Installing Our Antique Cast Iron Wood Stove.

Hi all! Today I am sharing a post that was published on Crafty Allie. You might recall about a year ago I shared a DIY Herb Planter with you - again, a practical project, perfect for urban homesteaders on Crafty Allie. Today I am sharing a big project that is making all of our smaller projects possible, especially this time of year. 

The project? Refinishing and installing our 1923 cast iron wood stove.

John, my urban homestud, wanted a wood stove for his garage for a few years. I scoured the papers, Craigslist, and box box store sales to no avail. Everything was really expensive. That is, until my dad mentioned he had an old cast iron wood stove in one of his sheds at his farm. He said it would need a lot of work, but I could have it for free (!!!) and fix it up for John's Christmas gift last year. You can read about the refinishing process here. 

My dad was right. This 1923 American-made beauty did need a lot of work. The biggest repair my brother and dad made was reattaching one of the legs on the base of the wood stove. They heated the metal and carefully welded the leg back on.

After that my brother and I spent a considerable amount of time wire-brushing every exterior surface of the stove, and I began to polish and finish each component. The only brand new thing needed to make this old girl operational was a few new bolts and heat-resistant cement to attach and seal the whole stove.

The stove was ready for reassembly and a new home.

This is what John's garage looked like before installing the wood stove:

And this is what his garage looks like now, after the installation: 

To install the wood stove, I'll let John guide you through the following steps: 

1. "The first thing I had to do was decide if I wanted the chimney to go throughout the roof or along the side of the garage. I decide to go along the garage so that if I wanted to remove the stove later it wouldn't leave a hole in my roof."

2. "Next, I had to build the window out to reduce the amount of bends in the chimney. The fewer bends the better."

3. "Then it was off to the store to purchase some stove pipe. Inside the garage I went with standard pipe. Outside the garage and in the box that I built for the window, I went with double-wall stainless steel. I wanted a T outside so that it would be easier to clean out."

4. "On my way to the store I stopped at the city hall to see what the regulations for solid fuel requirements were. Turns out, I'm good to go and didn't need to pull a permit."

5. "Then it was just a matter of getting the right length of pipe and supports to install the chimney. I also got chimney chalk, or sealant, to seal where the stove pieces tied together, as well as the chimney going outside. Seal the pipes as tight as possible so smoke won't fill your garage."

6. "Because I made my chimney go outside I have to prime, or warm, my chimney before I can get a good fire going. It's a little more work, but worth it for a roaring fire."

7. "This old girl kicks out a good amount of heat, but there is no blower on the stove like the new models. I have an old fan that I stick behind the stove to blow the hot air throughout the garage."

What projects do you have going on at your home? Leave a comment and tell me about it!