Ok so with winter coming ok looking into getting a wood stove for my shop. I've seen poeple use 55 gallon drums and make a wood stove. Iwas wondering if anyone has one or has any experience in using or making them and how they work.

 

You put a fire in anything, and it's gonna warm the area...... If you are playing with flammable chemicals though, way bad plan....... There are 'plans', and 'kits' out there in the world for converting one (or even two...) drums into a wood burner, the ones I have seen work rather well. Friend of mine made one, got rather creative with it, and put a second above it, with a heat exchanger in it, to capture waste heat from the chimney. That feller would get his 20 X 30 shop right toasty even in the coldest of weather. (insulated shop.....) Certainly a hell of a lot cheaper than trying to buy one.

Another alternative might be one of the 'pellet' stoves. (corn, or wood pellets.)

 

check with your insurance company first about the wood stove, they seem to not like to insure dwellings etc... if it is not installed by a certified HVAC guy, i'd hate to see anyone loose their man cave in a fire!

 

http://www.idealtruevalue.com/servlet/the-82837/Detail

 

yeah i will have to check with my insurance company and see what they cover.
i might have to order one of them kits if they cover wood stoves.

 

Just a heads up.
Your insurance co won't consider that a wood stove.
They want a UL listed heat source, and will want to see a permit from your local inspector.
99.9% of inspectors will not "permit" barrel stoves.
Vozelgang (or something like that) was a huge manufacturer of those, they had some "issues"
For all things wood burning go here >> http://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/forums/ another forum, there is TONS of info on that site. I don't frequent it much anymore,since moving to the Carolinas. (stoves are not a priority around here LOL)

 

My old man used to weld wood stoves on the side. He's made some pretty big and beefy ones, but the only barrel stoves I've used have been for outdoor use, more like the old cut in two halves lengthways like a trough and having a fire in it.

I had a pot belly stove in my shop at my old house in Georgia, stove pipe out the side of the building up near the roof with a trap door. I bought it at a yard sale for $75, but have seen them around new in places like Tractor Supply for around $250.