Shop Stove

Vicinalvictor · Oct 29, 2020

I'm sure a lot of guys here heat their shops with wood stoves. I was thinking something a little different that uses a minimal amount of wood, yet gives off a lot of heat, (at least from what I have read) and that's a Rocket Stove. Anybody ever use one? I know they are used outdoors to cook on, but there is an adapter kit so it can be vented with 4" chimney pipe and used in a tent or shop....

old · Oct 29, 2020

I built my wood stove for the shop. I used an old boiler tank for the fire box and it is something like 4 foot long. I also have a second tank up about a foot above the main stove to burn off any gases. For stove pipe I used 6 inch well casing and it has been in my shop for 20 plus years and still good and solid.

DoubleO7 · Oct 29, 2020

I have seen various DIY's for rocket stoves out of cement blocks, bricks, stuff from the scrap pile, etc.

Most are quite small and require to be fed with what most would call kindling.

Constantly

BarnyardEngineering · Oct 29, 2020

It takes so many BTUs to heat a shop, and a piece of wood only has so many BTUs in it to give. Rocket stove or otherwise, you're only going to get so much heat out of that piece of wood.

If I'm not mistaken there is also a limit to how big a rocket stove can be, and it's not that big. The aerodynamics of the design do not scale well as I recall.

An advantage to a big wood stove is also heat retention. You have a big thermal mass to soak up the heat.

Goose · Oct 29, 2020

If you insure your shop building, I'd first check with your insurance company.

I once inspected real estate properties for insurance companies, and I can say with conviction that insurance companies get awful nervous about wood stoves in shop buildings.

For instance, There may be some that do, but I know of no insurance company that will insure a shop with a stove made out of two 55 gallon drums, like there are kits for.

Vicinalvictor · Oct 29, 2020

You're right, they are relatively small stoves if you buy one online, and I was wondering if they would have
to be fed constantly. I thought building a large one in the shop might be doable, but not sure with the high
cost of steel and if it would even work properly if built bigger.

kcm.MN · Oct 29, 2020

Rocket stoves are not normally meant for heating such spaces. Think of them kinda like a huge match on steroids - they burn very hot and very quickly.

There are designs that other people are dreaming up to make rocket stoves last a longer time....kind of a hybrid. And there are others that are meant solely for the purpose of providing long-lasting heat. These are called Rocket Mass Stoves, or Rocket Mass Heaters. They work by pumping LOTS of heat into a rock or cement or similar mass very quickly, that mass heats up, then gives off its heat over several hours. It sounds like a great idea, but.....there always has to be a 'but'! But, that heat often is not released quickly enough to keep the room warm. Might also be that the 'mass' cannot absorb all of the heat from the stove.

If you're looking to keep a shop warm (especially for 8 hours or more), I highly recommend dumping the idea of rocket stoves and going with something more traditional.

Vicinalvictor · Oct 29, 2020

You're right, I don't think Farm Bureau would approve. A couple of years ago they had an Inspector come do a surprise inspection around the farm just to make sure I didn't add any bulk gas tanks within 50' of any buildings or any chimney pipes coming out of any buildings.

Vicinalvictor · Oct 29, 2020

Thanks for the great reply about Rocket Stoves. Currently I use a torpedo heater run on kerosene if needed
during the winter. Like you said, probably a better, more traditional option is better than a Rocket Stove
for a small shop.

PJH · Oct 29, 2020

A good shop stove is one that I don't have to fiddle around with every few minutes. I've had a couple in years past that required nearly constant attention.

On the subject of insurance - I have a "wood stove" rider on my shop policy that costs me an additional $25 or so per year over the normal policy fee. My insurance agent said that my shop insurance was totally worthless without the rider. If the shop burned down in August, how would you prove that the wood stove was not the culprit. I used to think that it was smart to just keep the stove a secret from the insurance company, but an acquaintance who is an insurance fraud investigator schooled me on the difficulty of pulling that off.

300jk · Oct 29, 2020

I have an old Vermont Castings wood stove in my work area. I like you used to use torpedo heaters and got sick of them never running quite right if at all and not lasting very long. And yes I always did routine maintenance on them. Don’t know about rocket stoves. Seems like they would not heat a shop well.

old-9 · Oct 29, 2020

Several years ago our insurance agent (a friend) called to upgrade our file. Talked to wife, woodstoves came up and wife (honest person)let it be known I had a wood stove in shop. It needed to be @UL approved to be insured. So I sold my great homemade stove and bought an approved one. I took a photo of the tag saying it was approved by UL, been ok ever after. I love the wood stove and cook on it all the time mostly in cast iron pot, nothing like a roast slow cooked with potatoes, carrots, and onions all day. I have been known to pop popcorn for a snack also! joe PS I do burn a lot of wood though.

Janicholson · Oct 29, 2020

Maybe a Corn or wood pellet stove would work and not be too small to do much. jim

PJH · Oct 29, 2020

A good shop stove is one that I don't have to fiddle around with every few minutes. I've had a couple in years past that required nearly constant attention.

On the subject of insurance - I have a "wood stove" rider on my shop policy that costs me an additional $25 or so per year over the normal policy fee. My insurance agent said that my shop insurance was totally worthless without the rider. If the shop burned down in August, how would you prove that the wood stove was not the culprit. I used to think that it was smart to just keep the stove a secret from the insurance company, but an acquaintance who is an insurance fraud investigator schooled me on the difficulty of pulling that off.

PJH · Oct 29, 2020

I apologize for the double post - I can't figure out how I did that. . .

1948CaseVAI · Oct 29, 2020

(quoted from post at 15:09:43 10/29/20) A good shop stove is one that I don't have to fiddle around with every few minutes. I've had a couple in years past that required nearly constant attention.

On the subject of insurance - I have a "wood stove" rider on my shop policy that costs me an additional $25 or so per year over the normal policy fee. My insurance agent said that my shop insurance was totally worthless without the rider. If the shop burned down in August, how would you prove that the wood stove was not the culprit. I used to think that it was smart to just keep the stove a secret from the insurance company, but an acquaintance who is an insurance fraud investigator schooled me on the difficulty of pulling that off.

I know times have changed but I am surprised anyone here would think it was "smart" to try to defraud their insurance company. Just wow.

44 massey · Oct 29, 2020

Like the idea of flipping the switch and shutting the heat off and not worrying about it when I’m done for the day!!! I burn propane in my 30 x 50 shop with an overhead hanging furnace, only heat it when Im in it!!!! Even in the coldest weather I can turn it on and it’s comfortable within an hour!!!! Propane has been very reasonable last several years, think last refill was $1.19!!!!

C.Amick · Oct 29, 2020

I have a King Heater. Don't know if they are still made.

Russ from MN · Oct 29, 2020

I don't have room for a wood stove in my shop, so I have a natural gas unit hanging from the celling, vented out, works great!
We have a wood stove in the house, 10 feet from my recliner, when the Eco-fan slows down I put another stick in it! It's a Jotul, very efficient.

4520BW · Oct 29, 2020

Have a hot water coil and a big fan feed from the outdoor stove.

PJH · Oct 30, 2020

You are right! It would have been a quick failure if I had had a fire in my shop. There is no way to conceal the evidence of having a working wood stove after a complete burn down. It's sad that we can deceive ourselves into a stupid scheme like that, but we are seeing it every day in the news. It would have been insurance fraud if I had tried to conceal evidence of a stove after a fire. That is a step I would not have taken.

You can be assured that there are people who think they can get away with it. Read the posts on yt.

ztrmowers · Oct 30, 2020

used a wood stove for years heated 40x40 shop. nowdays just turn on the dial for radiant tube heater. love them. should done that in first place. spent more time cutting wood than getting any projects done.

Vicinalvictor · Oct 30, 2020

I think wood stoves and fireplaces are really nice for the ambiance, but you're right, there are better options for heat.

Shop Stove

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