How to Build a Small Wood Stove From a Barrel Drum

Turn a 55-gallon barrel drum on one end. Mark a large 13-by-13 square. This is where you will load the wood for the fire when you're using the drum as a stove. Cut through the metal with a circular saw and a metal cutting blade. Peel off the metal square, and discard.

Cut a piece of stainless steel to 14-by-14 inches. This will be the door. Make a 1-inch-wide bend on the right-hand side of the stainless steel. The bend will allow you to open and close the door on hinges. Set a small door pull or knob on the other side of the stainless-steel square, and sink a screw through the back of the steel and into the pull.

Attach the door you made in the last step to the end of the barrel. Set the door flat against the end, with the bent edge facing up. Lay two evenly spaced metal hinges on the right side of the door, against the bent strip and the barrel. Secure the hinges to the barrel and the door, using nuts and washers.

Tip the drum barrel onto its side. Attach six pre-made metal legs to the bottom. The legs will have flat plates on top with holes in each corner. Push a bolt through each corner of the plate. While wearing thick gloves, reach your hand inside the barrel, and tighten each bolt with a washer and nut. Attach each leg, and tip the barrel over onto its legs.

Wear goggles and thick gloves as you cut a 4-1/2-inch-wide hole in the top of the barrel, using a propane torch. Cover the edges with heat-resistant epoxy. Set a metal pipe, 4 inches in diameter, on top of the hole. Apply more epoxy to the edges of the pipe, keeping it affixed to the barrel. Make sure the pipe is long enough to reach the wall where you will be venting it outside.