Wood stoves come in many sizes, shapes and prices. Few are large and useful enough to qualify as a wood furnace. Here is a way to have a large and highly useful wood furnace that doubles as a cook stove and wet wood dryer. And, it is about twice the size and half the price of most wood stoves on the market.

There are several styles of cast iron door kits available that fit on a 55-gallon steel drum and make a cheap wood stove. The idea here is to use one of these kits on a custom-built firebox made of steel plate. You get the advantages of a large stove without it looking or burning out like a drum.

The box can be made by a welding shop, and can be made to fit the space available, but should be three to four feet long and as wide as a steel drum; about 30 inches each way. Such a box with holes drilled should cost in the three hundred dollar range. The door kits are usually under fifty dollars.

This large stove will provide excellent heat and has a cooking area that rivals most wood cook stoves. It is an excellent idea to dress up the stove and make heat storage is by surrounding the floor, back and side walls with bricks. Such a layer will allow the stove to be closer to walls and will protect the floor from heat.
 
With a long stove, wet wood can be placed in the rear of the box and forced dried. Get the welder to make a fire iron that reaches to the rear of the box so the dried wood can be pulled forward to the burning area.

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