im about to make a wood burning heater for the garage out of a 55 gallon drum. has anybody did this or seen this? i want to get some ideas or see some pictures before i start.

 

are you going to have a fluke pipe on it? carbon monoxide kills! lol

What we always did was take it out back and empty a few boxes of buckshot on it for vents.

Or just drill some holes 3-4in off the bottom and build and grill bout 6in off the bottom to hold the wood for good ventilation...
Cut out a 12x8in hole on the bottomside.. throw a hinge on it to easily add wood...

other then that seems pretty self explanatory. good luck..

 

yea i was going run a vent out the side wall of the garage.

 

kinda dangerous to put inside a building.. no insulation around the can.. etc etc. can easily overheat a nearby wall etc. just be careful man.. why not a kerosene heater, or propane heater?

 

55 Gal for a garage? Must be a big garage. Not criticizing here in any way shape or form, but that things gonna throw off allot of heat. Come to think about it, not like a 55 gal drum is thick like cast iron and will retain heat as well. ebinz88 is right on though. Or look at local flea markets, antique shops and such, you could easily find a proper wood burning stove for 100 or so, plus its all set up and you don't have to go jimmy-rigging it.

 

depending on where you live shock is right, craigslist or a flea market should have a cheap cheap old stove you can use.....

but if not, they also make "kits" to turn a 55 gal drum into a relatively safe woodstove....basically a door to bolt on and some other hardware.......make sure you buy some of the insulated metalbestos pipe to go through the wall with.

 

Make sure you place near aerosol cans, paint thinner and gasoline. They go well.
2 most dangerous places for firefighters. Basement and garage.