On Sat, 24 Mar 2012 10:20:08 -0700, pyotr filipivich
wrote:

Karl Townsend on Thu, 22 Mar 2012
12:00:03 -0500 typed in rec.crafts.metalworking the following:

I would like to make a system that pulls outside air for combustion, and
just heats the room without using room air to run the stove.

Steve


I've heated with wood for 58 years now. I think a good heat exchanger
is more important than outside air source for a shop, you need a few
air exchanges anyway. That said, my house heat system uses outside
air.

You can buy a wood stove cheaper than you can make one. But I made
mine with a very simple efficient design. It uses two barrels, lower
chamber is fire box, upper for heat exchanger. My "barrels" were
actually 24" diameter steel pipe. Then a large sheet metal plenum
around the whole thing and a furnace fan.

If you can. surround the firebox etc with "thermal mass" - bricks,
stones, etc - that way, you caput re radiant heat into the thermal
mass, and even out the heating and cooling cycles. "Russian Stoves"
is one google search - although I first ran into the idea in Bavaria.
Depends on your goal. For my shop I want A LOT of heat quick. So this
isn't a good idea. In winter i only heat when I'm working in there,
maybe 40 days total and only 6 hours at a time.

karl