tony uljee

I have had to read up a lot more on heat exchangers and the materials they are made from and so on , also had to re think my ideas i had used ---the stainless steel jacket type i have used is not best suited to this type of stove ---its designed to be placed in the firebox of a cast iron wood burning stove---to be heated by the flames /coals of the fire its self. ----this would not work in the walker stove----it gets to a much higher temp due to the firebricks used---and would be degraded a lot quicker----but more importantly ---i think it would be a heat sink effect in the firebox ---cooling it down ----causing a smokier startup burn ---creosote ,soot from an incomplete combustion---not what the stove is designed for ----possibly also increased risk of flash boiling inside the jacket when the stove does get up to temp.So i am sticking with the concept of placing the heat exchanger after the riserless core .----but to remade in copper pipe as a squared off coil shape ----to fit into the brick box shaped chamber next to the core----copper has a much higher ability for heat absorbing from hot gases coming out down stream from the fire box ----than does stainless steel .

yes its finished in that i have been using it for a year or more for heating and occasional cooking, it was not situated in my main house so was only lit every 2nd or 3rd day , ---whilest i was working on the inside of the building ---but just over this past few weeks the building housing the stove has become our main house ----while i carry out a total refurbishment of our old cottage. ---the overall performance of the stove  has worked out good --the ceramic glass cooktop would leak out a few wisps of smoke---sometimes ---until i flatted and pinned down the fiberglass rope seal underneath it ---with the intense heat generated in the firebox and riserless core  these expand and contract with each firing----breaking the small contact area under the glass to the round shaped rope seal---this would not be a problem when i replace the  rope with some basalt fiber rectangular profile braided rope ----this would give a 25mm flat surface to make contact to the ceramic glass .My biggest problem has been to source very dry timber . ---my next plan is to build the oven side of the stove ---for some baking attempts ----the hot water system ----has not worked out ----but its not over yet ---lots more experimental work to be done---i have changed some parts of the first design build ---but that failed as well---only generating luke warm water even after 2 or 3 firings in one day.---- i am on my own path with this ---and will find a solution.

clear plastic sheeting --as from polytunnel material--its uv treated --transmits 80 percent or more of light--and use the clear repair tape to hold it down around the framework----would be the cheapest ---next would be the specialist sticky back stuff applied to windows turns them into safety glass

plug the chimney and make a nice sign to hang off the firebox door ---a reminder to remove seal before fire up

Matt of the Walker Stove has spoken of and suggests rising the stove off the floor or onto an insulated base ----not so much as to prevent a fire hazzard ---but to stop the heat transfer into the cold floor---the base level gets to around 120 to 150 c at most on mine---a  surrounding floor up to the base   ---can be what ever you like really but a nice firm easy sweep clean surface like tile or brick , stone/concrete is good ---mines a wooden floor  ,but stove rests on a vermiculite concrete base---a ventilating spaced row of bricks with cement fiber board on top ---then stove built up on that. Because of my floor being wood i recessed a steel tread plate into it ---below the fire feed box of the stove  ---as i some times spill ash or when i am trying to add in wood onto hot coals ---bad habit i know---a few sparks can spit out----especially if i am burning spruce or pine. ---i would have liked to use a nice piece of flag stone  ---but  that would mean trying to recess the timber floor by 40mm -----or i would be tripping over it. Starting from a blank new floor would allow this feature to be built in before the stove build started.

for the re purpose of cast iron stove pieces i think one of the most inspirational posts on here is Sarah Joubert s stove , and if you have any self doubts about starting out on a build just read her postings and how she managed to achieve a neat good looking stove

i used the Matt Walker Stoves plans of the continental type stove to build mine , , with a slight variation ,and  the back brick section that rises up above the stoves top level ---are not part of the stove ---thats just a brick wall heat shield---spaced 40 mm away from the stove main body and spaced away by 50mm from the corrugated sheeting ---another heat shielding---behind it. The Firespeaking stove incorporates a chambered backwall of sorts onto the main stove body --- that houses the oven ---and provides mass as well ---2 different styles and layouts of  a wood burning stove build. I fabricated my own metal components ---as i too could not afford the bespoke cast iron  ones---let alone the import costs ----the products used by firespeak are made in poland for them ,i believe , which although closer and not having any extra import tax imposed on it ----as all usa goods imported into the eu now have---would still be out of my reach .

hell no , its just building your own stove has the side effect of turning you into a self taught expert of sorts, it can be an addictive subject to read up on and the vast amount of information ,advise just on this site alone can take up weeks of reading. But even if you don t go that far into it,all you need is a willing attitude to give it a go and if plans are followed you get the working result

the plans would be a must buy, trying to build from just pics and hoping it will preform are very slim, the hardware can be homemade or done by local metal fabrication shops---as the sizes would be given or become obvious once built---or as others on the forum have done is to repurpose the cast iron bits  from old ranges and stoves---most of the better quality new cast iron items are made in poland ---if thats closer or easier for you

the pic you are showing is of a  ---Firespeaking --design and there are full plans available to buy from his site , the hardware for them are stocked by him as well