Wood burner in the garden

[spader]

I have about 3 large bin-ful of fresh wood cut offs from 2-3 year ago, when I was clearing out the back garden. The tree branches were cut off to small stump and little twigs, and stored in the bins. Now they must be well cured and dried after 2-3 years in the bins. I am thinking of ways to burn them in a wood stove or log burner in the garden, during this November - December time when folks do bon fires and also fire works going everywhere in the village and streets.

I wonder if there is a good way to set up a wood stove in the back garden or log burner. I have both in the garden shed, but not having been using them for a few year now, now sure if there are good ways to set it up for the wood burning session. Maybe the easiest way to set up for here would be putting the stove under the tarp by Wolf909 design, which I still have. The tarp has the flue hole which can put through the chimney of the stove through.

I wonder if any of you will be burning wood logs during this autumn and winter in the back garden on the patio or at the corner of the shed doing BBQ or preparing meals off the wood fire in the stove or fire pit.

 

[Stew]

Yes, probably - I’ll just use my washing machine drum fire pit!

 

[spader]

Correction on my old tarp. The accurate model of the tarp seems to be "LoneWolf 902". I had it for about 10 years now. Still seems going strong. Here is youtube clip on the tarp by the designer himself. I found the tarp great for the corner of the garden with the wood stove and chilling out in the summer. But should work ok in winter too.

 

[shaggystu]

Yes, probably - I’ll just use my washing machine drum fire pit!

Mine last weekend, awesome idea whoever first came up with it.

 

[spader]

There seem a lot of videos on the DIY drum fire pit.

 

[HorseGuy]

How long does a washing machine drum last when used as a fire pit?
Are there any issues with them rusting away?

 

[Pattree]

I’ve just been writing an answer to @TeeDee ’s post and had a thought:

What restrictions are there for open fires / stoves in urban areas? I guess it varies with district/authority.

In Telford you risk the fire brigade turning up and putting out your fire. The bill of expenses follows rapidly: £50 last I heard but that was a long time ago.

I think I’ll have to ask at the council. This is interesting!

I live in the “and” region of the Telford and Wrekin authority. It’s the land that Telford forgot (until the river bridge failed and the commuters couldn’t get through the village.).

I’ve slowed traffic on the B5063 with a bonfire smoke without consequences.

However, how restricted might you (theoretically) be making your stove?

(pee ess: It’s always easier to apologise than ask permission!)

 

[Stew]

How long does a washing machine drum last when used as a fire pit?
Are there any issues with them rusting away?

Donkeys years! No issues. I’ve had one sat outside for 5-6 years and no worries….

 

[shaggystu]

How long does a washing machine drum last when used as a fire pit?
Are there any issues with them rusting away?

Mine's been sat out in the weather for the last decade, it's still as good as new.

 

[Stew]

It does remind me that I have a couple of spares to see about moving on for a few quid on marketplace!

 

[slaine_23]

How long does a washing machine drum last when used as a fire pit?
Are there any issues with them rusting away?

They’re pretty tough, I’ve one that’s from pre Covid times, still useable. I don’t leave it out in the rain but it is under cover.

 

[spader]

Donkeys years! No issues. I’ve had one sat outside for 5-6 years and no worries….

Is it because they are made with some stainless steel or alloy material? They can't be made of carbon steel, it sounds.

 

[spader]

I’ve just been writing an answer to @TeeDee ’s post and had a thought:

What restrictions are there for open fires / stoves in urban areas? I guess it varies with district/authority.

In Telford you risk the fire brigade turning up and putting out your fire. The bill of expenses follows rapidly: £50 last I heard but that was a long time ago.

I think I’ll have to ask at the council. This is interesting!

I live in the “and” region of the Telford and Wrekin authority. It’s the land that Telford forgot (until the river bridge failed and the commuters couldn’t get through the village.).

I’ve slowed traffic on the B5063 with a bonfire smoke without consequences.

However, how restricted might you (theoretically) be making your stove?

(pee ess: It’s always easier to apologise than ask permission!)

During the time of late October (Halloweens) and through November, we hear lots of fire works going all night, and I believe some folks have bon fire in their gardens. Surely having some camp fire in this time of year should be ok, no?

The only thing I was not sure about the drum fire pits from the washing machines is, the height of the flames from the drum, when fire is going strong. It can go up very high, so you have to ensure you have nothing flammable near and above the fire pit when it is burning woods, because the flames may rise too high, it can be problem, having no control of the flame height and the intensity of flame itself.

Hence it is safer using some sort of the sealed wood stove, with the doors, flame control vents and chimneys?

 

[Mesquite]

You can always get a chimnea with a spark arrestor

 

[spader]

You can always get a chimnea with a spark arrestor

Yeah seen them a lot for sale in Argos, eBay, Amazon. Must be popular item in UK.

 

[Pattree]

I did check with my local council.
They are unlikely to take any action unless there is a complaint.

 

[spader]

I did check with my local council.
They are unlikely to take any action unless there is a complaint.

Are you planning to run wood burners in the garden too?

 

[Pattree]

I do have fires in the garden for all sorts of reasons including burning rubbish. I’m very lucky in that my neighbours aren’t very close and they do the same.

I checked with the council so that what I said here on BcUK was right - at least for my area.

 

[Longstrider]

Got to admit it, I'm chuckling a bit at "3 large bin fulls of wood". Once you get into the habit of having a nice toasty fire going in your garden of an evening you'll be scavenging through the local woods in no time for more firewood.
You're a bushcrafter so I don't need to warn you about the 'warm front, frozen back' syndrome, but you'll soon enough discover mans in-built genetic glitch that hates to see the fire die. We've all been there ... "Just a couple more bits of wood and then I'll let it go out." 3 hrs later and you realise you're running out of wood !

 

[spader]

I used to run a wood stove under the LoneWolf902 tarp at the corner of the garden a few year ago. I was doing wood carving under the tarp while the wood stove was going on some evenings.

It really depends on if you have the air intake adjustment on the stove door. It can be set to burn very slowly, or burn faster depending on how the adjustment was set.

So just a wood log split into 4 or 5 pieces could burn for all evening (from 6pm - 9 or 10 pm) until I finish my wood carving session. It was enough timing for the session, and 1x large piece of log lasts well. And then I also have little thin twigs to put in when the fire needs more flames at times.

So the 3x large council bins would contain enough woods for me to last 2-3 months I was reckoning. And my aim this time is just burn them away, and put the ashes into the plants and grass for fertilising.

And if the wood runs out, and I need more, then I can always pop into the local Morrisons or Azda, as they stock plenty of seasoned wood logs and charcoals for sale for dead cheap.

But I know what you mean, if you burn woods in the fire pits with no air intake control and chimney, then they could burn the woods so fast, and flames shoot up to the sky so high with the maximum air intake via hundreds of the holes on the fire pit body of the drum, it can burn the whole 1x large binful wood logs on one night, I suppose.