smoking out the front

[yukon cornelius]

I have been having a bear of a time in my shop. I had been using a double barrel syove to heat it. The same one I have heated it with for 2 years. I have never been satisfied with it as it didn't seem to be enough. This year it was really smokey in there. The bottom barrel had some burnout. I replaced that setup with the voglezang mountaineer i took out of my house. It was also smokey in there and not anywhere near enough heat. I had a large fuel tank with a barrel stove kit in it so I put it in. Plenty of heat but still smokey in there.

I have about 15 feet of 6 inch total. It seems to have good draft. Never have trouble getting it to start. It is not above the peak but today for sure that is not the issue. smoke is going straight up and no breeze out. The chimney was swept at the beginning of the season. I replaced all single wall indoors (about 5 feet). It has 2 45 degree elbows. It seems to becoming out the door area.

Any help would be appreciated. We are all feeling sick after working in it day after day.

[yukon cornelius]

one more thing, this stove has only been installed around 2 weeks now and the flue was checked for creosote then. it was clean. I climbed to the roof today popped off the cap and looked down it and it was clean as far down as I could see.

is the flue too short?

[Ljohnsaw]

I'm a little disappointed.  I was thinking this was going to be about smoking some food out front ;)

How about a picture?  Sounds like too short of a flue pipe or there is some sort of a restriction.  No ventilation blowers going in the house causing a draw?

[yukon cornelius]

I could almost cold smoke some meat in there  ;D I will try to get a pic tomorrow. no ventilation fans. its in my detached shop. 36x36 pole building. it is a pretty basic setup. its mostly a straight shot out the roof. I have been heating with wood for many years and never had this issue before.

[beenthere]

A pic of the flue arrangement with the 45's and a comment about the wood you are burning would maybe help sort it out.

[uplander]

  I would think the easiest thing to do would be to add another section of pipe to the flue above the roof.
The upper barrel is not clogged with creosote is it?

Sounds like you need more draft.

[Logging logginglogging]

one more thing, this stove has only been installed around 2 weeks now and the flue was checked for creosote then. it was clean. I climbed to the roof today popped off the cap and looked down it and it was clean as far down as I could see.

is the flue too short?

I am thinking its probably too short.....

[yukon cornelius]

Today its not smoking inside. I built the fire back from the door further. This stove is 67 inches long and im burning 24 inch wood. Nearly all oak with the exception of eastern red cedar scraps occasionally.

  

   I have an extra section of double wall I will add when the frost is off the roof. As of now the fire built back from the door is working.

[yukon cornelius]

the wood i am using has been  cut split and covered for 6 months and is the same we are using in the house . the stove has a flue damper but i am using it wide open to help

[yukon cornelius]

I just caught it puffing out the air intake. Like a train puff puff puff. I closed it down and it stopped puffing but I think the smoke can't get out quickly enough. So frustrated!!!

[beenthere]

Take that cover off the top of your stack... not much need for that other than a bit of rain.

And puffing is from un-burned gasses igniting when they get some air. Likely too much wood in the stove in various stages of burning.
The large size of the oil drum doesn't lend itself to good, clean smoke-free burning. So if you are going to use it just to heat some space, build small fires and just enough wood to burn well without dampering the fire down.
But the main thing, is each stove has its own "personal" need and you will eventually find out what it is for your stove. No pat answers, IMO. Just various things to try.  The smoke will take the path of least resistance unless you overcome that with a very good draw up the stack. Crack open the door a bit and give it 10-15 seconds to establish that draw up the stack and see if that helps.
Wish you well. Let us know if/when you find the right combination for your setup.

[gspren]

   With that big of a stove maybe you need an 8" pipe.

[yukon cornelius]

I added 3 more feet of stack and it seems a bit better. Beethere, you are right about the puffing. I have been trying to keep the fire small but the extra big chamber makes it hard to gauge I guess. The 8 inch may be the answer. Hopefully I can just get all our Christmas orders out and then I can work it over.

[Logging logginglogging]

I bet that 3 feet helps.....

[DaveinNH]

Last year I was given a Jotul Firelight (catalytic) stove which I rebuilt to replace another stove I had been using. In learning to use this stove I would sometimes experience the same thing. If I loaded it with wood, closed the bypass (engaging the converter as well as restricting the exhaust) and turned down the air intake too soon I would get the puffing. In some cases you could hear it, but you would always see it through the glass. Unburnt gasses would collect at the top, ignite and blow by the gasket on the top load door. It was quite spectacular sometimes, well beyond puffing, more like a whoomp. I quickly learned not to turn down the intake too soon.

[yukon cornelius]

Today was much better. Several days of working in smokey air was getting to me. That puffing would be what I was getting also Dave. Thanks everyone! It may be fixed.

[Gearbox]

Draft has to do with the heat in the pipe vs outside temp . Our fireplace draw's better the colder it is out . I'm thinking your still in the 50 s outside . Gearbox

[r.man]

Are you sure your flue damper is fully open? Just wondering if the plate could be rotating on its shaft or if the plate could be installed 90 degrees to what you think it is?

[yukon cornelius]

R man, I have had that happen on occasion also. This time I did check it. I can see it from inside the stove and had my son turn the handle. I think I have it fixed with the extra pipe. I am planning on reworking the interior of the stove after we have our christmas orders sent out.

[Just Me]

 I have had an unusual amount of heavy air days that make my wood furnace chuff. Usually 3-4 a year but with this warm heavy air I have had lots. I just open the lower door and let it rip for a bit and it is fine for a while. Not sure how to cure it either, but it has to get cold one of these days. My chimney is clean as well.

[yukon cornelius]

There have been a lot of heavy dampair days this year. The warmer air sure has been welcome here!

[Left Coast Chris]

I have a low clearance wood stove from a mobile home in my shop.   The fire box is not very big but it can heat pretty well.   For this stove not to smoke it is important to get it good and hot then close the door and dampen it to keep control.    I let it burn with the door cracked open for awhile to get it hot.   On the rare occasion when it struggles to get hot or fast flames I use some WD40 to really get it rolling along.    Without good heat going up the flue it is a slow drawer also.      The big box, 6" flue and lots of cold to displace sounds like a real challenge for your situation.   

Another thought is to check the building to see if air is being drawn out up by the peak or somewhere high.   The stove may be competing to draw air from a source that pulls air in the building.    A dust collector system (on or off) can draw air and compete with the stove flue also. 

Glad to hear you are having success though.

[Al_Smith]

Those AlCan highway specials, barrel stoves can really throw the heat .Because of the capacity I don't think they do so good loaded up unless it's really  cold outside .Try a smaller fire .

[Just Me]

   A dust collector system (on or off) can draw air and compete with the stove flue also. 

I have a ten hp dust collector. I thought I would put in a wood stove to burn up scrap. Yeah, first time I turned on the dust dcollector it was sucking the flame right out the front of the stove. Scratch that.

[yukon cornelius]

We haven't had anymore problems. It puts out some really good heat. The fire box is 67 inches long and I use 24 inch wood in it right now. As the heat travels to the flue in the back it radiates a lot of heat. It hasn't been really cold yet but I have already had the shop feeling nicer than ever

[yukon cornelius]

   A dust collector system (on or off) can draw air and compete with the stove flue also. 

at our first house we had an attic fan. One time something burnt on the stove so I turned it on and drew wood stove smoke all through the house.

I have a ten hp dust collector. I thought I would put in a wood stove to burn up scrap. Yeah, first time I turned on the dust dcollector it was sucking the flame right out the front of the stove. Scratch that.

[yukon cornelius]

I did a bit of work on the big stove today. I had all the materials in the junk pile so the cost was zero. I moved the load door up a bit to accommodate a second door on the bottom for ash removal. I added a steel plate that extends to the back of the stove and a heavy grate in the front.I feel this is going to be a bit safer. The previous air intake allowed sparks and coals to come out on occasion. Now, what is a good gasket for these doors?

 

[yukon cornelius]

 

 

[beenthere]

I don't see it smoking...  8)

[yukon cornelius]

Yep! I think it's fixed. I would really like to gasket the door though. I'm looking around for the right gasket and adhesive.

[Just Me]

 All the farm stores up here stock asbestos rope kits.

[thecfarm]

I work in a hardware-feed store and we sell the rope. Stove shops sell it too.But kinda looks like you could go with the flat stuff. Take a picture of the door,back side and what it will close against and bring that with you. Man,I like customers that takes pictures!!

[yukon cornelius]

I will get a pic when I get to the shop later. The flat sounds like to would be best. What is a good adhesive?

[petefrom bearswamp]

Glad your prob is solved.
My drum stove in my 32x64 shop gets very little use now that i am a snow bird.
it is one 55 gal drum lined halfway with firebrick and has been in for nearly 22 years.
I too have started my dust system without opening a door for air and got smoked out.
I am a slow learner and did this more than once.

[Ox]

Years ago I had the exact same Vogelzang door on a barrel stove and gasketed the door with the flat rope (get the thinnest you can find) and used "stove gasket cement" in a small squeeze type tube.  It seemed to be the gray stove cement like stuff that comes in a small plastic tub.  Usually they were sold pretty much side by side on the shelf.  I ended up having to drill holes through the gasket and door frame and running self tapping fine threaded screws with flat washers to help hold the gasket on.  The screws would squish down into the gasket and not cause interference between the gasket and the door.  Also used cement under the rope.  It worked well.  Just using the cement didn't work so well because there wasn't a channel for the gasket to recess into.  The gasket would fall off from the cement drying out too much and losing its adhesion.  Hopefully this helps you, even if only in the smallest way.   

[thecfarm]

Ox said what I was going to say.  ;D

[Ox]

They say great minds think alike!  Wait...........what?  I think I just insulted you by saying my mind is similar to yours....  Sorry about that.  :D ;)

[yukon cornelius]

The rain finally passed so our internet will work enough for this pic.

  

 

[beenthere]

There is a rope for laying in that channel on the door.

[yukon cornelius]

There is a rope for laying in that channel on the door.

thanks I will see what I can get for it.

[Gearbox]

On my OWB I use hi temp silicon to hold the rope . I have used silicon and put a bead around then put saran wrap over it and closed the door and let it set up then burn the wrap off . done it on tool boxes to waterproof them to .

[Ivan49]

 I also used silcone but don't do as I did the first time. I layed a bead all the way around the door and put the rope in it. When I had to replace it may not so nice words were said. On the new one I put a short strip of silcone every few inches and then put the rope into it

[Al_Smith]

FWIW sodium silicate paste, often used in muffler shops will hold the door gasketing in place .You can buy the stuff at about any place that sells auto parts ,Advance Auto, Orieleys ,Pep Boys ,etc.

[Gearbox]

Ivan I have done mine twice and the silcone just comes off with the old rope , I do ues high temp red .