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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Nov 2017
    Location
    Australia
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    35

    Default Brake Drum Heater

    G’day everyone I’m in the middle of a heater build for my shed I’m wondering if anyone has any experience with flue size? I’m thinking of using about a 6 1/2”. Any help would be awesome thanks. I’ve attached some photos for a reference too.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Aug 2011
    Location
    Melbourne
    Posts
    4,779

    Default

    Nice work.

    You may need to experiment with flue size. I built a similar "camp coonara" for camping out of couple lpg cylinders. I started off with 3" exhaust but ended up going to 2-1/2" as i was loosing alot of heat out through the flue.

    While yours will be bigger and your flue maybe longer, you may find 6" a bit too big. If you dont have any spare material to experiment with then probably 6" would be the best guess. You can always add a damper on the flue if you have to.

    You dont want to stuff around too much as the flue was the single most expensive part of my heater.

    Simon

    Sent from my SM-G900I using Tapatalk
    Girl, I don't wanna know about your mild-mannered alter ego or anything like that." I mean, you tell me you're, uh, super-mega-ultra-lightning babe? That's all right with me. I'm good. I'm good.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Nov 2017
    Location
    Australia
    Posts
    35

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by simonl View Post
    Nice work.

    While yours will be bigger and your flue maybe longer, you may find 6" a bit too big. If you dont have any spare material to experiment with then probably 6" would be the best guess. You can always add a damper on the flue if you have to.
    Thanks, I’m thinking I will add a damper just in case.


    https://doilygrunge.weebly.com

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Sep 2012
    Location
    York, North Yorkshire UK
    Posts
    6,434

    Default

    Hi Guys,

    I wondered where those old brake drums went

    Nice idea !
    Best Regards:
    Baron J.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Nov 2017
    Location
    Geelong, Australia
    Age
    57
    Posts
    2,651

    Default

    Pretty sure my shed heater has a 5" flue.
    The heater itself is made from an old 45kg LPG bottle.
    I didn't put a damper in the chimney but in hindsight it would have been a good idea.
    I did put an inlet damper on it though. Here's a dodgy photo with the door open from when I was stress relieving some bars from a cast iron grate for scraping practice.



    Steve

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Nov 2017
    Location
    Australia
    Posts
    35

    Default

    Finished the heater here is the finished product. Ended up going 6” flue with damper.


  7. #7
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Location
    Melbourne
    Posts
    1,628

    Default

    Looks very professional. With all the black I can’t see if it has a door or just a opening.
    …..Live a Quiet Life & Work with your Hands

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Aug 2011
    Location
    Melbourne
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    4,779

    Default

    Nice work. I think the door is at the top where the handle comes out. I think you rotate that handle to hinge open the top half plate.

    Simon

    Sent from my SM-G900I using Tapatalk
    Girl, I don't wanna know about your mild-mannered alter ego or anything like that." I mean, you tell me you're, uh, super-mega-ultra-lightning babe? That's all right with me. I'm good. I'm good.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Nov 2017
    Location
    Australia
    Posts
    35

    Default

    Yeh the door is on a swing hinge at the top

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Nov 2017
    Location
    Australia
    Posts
    35

    Default

    Couple more pics of the heater


  11. #11
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Location
    Melbourne
    Posts
    1,628

    Default

    Ok the steel band around the middle was what was throwing me off in the first photo. Brake Drum Heater
    …..Live a Quiet Life & Work with your Hands

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Nov 2017
    Location
    Australia
    Posts
    35

    Default

    G’day I’ve made an instructable on how to make the above brake drum heater. Thought it might be helpful to anyone wanting to make one. Any tips or ideas would be much appreciated.
    https://www.instructables.com/id/Bra...tbelly-Heater/

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