the 'mixed' theory. He claims he had to switch them around and pull the water off the top as he could never get water hotter than 130 degrees.

Glad I could help! 

LOL! :hmm3grin2orange:


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## avarageerod (Aug 17, 2013)

It sounds as though pulling water from the top or bottom is a case by case scenario. If I have problems with any configuration I can also switch them around, although I do feel a little more confused than I was before!

I did get some more work done today. I'll attach the pictures differently this time, maybe they will stay.

Since I had the flue welded to the burn box and in place, I welded it to the outside of the tank. I doesn't look great, but it looks as though it penetrated deeper than some of my other welds.







I then cut a piece of 1/4" for the front the size I needed. After _a lot_ of measuring I cut out the hole for the fire box. My 8 year old said "it looks like a cartoon bomb!" (Sorry for the blurry picture)







And here it is in place. It fit very snug and should make for a simple, but long, weld. I had to tap it in place with a hammer which in my mind is a good thing. At least if I have leaks here I can fix them.







My dog is looking particularly evil today!


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## chaikwa (Aug 18, 2013)

avarageerod said:


> Since I had the flue welded to the burn box and in place, I welded it to the outside of the tank. I doesn't look great, but it looks as though it penetrated deeper than some of my other welds.


YES! Your welds are looking better! Good penetration, no undercutting and nice and uniform. Good job!



avarageerod said:


> My dog is looking particularly evil today!


Is that a lab? I knew there was something I liked about you!


As promised a loooong time ago, here are a few pics of the Hawken I just bought. It's not hooked up yet, I just got one 250' trench dug and the pipe laid in it the other day. Still have another to do then all the plumbing. But I took some pics of the firebox, flue arrangement and blower assembly for you to peruse. I'll try to describe each one as best as I can. 


This is the unit, sitting on the pre-fab 6" thick pad. It was cheaper for me to buy the pad than it would have been for me to pour one myself. It has the cut out in the rear for the pex plumbing and re-rod throughout.





This one is looking in the front door at the roof of the firebox. The rectangular tubing sits about 6" below the cieling and they pass water thru them to scavenge a little more heat. Above the tubes is a flat, boxed-in plate that forces the smoke to come from the rear of the firebox under the tubes, then up into that box and rearward again before it exits upwards via the chimney. There is a handle on the front of the boiler that can be pulled that opens the chimney directly at the rear of the firebox so that all that smoke doesn't come forward and make you get a face full of it when you're loading wood into it. I have another pic of that.





Here's the handle that gets pulled on the front to by-pass the chimney routing.





This is looking directly upwards just inside the front door. Here you can see the rod from the handle that pulls the plate that by-passes the chimney routing. You can just barely see, on the left side, the turned up edge of the boxed plate that the sliding plate slides on to either open or block the chimney.





This is at the rear of the firebox, looking upwards. This is the flat sliding plate, in position, that blocks off the chimney and forces the smoke forward. 





This is the same view but with the handle pulled out to open up the chimney, making the smoke directly exit up the chimney instead of moving forward.





And lastly, this is the blower housing. You can see it's pretty well sealed off except for the bottom where it draws air from. Hopefully, this will be adequate to keep the weather off the blower and damper assembly.






Hope this helps!


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## hupte (Aug 18, 2013)

It kind of looks like your still using a weave pattern while welding. what size wire are you using? and what are your settings on your welder? also what make and model is your welder? with a wire welder you cant really get good penetration doing vertical or overhead welding. unless you have a pulse welder. so you may have to roll the boiler so your always welding with the gun pointed straight down, or close to straight down... looks kinda like you could almost turn up your volts a little, and you wouldn't have to use that weave pattern anymore. it would be a lot easier to make a nice looking consistent weld and you would get much better penetration. sometimes when I know I'm about to stop welding and I know i'm gonna have to continue where I left off (restart) I don't fill the puddle in all the way. I kind of leave it low so that way when I restart I have a hole to fill so I can heat the metal up in that spot again and get good penetration into the steel. almost all leaks happen at restarts. hope this helps and keep up the good work and please keep the pictures coming.:msp_thumbup:

almost forgot to mention, here is the post of my home made owb, there is pics of the build and a video breakdown on the 3rd page. maybe it will give you some pointers.http://www.arboristsite.com/firewood-heating-wood-burning-equipment/223262.htm


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## chaikwa (Aug 19, 2013)

hupte said:


> with a wire welder you cant really get good penetration doing vertical or overhead welding. unless you have a pulse welder.



33 years of welding for a living and I've never heard that.


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## hupte (Aug 20, 2013)

sorry I shoulda been clearer.
there are basically 5 types of mig transfer; short circuiting, globular spray, axial spray, pulsed spray transfer, and surface tension transfer. USUALLY both axial and globular are in position only. with the exception of spray mode with very small sized electrode. pulsed spray transfer is another exception. 

surface tension transfer and short circuit transfer are lower voltage, generally speaking. also they are NORMALLY only used for about 1/8 inch or thinner metal.

pulsed spray transfer is generally higher voltage and deeper penetration and better puddle control and is better for out of position welding. for pulse welding however, you need a welder with the capability of pulse welding.

you also need the correct argon co2 mixture for out of position welding. co2 gives you a deeper penetration but it pops and cracks like crazy and is very messy. for example 75% argon 25% co2 is ok for out of position welding but 90% argon and 10% co2 is not for out of position welding.

I would only recommend the best penetration possible especially on something you want to last for 20-30+ years, which is why i asked so many questions. 
generally speaking using a tank of straight co2 is best for out of position welding but the welds pictured looked very clean, not much spatter, for welding with straight co2. so i'm guessing that straight co2 wasn't used??? just a guess, i could be wrong. 

i agree with you chaikwa his welds are looking better. perhaps i'm too much of a perfectionist. idk. just tryin to help.


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## chaikwa (Aug 21, 2013)

hupte said:


> short circuit transfer are lower voltage, generally speaking. also they are NORMALLY only used for about 1/8 inch or thinner metal.
> 
> pulsed spray transfer is generally higher voltage and deeper penetration and better puddle control and is better for out of position welding. for pulse welding however, you need a welder with the capability of pulse welding.


Re you sure you don't have that backwards? We routinely use pulsed mig specifically when we want to weld very thin metals together because it isn't as hot and doesn't blast thru the metal as easily. And we use spray mig when we need lots of penetration in heavy metals. But to us, 'pulsed spray' would be a contradiction in terms.


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## avarageerod (Aug 21, 2013)

hupte said:


> It kind of looks like your still using a weave pattern while welding. what size wire are you using? and what are your settings on your welder? also what make and model is your welder? with a wire welder you cant really get good penetration doing vertical or overhead welding. unless you have a pulse welder. so you may have to roll the boiler so your always welding with the gun pointed straight down, or close to straight down... looks kinda like you could almost turn up your volts a little, and you wouldn't have to use that weave pattern anymore. it would be a lot easier to make a nice looking consistent weld and you would get much better penetration. sometimes when I know I'm about to stop welding and I know i'm gonna have to continue where I left off (restart) I don't fill the puddle in all the way. I kind of leave it low so that way when I restart I have a hole to fill so I can heat the metal up in that spot again and get good penetration into the steel. almost all leaks happen at restarts. hope this helps and keep up the good work and please keep the pictures coming.:msp_thumbup:
> 
> almost forgot to mention, here is the post of my home made owb, there is pics of the build and a video breakdown on the 3rd page. maybe it will give you some pointers.http://www.arboristsite.com/firewood-heating-wood-burning-equipment/223262.htm



Wire size is .030 on a Miller multimatic 200. 240 volt set for 1/4" at 19 and 330 I think. (I'm on vacation so I'm not sure.) Running 75/25 argon/co2. I am trying turning my volts up and wire speed down on my verticals starting at the bottom and moving up to keep the heat above the weld. Thanks for the information. I will check out your build when I get back to a real computer.


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## avarageerod (Aug 21, 2013)

Chaikwa that dog is a Lab mutt. I have 2 black mutts and they are perfect. That one stays in the garage and the other lives on the front porch. Bark like Kujo when you come in the yard and love you when you get out of the truck. 

What kind of pipe are you using? Is it pre-insulated?

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## hupte (Aug 23, 2013)

chaikwa said:


> Re you sure you don't have that backwards? We routinely use pulsed mig specifically when we want to weld very thin metals together because it isn't as hot and doesn't blast thru the metal as easily. And we use spray mig when we need lots of penetration in heavy metals. But to us, 'pulsed spray' would be a contradiction in terms.



you are correct, pulsed mig is used for thin metal cause of its more consistent arc, because the arc is controlled by a microprocessor. in addition, due to the fact it has a more stable arc, you can also weld in all positions, at a higher energy level than short circuit welding. hence resulting in deeper penetration for out of position welding. my fault again, I shoulda been clearer. 

I agree that using axial spray and globular transfer are for better penetration. saying "pulsed spray" is not technically a contradiction. but on the job most people will say "spray" or "pulsed" just to shorten their sentences. no need to overkill it and say every last unnecessary word. especially when the other person knows what you mean. the term "spray" used here, simply refers to the way the metal transfers from the wire to the metal. so really many, NOT ALL, types of welding are a spray of some sort. 

saying "short circuiting spray" would be a true contradiction though. 

chaikwa by now I think we have prolly thoroughly confused everyone else. lol.


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## hupte (Aug 23, 2013)

avarageerod said:


> Wire size is .030 on a Miller multimatic 200. 240 volt set for 1/4" at 19 and 330 I think. (I'm on vacation so I'm not sure.) Running 75/25 argon/co2. I am trying turning my volts up and wire speed down on my verticals starting at the bottom and moving up to keep the heat above the weld. Thanks for the information. I will check out your build when I get back to a real computer.
> Sent from my DROID BIONIC using Tapatalk 4 Beta



that's a good setting for vertical down. or if your filling a gap. its gonna be really hard to get the best penetration possible on quarter inch with .030 wire. for in position work i would recommend .045 wire and speed of 250 and 22.5 volts. that's gonna be really good penetration. but if your happy now then don't change a thing. :msp_smile:


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## avarageerod (Aug 25, 2013)

a update with no pictures. After many attempts, I could not get the bottom to seal. The unit is now on its back in my garage waiting on some free time for me to weld it again. It isn't one leak, it's multiple small leaks. I know the cause, I just couldn't get good penetration welding from the bottom.


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## hupte (Aug 30, 2013)

avarageerod said:


> a update with no pictures. After many attempts, I could not get the bottom to seal. The unit is now on its back in my garage waiting on some free time for me to weld it again. It isn't one leak, it's multiple small leaks. I know the cause, I just couldn't get good penetration welding from the bottom.



overhead welding is very difficult. you said the unit is on its back. i'm guessing you mean the end opposite the door? if you could roll the boiler around the shop and only weld in position with the gun pointed straight down it might work a lot better. and it would be easier for sure. that's how I built mine. hope this helps. :msp_smile:


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## avarageerod (Sep 3, 2013)

hupte said:


> overhead welding is very difficult. you said the unit is on its back. i'm guessing you mean the end opposite the door? if you could roll the boiler around the shop and only weld in position with the gun pointed straight down it might work a lot better. and it would be easier for sure. that's how I built mine. hope this helps. :msp_smile:




I should have said it is on its top. I rolled it 180*. I have tried grinding what I can and re-welding the complete area and it still leaks. I've gotten frustrated. I'm not giving up, but maybe I should take a break. I'm just not sure what to do. I don't want to keep globbing weld on there. I really would like to heat with it this year though...


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## motoman3b (Sep 3, 2013)

avarageerod said:


> I should have said it is on its top. I rolled it 180*. I have tried grinding what I can and re-welding the complete area and it still leaks. I've gotten frustrated. I'm not giving up, but maybe I should take a break. I'm just not sure what to do. I don't want to keep globbing weld on there. I really would like to heat with it this year though...



If they are just pin hole leaks pick up some liquid glass from an auto parts store and it should seal it up, one member on here had done that with his owb said it worked great for the past 7 or so years if I recall right.


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## H-Ranch (Sep 3, 2013)

avarageerod said:


> I should have said it is on its top. I rolled it 180*. I have tried grinding what I can and re-welding the complete area and it still leaks. I've gotten frustrated. I'm not giving up, but maybe I should take a break. I'm just not sure what to do. I don't want to keep globbing weld on there. I really would like to heat with it this year though...


Don't give up! I had to chase pinhole leaks multiple times. Started with 100, then 50, then 25, then 15, then 10, then 10, then 10... anyway the last 10 took awhile to get. A few of the pros on here could probably do it in one pass - I'm just a hack who can stick 2 pieces of metal together. One tip that I got was to weld uphill so I turned the tank over so the leak I was working on was at the 2 o'clock position and started just below the hole. Preparation is another key to make sure you're not getting contaminants in the weld. A few of the guys here can give you much better advice on heat ranges, techniques, and so forth, but that seemed to work best for me with my old Lincoln arc welder.

If you haven't figured it out already, 5-10 psi is plenty to pressurize the tank. Use a little soapy water to find the bubbles and mark them. If you need a break there are other things to prep - plumbing, furnace, thermostat, and you can always fall back on cutting more firewood. Good luck.


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## flashhole (Sep 3, 2013)

Great thread, nothing to add but I want to follow your progress. Keep the positive attitude, you will get there eventually.


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## avarageerod (Sep 8, 2013)

Another update with no pictures, but I did get all of the leaks sealed. I walked away from it for a week and came back with a new attitude. The welds are ugly but they hold!

Sent from my DROID BIONIC using Tapatalk 4


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## avarageerod (Sep 15, 2013)

I welded in a drain and outlet yesterday then flipped it back over and filled it with water. 24 hours and no leaks. The level was exactly where I left it

action shot welding in the drain





I got it back in the shop and put the cabinet back on.





The transformers, heaters, contactors, and fuses from the cabinet.





My pump and fan just fit, but it will work.


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## avarageerod (Sep 20, 2013)

I cut these pieces to mount my gasket too. I cut them in thirds to save on material. Six pieces total


<a href="http://s281.photobucket.com/user/cuda_1970/media/welding%20projects/IMG_20130919_202731_530_zps28b14e42.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i281.photobucket.com/albums/kk240/cuda_1970/welding%20projects/IMG_20130919_202731_530_zps28b14e42.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo IMG_20130919_202731_530_zps28b14e42.jpg"/></a>

I welded them together to create two circles. I will weld one to the tank in the vessel and the other to the door. The gasket will glue to the circle on the door.

<a href="http://s281.photobucket.com/user/cuda_1970/media/welding%20projects/IMG_20130920_105637_701_zpsc32b0c6f.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i281.photobucket.com/albums/kk240/cuda_1970/welding%20projects/IMG_20130920_105637_701_zpsc32b0c6f.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo IMG_20130920_105637_701_zpsc32b0c6f.jpg"/></a>


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## avarageerod (Sep 30, 2013)

I welded in my returns today and one more supply. Just incase I want to run another line set for my upstairs unit. No pictures of the supply, but you get the idea.

<a href="http://s281.photobucket.com/user/cuda_1970/media/welding%20projects/IMG_20130929_175812_503_zps75a6a451.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i281.photobucket.com/albums/kk240/cuda_1970/welding%20projects/IMG_20130929_175812_503_zps75a6a451.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo IMG_20130929_175812_503_zps75a6a451.jpg"/></a>

Also plumbed my pump.

<a href="http://s281.photobucket.com/user/cuda_1970/media/welding%20projects/IMG_20130929_175758_607_zps0e1dcd01.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i281.photobucket.com/albums/kk240/cuda_1970/welding%20projects/IMG_20130929_175758_607_zps0e1dcd01.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo IMG_20130929_175758_607_zps0e1dcd01.jpg"/></a>

I then turned my attention my door again. I thought I had it the way I wanted, but I didn't like the door hinges, so I made them adjustable.

I started with this piece of angle

<a href="http://s281.photobucket.com/user/cuda_1970/media/welding%20projects/IMG_20130930_173946_321_zps8bd138ef.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i281.photobucket.com/albums/kk240/cuda_1970/welding%20projects/IMG_20130930_173946_321_zps8bd138ef.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo IMG_20130930_173946_321_zps8bd138ef.jpg"/></a>

I cut two flat pieces out of it.

<a href="http://s281.photobucket.com/user/cuda_1970/media/welding%20projects/IMG_20130930_173958_665_zps465a08f1.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i281.photobucket.com/albums/kk240/cuda_1970/welding%20projects/IMG_20130930_173958_665_zps465a08f1.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo IMG_20130930_173958_665_zps465a08f1.jpg"/></a>

Then drilled holes in one piece and cut slots in the other. I wise I had a mill, but the plasma cutter worked just fine.

<a href="http://s281.photobucket.com/user/cuda_1970/media/welding%20projects/IMG_20130930_180343_214_zps9141f9a7.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i281.photobucket.com/albums/kk240/cuda_1970/welding%20projects/IMG_20130930_180343_214_zps9141f9a7.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo IMG_20130930_180343_214_zps9141f9a7.jpg"/></a>

and the finished product

<a href="http://s281.photobucket.com/user/cuda_1970/media/welding%20projects/IMG_20130930_185740_182_zps7903b5f1.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i281.photobucket.com/albums/kk240/cuda_1970/welding%20projects/IMG_20130930_185740_182_zps7903b5f1.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo IMG_20130930_185740_182_zps7903b5f1.jpg"/></a>


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## avarageerod (Oct 11, 2013)

I'm not sure if anyone stills looks at this thread, but i'll post this video anyway.
The lights and switches on the front are connected with the pump and fan. If the fan is on, the light is on.

Click on the video if you care to see it.


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## colson04 (Oct 11, 2013)

*I like it*

Pretty cool build. Although I bought my OWB, I'm seriously thinking about building a small one to heat my dad's shop with and I'm getting some neat ideas from your build. Keep up the posts, I'm still following it :msp_thumbup:


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## H-Ranch (Oct 12, 2013)

avarageerod said:


> I'm not sure if anyone stills looks at this thread, but i'll post this video anyway.
> The lights and switches on the front are connected with the pump and fan. If the fan is on, the light is on.



Still looking. Great work on the control box. I have a couple of lights very similar to yours that I need to install so I can see what's happening from the house also. The adjustable latch is good too and is simple.

Make sure your damper can't go past 90 degrees and get stuck in the open position - that will cause the fire to continue burning and boil the water. It's difficult to tell from the video if it could - maybe the control box door prevents it from opening too far. The solenoid sure moves the door fast on mine too. I like the idea of separating the fan from the door and the top mount into the firebox should minimize any soot issues into the fan. Is there an intake area on the control box for air or are you just counting on leakage around the plumbing? After you get it fired up you may find the need for a deflector to direct the air towards the fire.

You may also want to insulate the door if you haven't already. That would be very hot to the touch and would lose a lot of heat.

Looking forward to see it fired up and hear about how it works.


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## OH_Varmntr (Oct 12, 2013)

Nice build! I'd love to build my own but I bought one instead. Time restraint kept me from building my own.


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## avarageerod (Oct 12, 2013)

H-Ranch said:


> Still looking. Great work on the control box. I have a couple of lights very similar to yours that I need to install so I can see what's happening from the house also. The adjustable latch is good too and is simple.
> 
> Make sure your damper can't go past 90 degrees and get stuck in the open position - that will cause the fire to continue burning and boil the water. It's difficult to tell from the video if it could - maybe the control box door prevents it from opening too far. The solenoid sure moves the door fast on mine too. I like the idea of separating the fan from the door and the top mount into the firebox should minimize any soot issues into the fan. Is there an intake area on the control box for air or are you just counting on leakage around the plumbing? After you get it fired up you may find the need for a deflector to direct the air towards the fire.
> 
> ...



I do need to do something about the damper. I tried some jack chain to hold it down but the solenoid was to violent for it. I'll figure something out.

No intake area on the cabinet yet. I'll probably drill a 3" hole on the bottom if I need too.

I'd like to insulate the inside of the door, but i'm not sure how. I thought about cutting a round piece of 14ga and welding it to the door so that it goes inside the fire box a inch to deflect heat. I'm not sure yet.


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## avarageerod (Oct 12, 2013)

I got my concrete pad poured today. 4x8 pad 4" thick. it took 18 80 pound bags to complete.









I even had a "little" help


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## avarageerod (Oct 13, 2013)

started insulating my owb. turns out I only had enough to get almost a 1/4 of it done.

I found another use for red solo cups!





I like this spray foam insulation. I could find a lot of uses for it if it wasn't so expensive.


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## lapeer20m (Oct 13, 2013)

i really enjoyed your thread. I am currently building my own owb. I was pretty bummed out when i got done and had a couple of leaks. 

I'm in the same boat when it comes to welding. I can kinda stick 2 pieces of metal together, but welding things together water tight is a different ballgame. 

good luck! I look forward to seeing your installation.


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## lapeer20m (Oct 13, 2013)

what is this liquid glass that someone mentioned? 

google has not been helpful.


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## avarageerod (Nov 10, 2013)




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## MNGuns (Nov 10, 2013)

Very nice build. Well thought out and executed.


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## lapeer20m (Nov 11, 2013)

Way cool! It's exciting to see it in action. Great job man!


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## Alan Smith (Nov 12, 2013)

Nice job


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## avarageerod (Dec 14, 2013)

So far this OWB is working great. I've spent a few more dollars on it than expected, but the quality of heat is worth it. The first month of heating with it saved me around $50. Not as much as I had hoped, but I'm still tweaking it. I turned my downstairs temperature up, causing a lot of heat to rise to the second floor and satisfying the upstairs thermostat, so there will be a savings there. I also connected my heat exchanger for the domestic hot water. I did this after the meter was read so I would have a more accurate number for my power savings. My wife mentioned how the hot water last longer, so if she is happy I'm happy. I have burnt a lot more wood than I had hoped too, but it was partially my fault. I was letting my water pump run constantly, trying to maintain a constant heat on top and bottom of my OWB. I just today installed a second thermostat to control the water pump and circulating fan, which should keep my water temperature up on my OWB. It will also make sure I have heat in my house if the fire goes out. I wired it so that if my fire goes out the heat pump will come on, then my gas back up heat. One other thing I did to save wood worth mentioning is I put a downward 90 inside my fire box on the flue pipe. It keeps so much heat from going out of the flue.
And thanks for all the compliments guys!


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## dave_dj1 (Dec 14, 2013)

I really like your set up! Is this a pressurized system? I didn't see a vent to atmosphere or a pressure relief valve. It may be there and I missed it. I think the general consensus is open to air for home built units as pressure vessels take lot's of engineering and safety precautions. I'm a big fan of re purposing items and doing it yourself, just want it to be safe for ya.
dave


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## avarageerod (Dec 14, 2013)

dave_dj1 said:


> I really like your set up! Is this a pressurized system? I didn't see a vent to atmosphere or a pressure relief valve. It may be there and I missed it. I think the general consensus is open to air for home built units as pressure vessels take lot's of engineering and safety precautions. I'm a big fan of re purposing items and doing it yourself, just want it to be safe for ya.
> dave


 
It is non pressurized. On top there is a two inch hole and a six inch hole open to atmosphere. I welded in a extra piece I had left over for the flue on top to be a large vent incase it ever runs away and over pressurizes.


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## dave_dj1 (Dec 14, 2013)

That's cool, I'm a little tired so maybe I missed it when I looked through your thread 
dave


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## avarageerod (Jan 15, 2015)

a little over a year with this heater and its working great. I have made a few changes. I added another cabinet to mount a larger fan. The other fan just didn't have the CFM to make a good fire. I also changed my inside thermostat to a wifi enabled Honeywell. My current heat pump with gas back up is set up to have the gas to come on at <30*F. We had a cold day and I had to work late letting the wood stove go out. When I came home the house temperature had fallen to 62*F. After investigating I realized the gas pack couldn't start because the wood stove thermostat had the circulating fan running and the pilot couldn't ignite. Now I can check it on my phone and if the temperature is low I can turn off the wood stove thermostat.
I'm still debating trying to make a gasifier out of it. I hate to mess up a good thing!


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## Jake Wise (Jan 16, 2015)

I really like your set up. I have a stove built to almost the same design except my two tanks were a little bigger and I ran my flue out the top. I wish I would have run across your build thread last year when i was designing mine because I might have changed my flue design to follow yours. Mine, like I said runs straight up so it is only in contact with the water for 3 inches or so and is my biggest source of inefficiency.


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## dave_dj1 (Jan 16, 2015)

glad to see it's working good for you. I still have to get off my azz and build one. I like our electronics, the lights to see what's going on especially.


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