Gunner Quinn
(Continued from Part 4. This concludes the article.)
This photo shows the area behind the stove that is about 18 inches away. It could have been safely installed at only 12 inches away, yet because there was the space available and to help improve the airflow at the closest point, 6 inches, this was a good use of the additional distance. In addition, we can see the welds around the stove pipe collar on the wood stove and the welds at the juncture of the lower half and the pan that supports the grate.
The bottom of the stove becomes so hot that it will scorch a wood surface. The thicker the wood, the less likely it might ignite. Using sheet metal to protect a 3/4 inch wood is sufficient, however we might wish for additional assurance that the installation is a fire-safe one, and there is more than one way to get this done. For example, a 12″x 12″ paving brick, or a set of 3 red bricks is more than ample,. But there is almost an endless list of ways that increase the height of the stove as it would be used for cooking, or to allow the stove to attach to an existing chimney pipe. The stand in the photo that the stove sits upon is very stable and lightweight. It could be made taller or wider, or both. The top of the stand is comprised of 2 layers of aluminum flashing that are attached to the frame with screws without a wooden floor below it and suspends the stove without other structural support directly underneath that could be possibly scorched or charred. And this allows the heat from the bottom of the stove to escape below. Another stand is a metal frame in the form of a cube, and another option uses the base and legs of a small barbecue, or three cement blocks stood upright. There are many other ways to make a practical stove stand, including a steel framework.
This photo shows the ceiling and wall that is protected by the aluminum flashing from open flames that can occur from a grease fire, or from a stove pipe that is not properly screwed or otherwise attached mechanically to the chimney pipe system and stove, and is inadvertently dislodged during an unforeseen event. It does happen. While the installation is not performed to a building code, I would rather take excessive precautions than not.
Photo #0308
Stove Pipe Selection
A 4-inch to 6-inch stove pipe adapter gives the stove the ability to use common 6-inch pipe and produce more heat as the stove draws betters with this larger size. The M1941/H45 tent heater was designed to work in tent in a military setting and was optimized for that role. The 4-inch pipe that it used was more compact and adequate for that role, yet it 6-inch pipe is so much better for a permanent installation. As installed in a building or RV where 90 degree elbows are used, the 4 inches pipe will work, yet it is the inferior choice. Creosote builds up in the 4-inch pipe at a rapid rate when burning soft and less dense pine woods. 6 inch stove pipe does not require cleaning nearly as often, perhaps every 30 to 60 days, and overall is the better choice.
4-inch stove pipe can be found in the form of heavy galvanized pipe suitable only for outdoor use and is practical if the stove will be in a mobile application inside of a tent or where the stove pipe is directly through the ceiling and does not have a 90-degree elbow that further restricts the flow of hot gases or smoke. And there is no stainless steel 4-inch pipe available. This is a major drawback.
Any stove pipe exposed to weather should be stainless steel. Standard mild steel pipe will last for many years when used for indoor connections, but outdoors it can quickly rustd out after only one season of use. Single-wall or double-walled stainless steel from Northline is well worth the price as stainless steel pipe will last more than 10 times longer when stainless steel pipe is used on the exterior.
Be sure to install a damper that helps regulate the burn, and slows down drafts. The damper’s most important function is to help control a chimney fire should that unfortunate event occur. Chimney fires are very dangerous and that is the primary reason for controlling the build-up of creosote that is itself flammable. A flue would assist in reducing the airflow that would feed a chimney fire and possibly keep it from running away and to dangerously high temperatures that are often the cause of homes burning down. It almost goes without saying that we should have a fire extinguisher nearby. I also have a 12vdc pump, a Shurflo 2088 that can deliver water to the area where the stove is.
As it well applies to this article, I’ve imported an excerpt from my previous article on this topic,
How to Install a Wood Stove in an RV or Small Cabin:
6-inch single-wall stainless steel stove pipe is recommended for its superior durability as standard steel pipe exposed to rainwater will rust out after one season. Only use mild steel pipe on the exterior if that is the only pipe available. It is far more cost-effective to use durable stainless steel. Single wall pipe is lightweight and stainless steel lasts more than 10 times longer than standard steel pipe that is either it blued or painted.
Double wall pipe can be used through the wall, but beyond that single wall is adequate and easier to install. Double and triple wall pipe is excessively heavy and requires additional engineering and support, and is not necessary in my experience for short external runs. Insulated pipe is however best for longer runs to reduce fire hazard inside structures, but also to reduce creosote build-up that would restrict flow and cause chimney fires.
Short runs of single wall pipe must be cleaned out once each month of daily operation. Because of the short run of pipe, this is easy to do by simply removing the pipe and using a long stick and a rag if you don’t have a brush. Here is the best selection of stove pipe and hardware to complete this job that I am aware of: Duravent at Northline.
By studying wood stove installations available on YouTube, you can learn additional safety measures and discover the fine details that improve the safe operation and installing wood stoves, and chimney cleaning, in general. I hope this helps someone who would otherwise would not have shelter and a wood stove that is essential for life in cold country.
In addition to a wood stove, I recommend that you stockpile all the necessary replacement parts, fuel, and supplies to run a chain saw for the next 10 years. I will have an article on that topic in a few weeks. If you’d like me to restore and paint one of these stoves for you, just let me know.
See: Northline Express Chimney and Stove Pipe. For slightly less money there are traditional 6″ to 4″ inch reducers. For a little more money, this reducer is far higher in quality in terms of the stainless steel used, but also the design and construction method: 4″ To 6” stainless steel stove pipe reducer.
Wood Stove Operation
Step one would be the ability to start a fire. Without modern conveniences that hasten the process, we should learn how to make tinder from the wood that will be fed into the stove. I use a hatchet to make kindling, and a large meat cleaver to make finer kindling and tinder that can be as thin as a toothpick. Day-to-day, I exclusively use a Bic cigarette lighter to start a fire. Teach young children this skill and the dangers of fires. I was lighting fires at age 4.
We must learn as much as we can about stoves and gain at least a minimal amount of proficiency before we might have to use one to sustain life. While this article is not a detailed tutorial but only in passing, it should mentioned that the first and most important step in operating a wood stove is that we should know how to start a fire given a variety of combustible materials some of which might be slightly damp. And while the stove is running, we should prepare our materials to make the next fire by drying out the tinder and fuel for the next fire that we will have to start. And we should be sure that we understand how to control the temperature of the stove.
Also, be sure to stock up on many hatchets, axes, mauls, a lifetime supply of replacement chainsaw parts, and a lifetime supply of Bic Lighters and wood matches with the red tips, but do not forget to have a few ferrocerium rods hanging on the wall near the wood stove. The ability to start a fire is the most important survival skill one can possess. Learn about what these are and how to use one here: The FERRO ROD to RULE THEM ALL.
Where to Buy
We might be surprised at how many people living in rural areas do not even own one wood stove. What would be the value of a rusty old stove or a ‘field expedient’ wood stove when they are freezing to death in the dark? Is it possible to have too many old stoves purchased for very little money or acquired at no cost just laying around for the purpose of bartering? Metal of any kind — scrap or otherwise — will be worth a lot, in an economic collapse. As a side note: While making more antennas to order just yesterday, I was hit with a 50% increase in the price of 1/2″ copper pipe used to make these antennas.
If I could have only one wood stove, it would be the M1941 or H-45. If I lived in an apartment, a disassembled stove could be slipped under the bed, or stored elsewhere. It is a Swiss Army knife of wood stoves. If one does not have time to waste, to assist the reader I did some serious shopping around. Currently, this is the best deal out there that I found:
NEW USGI M-1941 MILITARY POT BELLY STOVE & ACCESSORIES SPACE HEATER RADIANT TYPE.
Here are other links, and other M1941 and H45 tent heaters and stoves that might be of interest if only for comparative purposes.
No grate for solid fuels: At this price, I would gladly make my own as the H-45 produces 20% more heat:
H-45 Military Heater/tent/stove Multi Fuel 25,000 – 45,000 Btu US $290.
NEW USGI M1941 MILITARY POT BELLY STOVE & ACCESSORIES SPACE HEATER RADIANT TYPE$336.59.
M1941 (no grate for wood or coal) $299. (Make a grate for it, but check the cost of shipping first)
H-45 (no grate for wood) $499
H-45 Tent Heater/Stove $195 (But note that shipping might be at least $150)
Mountain Gear Surplus Sales also has on occasion:
Military Tent Stove (M-1941), Unused
Excerpt from the Mountain Gear Surplus Sales website:
“The dependable M-1941 wood or coal burning stove made of steel with a heat output rating of 35,000 BTU. The stove is 17¼ in. high without the pipe, approx. 16 in. diameter. Top opening measures 9 in. diameter, bottom opening measures 7 in. x 3½ in. high. Includes: stove, 6 sections of 4 in. stove pipe, wood/coal grate, damper & poker. Unused. May have minor surface weathering (wt. 54 lbs).”
Other links of Interest
Video: Woodburning stove from 1941
Free Download:
U.S. Army Technical Manual for the M1941 Tent Heater — TM 10-4500-200-13
Conclusion
In my opinion, different regions of the country will experience a dystopian future at various points in a spectrum of bad outcomes. The big cities could see a die-off of nearly 90 percent of the population. In the rural parts where food can be grown, a 50 percent die-off is not impossible. Many city and small towns dwellers in Western Montana do not have a wood stove and do not know how to operate a chain saw. They could freeze to death before they died of malnutrition. And then there are other scenarios to consider…
In a war-torn country, or if besieged with natural or man-made disasters, the ability to move out of harm’s way would be good option, therefore we should plan and equip ourselves appropriately with a mobile option. A portable wood stove would be priceless if needed. I have three M1941 stoves (as seen in the photos) and several other small portable cast iron cook and heating stoves as well as larger stoves.
Because I can restore and make stoves, I can pick them up inexpensively and make them good again. I also have many old 55-gallon drums that I can quickly make into a crude wood stove. And do not forget to stack up all the old stove pipe sections you can find.
Read the full article here