Advise on homemade OWB

[John D]

I thought about building one for my workshop,using a 300 lb propane cylinder as the firebox,its a cylinder,sealed,and thick. Someone took my cylinder for scrap,and there went that idea.I was going to build a 1/4" thick box around the cylinder,with the cylinder on its side of course,cutting open the top of the propane cyl to load the wood there.

 

[Mkarlson]

You guys are making me sick. When I started scrapping metal in my spare time few years ago I had no use for most metal. Everyting I found was cut into prepared size and hauled away. Reading this thread I've been thinking about all the tanks I've cut up from 200 gallon up to 13000 gallon. If only I had thought ahead a little bit.

 

[AOD]

I think it'd be cool to design and build your own OWB or furnace. I would do a lot more of that kind of stuff but I don't have any of the right tools and equipment, hard to do anything like that without a welder, torches and the like.

 

[Beaver State]

AOD, I own a Jeep shop that has about every fab tool you would want, mig, plasma, brake, mill etc...we build roll cages and bumpers so this is not a big deal. have collected most of the steel and plans are about finished...just got the supply lines prep'd and ready to pour the slab for it...

 

[RON58]

SIZE/BTU's

How do ya know how big to build the monster? Wouldn't want to go through with building a boiler and it falling short of doing the job. Can it be too big?

 

[Beaver State]

I looked at quite a few models and most smaller ones are between 170-220 gal so I figured volume on the 3' fire box pipe and am making the water jacket large enough for 220 gal. Didnt want to make it too large as it never gets very cold here in Southern Oregon...0 deg is rare and only for 10-12 days..normally above freezing except at night. Didnt want it to idle all the time....heating 1800 sq ft shop, 1800 sq ft house w/radiant floor, hot tub and green house...should be about right . Have unlimited madrone and black oak right in the yard so had to go with the boiler...