Rocket Mass Heater or other suggestions

[CrealBilly]

Pellet stoves are very efficient heating machines that require little work. If you can insure it, it's pretty much only requires a bag of pellets every so often and a 115 outlet. Had several friends out in WA that had them and I was exceptionally impressed. They heat up fast and the flame is contained inside.

My son being the resourceful kind a guy he is takes a old tee-shirt, a match head and clothes dryer lint to make fire starters. He makes a ball about 1" in diameter by compressing lint and a match head in to a torn price of old tee-shirt. He soaks the whole thing in melted parifin wax. Those little balls burn for like 20 minutes and are great when camping to start a camp fire.

I researched those pellets and it's basically the same kind of principle... tightly compressed sawdust pushed through a die.

"Any society that will give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both" -- Benjamin Franklin

 

[SubGuy]

Yep that's the ticket. They are cheap. I have seen them roughly $230 a ton here, probably cheaper in NC and from a supplier. They come in a ton per pallet in 40 lbs bags. One of the guys I work with uses 2 tons a winter up here to heat his house. I would think a ton would last your shop 2 years conservatively. If I wasn't renting up here and moving this summer, I would have one.

 

[FredP]

my big concern with a wood stove is open flame. If you spray lacquer or pretty much any oil based product things could get loud in a hurry. think BOOM! I warm the shop with a kerosene torpedo and then turn on the electric heater to keep it warm. kero stinks but I only use it to get the temps up. the smell dissipates fairly quick. electric heater is one of those 220volt ceiling mounted things from tractor supply.

 

[Hmerkle]

my big concern with a wood stove is open flame. If you spray lacquer or pretty much any oil based product things could get loud in a hurry. think BOOM! I warm the shop with a kerosene torpedo and then turn on the electric heater to keep it warm. kero stinks but I only use it to get the temps up. the smell dissipates fairly quick. electric heater is one of those 220volt ceiling mounted things from tractor supply.

AS fast a Fred works, I am shocked he uses a heater at all - by the time the shop is warm he is done!

 

[KenOfCary]

To those expressing concerns about car exhaust entering the house I should make it clear that my shop is a former garage. It is not 'in a garage.' It is now remodeled / conditioned / insulated space in the house. It is no longer capable of housing a vehicle at all.