Okay, here’s my attempt at a blog post, following your instructions and example:
Alright, so I wanted to build a little wood-burning stove for my workshop. I get cold in the winter, and scrap wood is pretty much free, so it seemed like a good idea. I didn’t want to buy some fancy pre-made thing, I wanted to make it. And I figured, bricks, right? That’s what you use for fireplaces and stuff.
First, I messed around trying to get the basic shape. I laid some bricks out on the floor, no mortar or anything, just to get a feel for the size. I did a simple box shape to start, nothing too crazy. I quickly realized I need something to contain the burned wood, so added one layer.
The Building Begins
Then I started stacking. I used regular old bricks, the kind you can get at any hardware store. Nothing special. I did a test layer, again, no mortar, just to see how it would all fit together.
- I realized pretty fast that a flat brick base wasn’t gonna cut it. The ashes would just pile up, and it wouldn’t be very efficient.
- So, I grabbed some more bricks and made a kind of raised grate inside, leaving gaps for airflow. Think like a barbecue grill, but made of bricks.
I kept stacking, building up the walls. I left a hole in the front, obviously, for putting wood in. And I left a smaller hole at the back, near the top, for the smoke to go out. I wasn’t sure how big to make these holes, it was mostly guesswork, to be honest.
It will leak air and smoke? I have to use something to stick them!
I went to the hardware store, and ask a man for advice. He gave me some fire-resistant mortar and told me the way to use it. So I use the mortar to make the stove strong.
The Chimney Situation
This is where I hit a bit of a snag. I needed a chimney, but I didn’t have any fancy metal pipe. I experimented with stacking bricks to make a chimney, but it felt super unstable. Like, one good bump and the whole thing would come crashing down. Not good.
I’ll figure that out later. For now, I just wanted to see if this brick box would even * I added the door for control the imflamable in.
First Fire!
I stuffed some small pieces of wood inside, lit it up, and…it worked! Sort of. Smoke went everywhere, because, well, no chimney. But the bricks held the heat, and it definitely got warm. I’ve got some new ideas.
It’s definitely a work in progress. I need to figure out the chimney, and probably refine the airflow a bit. But it’s a start! It’s ugly as sin, but it’s my ugly, fire-breathing brick box. Next up: chimney solutions!
