Progress is good lately! More to report and another pic.
The fire worked to burn off or loosen the paint and I gave it a good wire brushing using a brush on the angle grinder. I even cleaned out the inside where the oven space will be.
This meant I could paint in here as well as the outside with Pot Belly black spray paint. Heat resistant they claim.
painted and grate cut to size
I also found a cheap BBQ grill at Bunnings and only had to cut off a little at each corner to make it a perfect fit and a very pro looking fire grate! I’ll put a couple of reo bars through the drum for the grate to sit on and some sheet metal pieces to fill in the small spaces around it.
Doors will probably be next.
Brian.
Tags: 44 gallon drum, oven, stove, wood fired
hey,
Im interested in creating a similar product however i’ve been told that 44 gallon drums buckle due to the heat after a while, is this true? is there anything you do to prevent that from happening?
thanks.
Hi Max, thanks for your comment.
Yes, they do get a bit “wobbly” after a while, but mine is still very effective. It certainly doesn’t look aa clean as when it was first made!
I found the top of the firebox/bottom of the oven has warped somewhat, making sealing the oven from smoke a bit difficult. My pizzas now have a slightly smokier flavour.
I think having the drum vertical and the fire only in the middle third keeps thing under control a lot more. Some people lay the drum over and fill it with the fire, making a really big fire!
The best improvement I’ve made is lining the firebox and oven with bricks. This provides great thermal mass to retain heat and helps with not burning through the thin walls of the firebox. (see my later posts for some pics.
Cheers for now, Brian.
thanks a lot Brian, much appreciated!