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flue curing with a '' POTBELLY'' stove? is it possible

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Chicken

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ive sort of been on the look-out for a small potbelly type stove,

and yesterday run across a old '' but very nice condition'' one, i was told to take it if i needed it, so it's onboard<!!!!!

ive been thinking of building a different shed, just for my curing area, for next year. and installing a p-belly stove,

now that i have acess, to this item, i have the tin i need, and plenty of roughcut lumber,

it's time to build perhaps,????

any thought. by ya'll, on perhaps how i should place the heater,?

and a good height of the ceiling, or does that matter,?

i plan on filling this area, next year with flue cure baccy, like VA.BRIGHT LEAF, maryland,, e,t,c,

i mean FILLING IT<:mad:
 

leverhead

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I'm going to be short on time today, but in a nut shell. I'm having a hard time keeping up with the flue-curing schedule with a thermostat, I can't imagine trying to do it with wood heat! It has been done and can be done again. How its heated isn't the biggest issue, ventilation is. Weather or not you ventilate with natural draft like deluxstoggie or with a blower like I did will determine how densely you can space the leaf. You have to move air though it! If you figure out how many plants you want to grow, I can help you figure out how much space you need. If you can find a big city surplus yard, look for a metal lined refrigerator. If you can horse trade, you should be able to get one for under 150 bucks. The insulation is great and they're easy to modify, less than 2 weekends. I didn't take a whole lot of time looking and I'm in at less than $500. If you start now, you'll be done way before next season. I'll catch you later, I've got to make some changes and get it loaded for the last run.
 

deluxestogie

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If you have the time to babysit a wood-burner, then place it outside the shed. (Below grade would be ideal, but you live in flatland.) Run the flue into the wall of the shed as low as possible, while still having at least a small upward gradient to the pipe. Extend the gradually inclined flue through the shed, and through the opposite wall, to ventilate outside. Passing through the walls would need the same care and insulation as running a stovepipe through any wall.

Use a long-probe thermometer inside the shed, that reads on the outside of the shed (so you don't have to open it to read the temp). Inexpensive digital remote thermometer sensors won't tolerate the high heat.

TobaccoFlueCureBarn_Killebrew_1898_a.png
Flue_Cure_Barn_1.JPG

These illustrations, from Killebrew (1898), show two brick fire pits connected to double flues that start off low in the barn, run the width of it, gradually rising, then turn 180º to again rise gradually to the outlet vents above the brick pits. Leaf is hung above the flue. With log construction, the logs themselves provide the required insulation. Note the vent at the upper wall.

Bob
 

Chicken

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i myself, may not be doing the babysitting,

but thier is allways someone here, to throw a log in the stove<

and running the pipe, along the inside of the shed wouldnt be no issue,

but i thought , the stove itself was the main heat source, not the exaust,?

basically i'll be running the exaust thru the shed, while the potbelly stove, is '' remotelly'' located outside,?

or could, i rig, up a square shed,,,, with a 6 ft, external enclosed area, where the potbelly stove woud be, with the exaust [ in the back of the stove ] facing the '' barn'' with the pipe/ exaust running thru it

so the '' external.'' area could be opened to feed the stove, while at the top of this area, all heat within, would be vented to the main '' barn''
 

deluxestogie

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Killebrew's design does get heat into the barn from the heated brick stoves, but the main heat dissipation is from the flue pipe. Your suggested design should work, so long as you pay attention to insulating the floor beneath the stove, and the wall passage for the flue.

It will be a mighty hot little room. If you use gravel beneath the stove, and add a couple of wooden benches, then you can put some water on the gravel and have your own Swedish sauna.

Bob
 

jeapadrenaline

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Ok, couple of pointers as i am just in the process of finishing my curing barn. Woodstove on the outside since woodheat dries the air to 0 humidity, plus i dont want to open a door all the time to enter the barn. My stove is home made, 4 16inch rims welded together with centers cut out. The stove is sitting about 1 foot from the building and will be enclosed with a box filled with fine sand and gravel to contain the heat, therefore sending as much heat as possible through the pipe (flue). Pipe enters barn abou 10 inches from gravel floor and runs across 15 feet of barn and out the other side 1 foot down from roof.
My main harvest looks to be pushing frost dates, and within a couple weeks of frost we tend to get hard freezes, so i need to heat the barn for color curing or leaf could freeze while still green.
I hope to start a sort of grow log in the next couple of weeks, it will contain pictures of baccy plot, construction of barn as well as pics of my living arangements, since i am a wild bush mountain man redneck. Figure many people want to see it all.
 

johnlee1933

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but i thought , the stove itself was the main heat source, not the exaust,?

basically i'll be running the exaust thru the shed, while the potbelly stove, is '' remotelly'' located outside,?

or could, i rig, up a square shed,,,, with a 6 ft, external enclosed area, where the potbelly stove woud be, with the exaust [ in the back of the stove ] facing the '' barn'' with the pipe/ exaust running thru it

so the '' external.'' area could be opened to feed the stove, while at the top of this area, all heat within, would be vented to the main '' barn''

Basically, Yes. From my own experience part of the problem with a pot belly is the cooling effect of the inlet air to feed the fire. Don't misunderstand me, it will heat the place but I wouldn't want my stove in an area with so much flammable stuff around it. It gets too hot locally for me to be comfortable. If you choose to go that way be sure you have good separation and try to duct combustion air as close to the stove as you can. Personally, I think temperature control is going to be your biggest problem. Good Luck with it and Please let us know how it goes for you.

John
 

Steve2md

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What about one of those pellet feeder conversions? those feed the fire as needed automatically. if you got the stove free, the total investment might be minimal..
 

BarG

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Ok, couple of pointers as i am just in the process of finishing my curing barn. Woodstove on the outside since woodheat dries the air to 0 humidity, plus i dont want to open a door all the time to enter the barn. My stove is home made, 4 16inch rims welded together with centers cut out. The stove is sitting about 1 foot from the building and will be enclosed with a box filled with fine sand and gravel to contain the heat, therefore sending as much heat as possible through the pipe (flue). Pipe enters barn abou 10 inches from gravel floor and runs across 15 feet of barn and out the other side 1 foot down from roof.
My main harvest looks to be pushing frost dates, and within a couple weeks of frost we tend to get hard freezes, so i need to heat the barn for color curing or leaf could freeze while still green.
I hope to start a sort of grow log in the next couple of weeks, it will contain pictures of baccy plot, construction of barn as well as pics of my living arangements, since i am a wild bush mountain man redneck. Figure many people want to see it all.

Jeapadrenaline, You bet your ass, we want to see it. We got all kinds of rednecks here!
 

Chicken

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i think im gonna take JOHNLEE'S advice and build this thing seperate from anything in my yard.

the pipe may or may not be a issue,

i can make one thing ''act'' as another thing<:)

thios idea may grow wings,,,,

but as i sit here pondering where, the best place to put the '' new building'' at,,, im also thinking, of expanded the grow area,

but i have plenty of yard to play with,,,:cool:
 

SmokesAhoy

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My flue thermometer reads 800+ before I start decreasing the draft, something to consider when you place the pipes.
 
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