My solution to Winter boredom

[jhjesse]

A couple years ago I built myself a man cave. It is a 30 x 30 U.S. Steel building. It has been great, except in the winter. The building is not heated or insulated and the cost to insulate is a small war pension...soooo after some google research I decided to install a wood stove. For me wood cost little or nothing and is plentiful so it just made sense.

I bought a barrel stove kit and barrel, made the stove and lined it with fire brick for less than $150. Then came the flue pipe and chimney installation...damn!! Chimney pipe and thru the wall piping is expensive. I have more than twice as much into the chimney as the complete stove.

The good thing is now I can work on my projects during the winter and be toasty warm in the man cave. Projects that I would normally not attempt until warmer weather can now be done during the slow Winter months leaving the Spring and Summer months for fun.



That stove will run me out of my man cave, it is so warm!

 

[Coastiejoe]

Nice job...

I'm 7 years away from retirement. Once I get to where I want to live forever I will be having my "Man cave" aka building...

Looks good..

 

[Seadoobuddy]

that's more than a man cave that's a great workshop.
A MC needs a bar, fridge with cold brews inside and beer or sport mirrors all over the place. I like your dust collector too.

Ever check into spray foam insulation...more $ but better savings on heat/ A/C,etc bills

 

[Dr Honda]

Nice. I just put a pellet stove in my dad's garage. It was the same way with the chimney.

 

[jhjesse]

Nice. I just put a pellet stove in my dad's garage. It was the same way with the chimney.

It's unbelievable how much the chimney costs. I wonder why the costs is so much just for the chimney??

 

[jhjesse]

that's more than a man cave that's a great workshop.
A MC needs a bar, fridge with cold brews inside and beer or sport mirrors all over the place. I like your dust collector too.

Ever check into spray foam insulation...more $ but better savings on heat/ A/C,etc bills

Tim,
I don't have the sport mirrors or the bar yet, but the fridge in the pic is full of cold brews. Just need a coffee maker and an easy chair, then I'm set. :thumbsup:

Down here in the area of the South where I live spray foam insulation is super expensive and not too popular for some reason. I looked into it, but the cost would dig deep into my toy fund, so I am going without it for now. Still gets toasty warm in there.

 

[Spimothy Leary]

I kill time in the winter several ways.

 

[lamajama]

OK....this is an annoying thread. I thinks the mods should delete it.....

because I have neither the man-cave or the warm weather. It makes me very very jealous!

PS the man-cave is the secret to a long and happy marriage after retirement.

 

[red2blue]

 

[jhjesse]

OK....this is an annoying thread. I thinks the mods should delete it.....

because I have neither the man-cave or the warm weather. It makes me very very jealous!

PS the man-cave is the secret to a long and happy marriage after retirement.

LOL. Got ya on the after retirement thing.
The only annoying thing is Spim posting pics of the warm sunny FLA. rubbing it in our face. LOL
Just kidding...let me know if you ever need a place to stay while running from a Hurricane. My folks-in-law do to me all the time.

 

[Sportster-2001-951C-Stock]

If you build a coaxial double pipe using 6" and 8" pipe then fill the interior space with vermiculite you might save a bit on cost but it's a lot of work and still isn't likely to be stainless, which your factory chimney probably is, and a great value IMO Building your own that way didn't make sense to me when I did mine.

I've also been considering a barrel stove as well at some point as a replacement which may never happen, kinda the same idea, place a 15gal drum inside a 55gal drum and fill the inside space with sand, to absorb and retain/distribute heat.

 

[KK40384]

Nice bucks! I've spent the past couple of years during gun season searching for a 8pointer or better. All I've seen was a small 7 and haven't shot anything.

 

[Seadoobuddy]

Here is what I do in the Winter when the blasted thing won't run right after I've already used it.

Yesterday and this morning snow fall
This mid afternoon temps
New fuel line, fuel shut off and added an in-line filter
Carb off
1968 Yardman snowblower Still runs with a little bit of maintenance

After I took the float bowl off ....wow so much dirt it was "chunky" bits. Also had a crack in the fuel nipple at the carb so replace that too (white thing in pic 3)

Good thing I had the day off

 

[griz400]

nice buck, the same size we shoot in georgia, usually i wont shoot anything less than an 8, 2 does this yeasr, didnt shoot any bucks, seen some small ones, i good one runnin a doe but way too far for a good shot, here is one i shot last year --some on the wall that the wife decorated --lol -- and this one i shot bu mistake, right before dark -- it appeared to be an 8 point -- sometimes it all just happens real fast

 

[LouDoo]

From all the posts, Spim has the best idea. We'll be there in a couple of weeks, so the bad weather doesn't bother me all that much. It will make it all the better to get away from.

Lou

 

[Seadoobuddy]

From all the posts, Spim has the best idea. We'll be there in a couple of weeks, so the bad weather doesn't bother me all that much. It will make it all the better to get away from.Lou

What part are you headed for in FL?

 

[LouDoo]

Ft. Lauderdale, and the southern Caribbean.

Lou

 

[red2blue]

Nice bucks! I've spent the past couple of years during gun season searching for a 8pointer or better. All I've seen was a small 7 and haven't shot anything.

Thanks, KK. I've let small 8's an under walk this year. I want somethin for the wall. Poor acorn crop this year really hurt the normal routines. Mich is tough hunting...lotsa pressure up there...especially in the UP.

nice buck, the same size we shoot in georgia, usually i wont shoot anything less than an 8, 2 does this yeasr, didnt shoot any bucks, seen some small ones,...

Thanks, grizz. I wish I could have a wall like yours. You got land in Ga? or do you hunt public land? I've got no bucks this year, 3 does, I want one more. One hangin in the garage ready for me to process. I got one more day...sat. Then it'll be time to expand some shooting lanes...collect some firewood...and most importantly...get a new ladder stand past the mrs...HA!.

 

[jhjesse]

I used a 30 gallon drum instead of a 55 gallon drum and it is tight to make the door fit. I also used fire brick in the bottom of the drum instead of sand. I think I like the fire brick better so far.

Watched several videos on youtube about adding a second barrel on top with and inserting tubes as a heat exchanger, but I live in the South and that is just a little too elaborate for our climate...I think. The weather is calling for flurries here. Man there won't be a gallon of milk or a loaf of bread left at Walmart by this time tomorrow. :lol:

 

[griz400]

Thanks, KK. I've let small 8's an under walk this year. I want somethin for the wall. Poor acorn crop this year really hurt the normal routines. Mich is tough hunting...lotsa pressure up there...especially in the UP.



Thanks, grizz. I wish I could have a wall like yours. You got land in Ga? or do you hunt public land? I've got no bucks this year, 3 does, I want one more. One hangin in the garage ready for me to process. I got one more day...sat. Then it'll be time to expand some shooting lanes...collect some firewood...and most importantly...get a new ladder stand past the mrs...HA!.

we lease a farm near tifton ga, 12 of us, little town called rebecca, 5 hr drive, 800.00 year, that includes lease, electric and water, i keep a trailer up there year around, we go up in off season, shed hunt, set stands, camp, ride 4 wheelers, etc ... they plant peanuts, soybeans, and cotton, i been huntin ga. almost 20 years, dodge county was the best though, early county was near alabama, and had a real late rut, had to hunt around holidays there clear till season end ... dodge county is up around macon, good huntin there ...

 

[Sportster-2001-951C-Stock]

I used a 30 gallon drum instead of a 55 gallon drum and it is tight to make the door fit. I also used fire brick in the bottom of the drum instead of sand. I think I like the fire brick better so far.

Watched several videos on youtube about adding a second barrel on top with and inserting tubes as a heat exchanger, but I live in the South and that is just a little too elaborate for our climate...I think. The weather is calling for flurries here. Man there won't be a gallon of milk or a loaf of bread left at Walmart by this time tomorrow. :lol:

Right, right, details, details, 10lbs of sand in a 5lb sack!! Honestly, I hadn't taken the time to work out the dimensional details(Agree, details need to be accounted for!) the concept simply involved attempting a cheap but effective mechanism for maximum thermal mass and that's as far as I'd gone with it.

Edit: It looks like they used the 30gallon barrel inside a 55 gallon barrel in this example:
http://www.endtimesreport.com/thermal_mass_wood.html

Perhaps we should mention not to use galvanized components b/c they will outgass toxic fumes if exposed to heat.

 

[Dr Honda]

I haven't gone hunting in a bunch of years. Last deer I got was at least 10 years ago.