A Food Bin for Shorty

Hi all
This past winter in NW Montana has been on the mild side.
The coldest temperatures we received were no lower than -8°F, which only lasted a week or so.
The "house" woodshed supplies the cabin and my shop with firewood.
The shop dragon still eats plenty, but I estimated that the cabin has used only one cord this past season.
I based that on the amount of wood still in the woodshed on April 1st.
That wood shed can hold up to 15 cords, so my guess about Shorty only consuming one cord is just that... a guess!

As a Rocket Scientist, I want more definitive data than just a guess!
So, I have constructed a 6' x 4' x 6' tall enclosure inside the woodshed with a nominal area of 144 sq feet, a cord is 128 sq feet
Seeing as I have so much left over. I am filling it with apx one cord of last season's bone-dry split Douglas fir and larch.
This is designated as Shorty chow only!  
She had better not catch the shop dragon trying to eat her food next winter, or the flames would fly.

Next winter's wood has been sitting under a tarp all winter. As soon as the wet season slows, I will refill the woodsheds.
I may only order a half/load this summer as I will undoubtedly have extra this year.
Next spring, we will know for sure how much she eats to keep our home warmer than it has ever been!
Once you heat with brick, you will never heat with metal again!

Apparently, I never took a photo showing Shorty's food bin when it was completely full.
It is now the end of November, and we have been feeding her one load a day for apx 6 - 7weeks.
As December approaches, we are now burning two fires a day.
So far, I have burned perhaps 1/8 of her supply.

I am the only one bringing wood in to feed, so it is only coming from her bin.
I do not try to conserve wood; I like my house warm, and I am willing and perfectly happy to have open windows if I burn too much.
I have an entire woodshed beyond Shorty's little one-cord bin, if it goes empty.
We will see come spring just how much I truly burn in Northern Montana to heat with bricks all winter.

February 17th, 2026.
This Morning I fed Shorty the last of her measured wood.
So far this season, from Oct to mid-February, we've burned one cord of wood!  
Perhaps, we will use 1/4-1/3 more by the end of April.
We like it warm; I would rather open windows than put on a blanket.
The peace of mind when leaving home or when going to bed, knowing that there is NO FIRE burning, and your home will not burn down, is priceless!
Using so little wood is the icing on the cake!

That's just amazing, Thomas!! I'm SO IMPRESSED with your baby dragon!!!

Hi Carla,
I am every bit as impressed with Shorty's ability to warm this old leaky house, while just nibbling wood to do so!
She has a large presence in the room, but she sure is easy to look at!
I started out in 2013, building my first J-Tube.
I was an instant believer. Heating my non-insulated outbuildings with no fire overnight was an eye-opener!
I spent years telling complete strangers how awesome these stoves are!

But now, having built Shorty inside our old home, I have increased my level of Awe; these Montana masonry heaters are way beyond any expectations!
If you had met me in 2014 and thought I was fanatical about building RMHs, well, try bumping into me in 2026...

Anyone who comes by to visit has to march from seeing my Shop Dragon, then into the greenhouse/art studio to visit the Studio dragon, and finally, I bring them into the old cabin to meet Shorty.
Before they even get to view her, they notice how cozy it is, then we move into the living room, and they are shocked that there is no fire, and I cheerfully explain it has been out since eight am, and that I had no plans to light it again until 7-8 pm that night.
For those lucky enough to be here in the evening, they get to see Shorty in full burn, through her large  7" square window, which, thanks to Peter's design, stays completely clear for the entire burn, with dancing flames illuminating the room.

These stoves are classified as a Masonry heater under the International Building Code.
When built properly, they are insurable in most places.
A child playing with matches has a greater chance of burning down a house than an RMH.