DIY Barrel Wood Stove

Stand the barrel on its end. Measure and mark a 10-inch square opening, centered on the end of the barrel, with a marker. Form straight lines with a straightedge. You will add wood into the barrel through this door.

Drill holes into the corners of the marked door’s outline. Cut along the outlines using a reciprocating saw fitted with a metal-cutting blade.

Remove the square cutout and smooth its edges with a metal file. File smooth the edges of the opening in the barrel.

Set the square door cutout over the opening and determine the locations for the two hinges. Mark locations for the screw holes on the door's cutout and the corresponding barrel surface. Drill pilot holes through the marks using a drill and metal bit.

Set the door into the opening, with its hinge holes matching up against the holes in the barrel. Tighten nuts and bolts in the holes to secure the cutout to the barrel, creating a flap door.

Drill two pilot holes through the door on the side opposite to the hinges. Thread wire through the holes to use as a handle. Knot the wire ends along the inside of the barrel so they do not slide out through the holes.

Mark a circle 6 inches in diameter to serve as the opening for a 6-inch stovepipe vent or flue pipe through the upper back section of the barrel. Drill a hole along one edge of the outline and cut the rest of the hole using a reciprocating saw fitted with a metal cutting blade.

Weld a 6-inch stovepipe into the opening in the barrel. Extend the wood-burning stovepipe through the wall or roof.

Place the barrel into a cast-iron cradle or frame that lifts it off the floor, especially if the floor is combustible.