Do-it-yourself stove from an old bath. The advantages of a cast-iron bath stove and the rules for its independent creation. Decoration of the external facade

An old cast-iron bath is a very heavy and solid thing. The product of the Soviet industry is famous for its fundamentality and durability. But over time, snow-white enamel loses its luster and cannot be restored. Then the bath goes to the landfill. But many summer residents and owners of private houses use cast-iron construction more rationally. The stove from the bath not only allows you to cook amazing dishes, but also becomes a decoration of the estate.

Building a stove from a cast-iron bath with your own hands will require the use of the following tools:

angle grinder (Bulgarian);
Cutting and cleaning discs for angle grinders;
Electric drill, drills;
Pliers, wrenches;
If available - equipment for gas cutting of metal;
Trench tool - shovels, scrap;
A hammer;
Trowel, spatula;
A container for preparing a solution;
Measuring tool - tape measure, plumb line, metal corner, building level;
Welding machine for mounting the chimney, mask, electrodes;
Hacksaw for wood (for the construction of formwork).

The beginning of construction implies the presence of a cast-iron bath. The furnace from the bath has a foundation, since the total weight of the structure takes on a decent value. In addition to the bathroom, you will need the following materials:

Cement;
Sand;
Red brick;
Water;
Clay;
Sheet of metal with a thickness of 4 mm;
Metal corner;
Homemade or factory grill of the appropriate size;
Metal and hinges for doors;
Chimney pipe with a wall thickness of at least 3.5 mm, a diameter of 100 - 125 mm, a length of 2.5 - 3 meters;
Foundation waterproofing material - polyethylene film;
Rabitz;
Boards 20 - 25 mm thick, nails, slats 20x20 mm.

The first stage of construction is cutting the old bathroom across into two equal parts. This operation is performed using a grinder. First, the cutting line is marked - the line is applied with a marker on the enamel or with chalk on the outer part of the bowl. Cutting is best done on the outside of the bowl, but if this is not possible, you can cut on the inside.

Cutting iron products is a long and laborious job. For this work, a professional tool is used, in the absence of one, it is necessary to take breaks in work, otherwise the grinder may burn out.

When working, safety conditions must be observed. It is better to wear a protective mask on your face, otherwise the smallest particles of enamel can get into your eyes. When cutting cast iron, a large amount of dust is generated - breathing must be protected with a gauze bandage or a respirator. The room where the work is carried out must be isolated from adjacent rooms - dust cleaning will subsequently cause serious difficulties.

When cutting the bowl, the bath must be fixed so that the disc of the grinder does not pinch. Fragments of a disc that burst during operation can cause injury. Sawing a bathroom takes, on average, about 45 - 60 minutes (excluding breaks). The speed of work always depends on the level of ownership of the instrument.

It is necessary to take into account the structure of cast iron - it has a low impact strength. Therefore, it is impossible to apply strong blows, to heavily load the bath with mechanical forces.

Furnace installation

The stove from an old bath, located on a summer cottage or land plot of a private house, consists of three main parts:

Firebox from an old bathroom;
Furnace foundation;
Brickwork, cladding.

After preparing the bathroom (cut into two equal parts), they begin to build the foundation.

Foundation construction

With the help of pegs and a cord, the future foundation is marked. The foundation is made of concrete mortar or brickwork.

First, a rectangular trench is torn off, its depth should be at least 500 mm. A layer of sand and gravel is laid at the bottom of the trench, the layers are compacted. A layer of waterproofing is laid on top of the pillow - usually a plastic film. In the central part, a formwork is being constructed to raise the base of the foundation for the firebox. Most often, a common formwork is simply constructed and the foundation is poured to a height of at least 250 - 300 mm from the ground level.

The free volume is reinforced and filled with a solution of cement and sand in the proportion of 1 measure of cement to 3 measures of sand. In another case, the volume is filled with brickwork.

After completing the work on the construction of the foundation, he is given time for high-quality solidification.

Assembly work

After the foundation has solidified, assembly work begins. The first half of the bowl is installed on the base of the foundation (without drain holes). On top of the turn of the bowl, a sheet of metal cut according to the bathroom template is laid on a heat-resistant sealant.

Sometimes holes are cut into the sheet for use as a cooking surface.

A hole is cut in the ceiling sheet, corresponding to the diameter of the selected chimney pipe. The pipe is welded to the floor slab using electric arc welding.

The second half of the bathroom is laid on the floor sheet. The joint is preliminarily laid with heat-resistant sealant, instead of the drain (lower) hole, a passage for the chimney is cut. First, a hole is marked along the cross section of the pipe used, then holes are drilled according to the marking. It is dangerous to knock out a drilled element - cast iron is brittle - therefore, the holes are connected by slots in the grinder.

Holes are drilled along the perimeter of the junction of two hemispheres of the bathroom, the joint is pulled together with M10 or M12 bolts. Fasteners are installed in increments of 150 - 200 mm. When tightening the bolts, do not use excessive force - the cast iron may burst. In the lower hemisphere, at a height of 15 cm from the lower point of the vault, the supports for the grate are bolted. The installation of supports is mandatory, otherwise, when the grate is shifted, burning firewood will fall into the lower part of the firebox and the quality of combustion will be impaired. The main work on the construction of the firebox has been completed.

The front part of the firebox is equipped in two ways - from metal and into brickwork. In the case of using a sheet of metal, it is marked and cut to the appropriate size with a grinder. It is fastened to the split end of the firebox through metal corners attached to the bowl and sheet through holes with bolts. Openings are cut in the plane of the sheet for the small (lower) door of the blower and the large upper door of the furnace (used to load fuel). Doors are usually installed on welded hinges.

The cost of metal and the amount of work in such an implementation of the front part of the furnace exceed the option of installing brickwork. When laying from the end of the firebox, mortgages and openings are left in it for installing doors.

After assembling the front part, the lower hemisphere of the firebox is lined with bricks. First, the first corner is displayed (along the plumb line), then the laying is continued along the perimeter of the furnace.

After the masonry has hardened, work begins on the thermal insulation of the upper hemisphere. To do this, a chain-link mesh is laid on it. The grid should fit snugly against the surface of the furnace - for this it is fixed to the brickwork around the perimeter. The chain-link serves as a frame, a supporting structure for the clay layer. The first layer of a pre-prepared clay solution of medium viscosity is tightly clogged into the grid. After partial hardening, the finishing layer of clay is applied and leveled.

Clay should harden - it must be covered from precipitation with a film, without restricting access to air. After hardening, the clay is most often covered with several layers of lime whitewash.

A fungus must be installed on the chimney pipe to protect against precipitation.

Some craftsmen recommend using cast iron bathtubs for the construction of a sauna stove. Moreover, the cast-iron bath acts as the basis of the heater and at the same time serves as the upper vault of the firebox, it can be splashed with ice water in a hot state. Cast iron in this case may crack. To make a bath stove from a cast-iron bath - count on a certain amount of luck, not to know the properties of cast iron.

Decoration of the external facade

The external design of the furnace depends on the wishes of the owner. The masonry can be plastered and painted, various decorative mosaics, natural stone are applied to it. Decoration of the structure is not always necessary - the stove from the bathroom will always look like an amazing structure on the site.

Building a furnace from an old cast-iron bath is an event that requires equipment and some skills in installation work. But the construction of the stove is worth it - it has an excellent design and will serve its owner for many years, surprising with culinary delights and decorating the estate.

Of all home-made stove devices and structures, a cast-iron bath stove is best suited for a home steam room. It cannot be said that a home-made heater made from an old cast-iron stove has an exquisite design or is very convenient to maintain. You can’t argue here, home-made does not look as impressive as modern cast-iron boilers, but it heats up no worse, and in the construction of a bath, a stove from a bath will cost an order of magnitude cheaper than a heater made from industrial cast iron.

Why build furnaces from a bath

At first glance, the idea of a homemade cast iron heater looks rather unusual and strange. Why make a stove from a cast-iron bath with your own hands, if you can buy a factory-made steel boiler-stove. In fact, there is a rational grain in such an undertaking:

Any metallurgist will confirm that thick-walled cast iron casting is ideal for arranging stoves, fireplaces, boilers of various designs and models;
A good cast-iron boiler costs fabulous money, while building a furnace from an old bathtub will take a maximum of a couple of thousand rubles and several days of work;
The semicircular section and shape of the bath body are ideal for organizing the combustion process, there are no stagnant zones or sharp corners leading to local overheating of the bowl walls.

It is clear that the body of the bowl should not have cracks, metal chips or through corrosion. Due to poor machinability, brittleness and low ductility, cast iron is quite difficult to process, cut and weld in the artisanal conditions of a garage or cottage. Therefore, in order to make a stove from a bath with your own hands, some practice will be required. At least, it will take a long time to select the mode in order to weld the cast-iron walls of the furnace by electric welding.

Preparing a cast-iron bath tub for remodeling

The first stage of building a heater, regardless of its design and size, always begins with the removal of layers of old paint, limescale, rust, all that debris that has accumulated on its surface over decades of operation.

Some masters recommend burning the body on wood in the open air. The stove is set on bricks and a small fire is kindled. It will take a long time to heat the cast iron bowl, at least 2-3 hours, until the remnants of pollution burn out. In this way, it is possible to get rid of stubborn odors and at the same time “open” the surface from lime and rust that have accumulated.

Cutting a cast-iron bath body into blanks

Cutting cast iron, especially thin-walled, is quite difficult, the material itself is soft and low-plasticity, with the slightest overload or excessive pressure it can crack in the most inappropriate place.

The body is cut in the following sequence:

The cut line is marked on the enamel surface;
An electric drill and a thin drill drill through holes in the corners, at the break points of the marking line. On a rounded surface, drilling is performed every 4-5 cm;
On the markings made, they pass with a file or a sharpened blade of a hacksaw for metal in order to remove the enamel and prevent chipping of the coating;
The last stage is the most responsible. The cast-iron bath is laid on a flat, absolutely flat surface and cut with a grinder along the marking line.

Advice! Usually, in order to avoid pricking, the body is cut along the contour, leaving several jumpers a couple of centimeters connecting the two parts of the cast-iron bath.

The remains of the jumpers are cut around the stone or removed with a grinder. It is worth remembering that when cutting cast iron, a huge amount of black metal dust is formed that can eat into the skin of the hands like soot. Therefore, before you start making your own stove from a cast-iron bath, you need to stock up on respirators and protective clothing.

Options for building a heater

For heating and heating a bath, you can use three types of stoves based on a cast-iron body from an old bath:

A classic two-chamber stove with a firebox and a closed-type heater;
Fireplace stove with screen;
Dome stove, the most complex and interesting to make with your own hands.

The decision on which version of the cast-iron bath stove to use in the steam room is made based on the size of the bath and the method of heating. For example, cast iron fireplace stoves are great for a sauna, while a classic two-section stove can be used for heating a sauna room and even cooking.

Cast iron heater for a large steam room

Ideally, if you have experience and skills in working with metal, you can try to build a two-dome furnace from an old bath, as in the video. In this case, to make a real cast-iron firebox, you will need a full-sized bathtub, at least 180-190 cm long.

At the heart of a similar stove for a bath from a cast-iron bath, a whole body with a cut off short side or “back” is used. The bowl is placed upside down on a base lined with fireclay bricks on vermiculite cardboard. The design of the stove does not provide for the presence of a blower or a grate; firewood is laid out in layers directly on a heat-resistant base.

According to the device and principle of operation, a cast-iron stove from a large bath is almost identical to a Russian stove. The chimney or pipe for the removal of combustion products is located directly at the loading window of the furnace. The firewood laid out by the woodpile burns in layers, and the hot combustion products go around the cast-iron roof of the furnace along a horseshoe-shaped trajectory and are removed through the chimney in front of the furnace.

Note! Asbestos tapes, basalt cardboard and heat-resistant sealant are used to seal the joint between the body and the heat-resistant fireclay base.

The cast-iron bath is lined with red brick walls. The remaining space between the ceramic cladding and the cast iron body is covered with foam glass granules. The upper plane is covered with a metal sheet. Due to the huge weight of the cast-iron body and brick shielding, the whole structure heats up no worse than a real Russian stove. According to the reviews of the owners, heat and smoldering coals in the cast-iron combustion chamber remain for a day.

Simple dome stove

If we are talking about heating a room with an area of up to 10 m 2, then instead of an uneconomical fireplace, you can try to build a do-it-yourself stove from a cast-iron bath of a single-dome type.

To make a firebox, you need half a cast-iron bath of a standard length. As in the previous version, a massive body is used to equip the combustion vault, but in this case, the size of the combustion chamber is half that, which means it warms up faster.

The combustion chamber also does not provide for the presence of a grate, so you have to kindle such a furnace with the help of a small woodpile laid in the depths of the furnace. After the firewood burns out and traction appears, you can lay the chamber at half the volume. It is no longer possible, cast iron is still not a brick, so the roof of the furnace can crack when overheated.

Cast iron bath fireplace stoves

Of course, it is not necessary to build a stove from a bath on half a wall of a bath. For a small steam room, you can completely get by with a small fireplace with a hearth loaded from a dressing room.

To make a small stove from a bath with your own hands, you can adapt the third part of the body of a standard bowl or use one of the small-sized models 120-130 cm long.

Note! The bodies of cast iron bathtubs are ideal for making fireplaces, including fireplace stoves for saunas. Subject to the technology of assembling the chimney and designing the heater, such a stove will heat no worse than an industrial design.

The cut off rear part of the body is installed on a foundation of heat-resistant bricks or blocks. The area for laying firewood must be covered with a stainless steel sheet, while the space for firewood must be pushed to the maximum depth inside the body. In the process of fuel combustion, hot gases will flow around the wall or the former bottom of the cast-iron bath, thereby increasing the efficiency of the furnace.

The depth of a standard cast-iron bathtub ranges from 40 to 60 cm, so the fireplace body will easily fit in the wall between the steam room and the dressing room. The back side of the body must be sheathed with metal, covered with a fine-mesh stainless steel mesh, and the filling of the future heater can be laid.

The classic version of the cast-iron bath stove

One of the most popular models is considered to be a two-section combustion chamber, made according to the standard scheme with a firebox, a blower, an ash pan and a hot chamber, where, in fact, most of the released heat is collected.

The design of the furnace consists of two sections - upper and lower, each of which is equipped with its own door. For the manufacture of one stove, one full-size cast-iron bath, 180 cm long, is consumed. The body is cut into two halves, which are interconnected along the contour of the side. A sheet of steel, at least 10 mm thick, is laid between the sections. A steel pipe for the chimney is welded into this sheet, which is led out through the location of the drain hole in the bottom of the cast-iron bath.

Features of the furnace assembly

The two sections are connected to each other only mechanically, any attempt to weld or glue the cast-iron halves will lead to the destruction of the structure. For assembly, parts of the furnace are stacked on top of each other, holes are drilled around the perimeter for M10 bolts and connected using spring washers. The joint line of the steel sheet and the edge of the upper chamber is sealed with a heat-resistant fireplace sealant.

In the bottom part of the lower compartment, which is also a firebox, a window for the grate is cut out. Grid-irons are made of a usual square pipe 20 mm thick. The front walls of the upper and lower chambers are cut out of sheet steel with a thickness of at least 5 mm; doors and latches are also made from it.

The design is very simple, the only thing you need to pay attention to when assembling a furnace from a cast-iron bath with your own hands is welding. All parts are hung and installed on the body by welding.

Note! It is necessary to carry out welding work only with direct current, with specialized electrodes of the UONI13-55 type.

The walls of the cast-iron bath are quite thick, so you have to spend several hours choosing the right mode of operation. The seam is obtained as if soldered, but the strength of such a connection is sufficient to withstand any thermal loads.

Conclusion

Making a stove from a cast-iron bath is much easier than laying out a domed heater, a fireplace or a brick heater. On average, it will take three full working days to manufacture one full-fledged oven with brick and tile lining. The quality of the work of such a stove is practically in no way inferior to the factory iron casting.

When it's time to replace the bathroom, don't rush to throw it away. A cast-iron bath stove will be a worthy continuation of the life of an old Soviet plumbing element.

Advantages

The material from which the bath is poured deserves special attention. Cast iron has always differed from steel in its ability to retain heat during water procedures. This property has not changed over the years. Due to its good thermal conductivity, an old cast iron bath is often used in the construction of a stove.

Cast iron is ideal for building a stove

Cast iron products do not have an expiration date. They are not subject to corrosion, have high strength. Well accumulates and gives off heat. Today, industrial enterprises produce furnaces and grates made of cast iron, because they do not burn through. We're just using old material for new purposes. The only downside to cast iron is its brittleness. This is important to keep in mind when doing any work with this heavy material.

Video "Cast-iron bath furnace"

From this video you will learn how to make a stove from a cast-iron bath with your own hands.

What can be used for

Such material is used in the construction of furnaces for various purposes:

For a bath or sauna. In an inverted form, it will perform the function of a firebox (heater).
For the garden, two transversely cut halves are used: the lower one is used as a firebox, the upper one is a place for cooking food.
For a small room, made in the form of folded two halves, it will be a good fireplace.
Barbecue using one half of the tub upside down.

Preparatory stage

To make a furnace from an old bath, you will need the following materials:

the bath itself
Red brick;
cement, sand, clay;
crushed stone;
steel sheet with a thickness of at least 4 mm;
lattice or notch;
finished door with a frame and hinges for the firebox;
steel pipe for the chimney;
formwork boards;
roofing felt or polyethylene for waterproofing.

The cast-iron bath for the furnace needs to be cut in half

Necessary tool for the job:

shovel, trowel, spatula;
metalwork tool;
electric drill with drills;
grinder with high-quality cutting discs;
measuring and marking tool;
mounting gun for working with sealant;
welding machine.

In preparation for work, it will be necessary to transport the old bath to the place of manufacture of the furnace. Given its large weight and the need to cut in half, it would be more correct to cut it before transportation.

Correct cut

The material of the font, which is to be cut in half, is very fragile. Therefore, it is necessary to take this stage of work very responsibly:

Turn the tub upside down and secure it in a stable position.
Mark the cutting line taking into account the width of the cutting tool.
Slowly, strictly according to the markup, make an incision along the entire line. This will destroy the protective layer of enamel, and when sawing, it will keep the cut end of the cast-iron font from chipping.
Carefully, slowly, maintaining pauses for the tool and cast iron to cool down, we will cut the bathtub in half. When carrying out such work, it is important to remember the safety measures: use goggles and a respirator or gauze bandage.

It is desirable to install such a heavy building on a monolithic foundation.

Technological process

Now that the source material is ready, we determine the design features of the furnace being built, the installation site, and proceed to construction.

Creation of the foundation and installation of sheets

To build a furnace, the foundation can be made tape by digging a trench around the perimeter of the future structure. But given the large weight of the font and the bricks that will lay the outer part, it would be better to make a monolithic foundation.

Step-by-step instruction:

Let's mark the chosen place. The marking borders should be 10-15 cm larger than the area of \u200b\u200bthe future structure.
We will dig a pit to a depth of 30–40 cm.
Let's perform the device of the sand and gravel base. To do this, evenly cover the bottom with rubble, then sand. Let's wet it all and tamp it down.
We will build a formwork around the perimeter of the pit. The height of the future foundation is no more than 30 cm from the ground.
Using scrap metal, we reinforce the internal cavity of the pit. We connect metal products inside the pit with wire.
We fill the inner cavity of the pit with concrete. Using the rule with the level, we make the top layer horizontal.
Let the foundation dry completely.

Having poured the foundation with concrete, it is necessary to let it dry for several days

While the core is solidifying, we will select the required sheet profile for the partition. Its thickness must be at least 4 mm. The main requirement for a sheet is its straightness. If it has any defects, then it will be impossible to install the top of the furnace evenly.

Attach the sheet to the contour of the upper part of the sawn bathtub and draw it. Cut out the future partition. Mark and cut a hole for the chimney pipe. It is placed opposite the drain hole of the second half of the font.

After the foundation has solidified, we will prepare a place for installation. To do this, lay out several brick stops that will support the side walls of the bath. We will install the font on the foundation. For the bottom of the oven, you must use the half that does not have a drain hole. If the bath is not very stable, then we will put temporary supports around the perimeter. Let's make them out of timber.

Before installing the sheet, it is necessary to degrease the surfaces that will be in contact. After that, you need to apply sealant to the upper plane of the bath. The sealant used must be heat resistant. The use of other adhesives will call into question the tightness of the connection. It is this surface that will be exposed to high temperatures.

flue pipe

We have already cut a hole in the steel sheet for the chimney. Now let's do the same in the bathroom. Given the high strength and brittleness of cast iron, this work is no less responsible than sawing:

Mark the diameter of the future chimney around the drain hole. On a steel sheet, this size corresponded to the diameter of the pipe. In the upper half of the furnace, a hole for the chimney is cut out 1–2 cm larger than the outer diameter of the pipe.
Carefully drill holes along the marked line of the circle, pausing to cool the cutting surfaces. Drilling should be done as tightly as possible.
Slowly, using a quality cutting disc with a small diameter, we connect the holes with slots.
We clean the roughness of the cut line with a file.

It is important to cut the hole for the chimney as accurately as possible.

Now weld the pipe to the sheet. The length of the pipe must exceed the design of the furnace assembly by at least 1 m. When carrying out welding work, we control the verticality of the future chimney. It is important to remember about safety measures: use a serviceable device, protective clothing and special goggles or a welder's shield.

Before installing the second half of the font, degrease the connection planes and apply a heat-resistant sealant. Raise the top half upside down over the chimney and place it in that position on the steel sheet. Align the edges of the lower and upper parts, remove excess sealant with a rag. Let the assembled structure dry.

To create greater rigidity of the structure, we fasten the two halves of the bathtub in adjacent surfaces with bolted joints. Drill holes for bolts carefully, remember the fragility of the material. Treat the gap between the chimney pipe with the hole in the upper half of the furnace with sealant. With a large gap, make a metal sealing ring.

Lattice

Now we install the grate on the bottom of the future furnace. They are made from cast iron or high carbon steel. The surest solution would be to install a cast-iron grate, which will be slightly larger in width than the bottom of the bath. If necessary, adjust the size of the grate so that the grate is installed at a height of 10–15 cm.

The best solution for the bottom of the furnace is a cast iron grate

In the case when the size of the grate is less than desired, it is necessary to weld a couple of corners at the desired height and install the grate on them. Welding work in the lower part of the furnace is best done before assembling the entire structure. Therefore, make sure that the grate size is suitable for the grate before installing the sheet on the lower half of the tub.

masonry

In this form, the furnace can already fulfill its functional purpose. But a large amount of heat is transferred through the outer walls and is not used. In addition, the appearance of such a design does not give positive emotions.

Let's start finishing work. Let's start with bricklaying. The brick must be used solid, full-bodied red. Lay out the bottom row with a brick width. Using the terminology of masons - poke. Then, laying bricks around the perimeter, we will make laying in half a brick. Each subsequent row should be shifted in a checkerboard pattern. The mortar used is supplemented with lime to eliminate the possibility of cracks.

If necessary, we will strengthen the rigidity of the furnace structure with internal brickwork and remove temporary supports. When laying the lower front part of the furnace, we fix the prepared door with a frame into the masonry itself.

For greater functionality, the oven must be bricked

Usually there are two such doors: the upper one is for laying firewood, and the lower one is for adjusting the draft. We will finish the masonry at the height of the first half of the bath.

Registration

To preserve heat in the brazier and improve the appearance, we will finish the upper part of the structure with several layers of sand-clay mixture. This mixture must be prepared in advance. It is best to soak the clay in a tub two weeks before use. Periodically add water and stir. Before use, add sand and a small amount of lime.

We will wrap the upper part of the stove with a metal mesh, firmly fixing it around the edges. We apply the first thick layer of the mixture, and after drying - the final one. The resulting thickness should be 6–8 cm. Let's whitewash the top of the structure.

To increase the possibilities of cooking in the new unit, we cut out a damper from metal. Its size should correspond to the end part of the brazier. The thickness of the damper is made small - 0.5–1 mm. We will weld a handle to the damper and paint, together with the doors of the lower half of the furnace, black refractory paint in several layers. This will give contrast.

Our oven is ready for use. Let's take care of cooking in the fresh air and evaluate the possibilities of its use.

Sooner or later, but still, there comes a time when you have to change the bathtub for a new one, and the old cast-iron vessel, still Soviet-made, as a rule, is sent to a landfill and to a ferrous metal collection point. However, do not rush - it is quite possible to use it a second time, giving it a "new life". Some owners of private houses make ponds out of bathtubs, others use them as garden benches, dividing the bowl in half lengthwise, processing the edges and adding legs to each of the halves.

But some craftsmen can make a stove from a cast-iron bath with their own hands, sawing it across. Such an original stove can be installed in a garden plot, or its cast-iron parts can be used for the combustion and cooking chamber of a large conventional stove or for arranging a fireplace.

If you have the skills to work with locksmith tools, which you cannot do without in this process, it is quite possible to save on some materials for the construction of the furnace.

Most often, an old cast-iron bath is used to make garden barbecue stoves, which, with the right design, become assistants in cooking for the entire warm season. Cast iron has a high heat capacity, so a chamber made from it will help not only prepare everyday meals, but also bake bread products, as well as make preparations for the winter.

Materials and tools for work

For the manufacture of such a furnace, you need to prepare the necessary tools and materials. Since sawing a cast-iron bath, especially Soviet-made, when metal was really not spared, is not so easy, and “disposable” Chinese appliances may not be able to cope with such a task. For this work, you need a reliable German or Russian tool.

Instruments:

Small angle grinder - "Bulgarian".

"Bulgarian" must be reliable - a low-quality tool may not even be able to cope with such a task

Circles for cutting on metal, 1 mm thick and 125 mm in diameter, they will need 3 ÷ 4 pieces, depending on the thickness of the cast iron.
Grinding wheels - for processing the cut sides of metal, files.
Electric drill with metal drill Ø 9 or 11 m (depending on the selected bolts). It is necessary for drilling holes in the sides of the bath to connect its two parts with bolts.
Trowel and spatula for bricklaying and finishing work.
Construction gun for sealant.
Plumb and building level.
A hammer.

Prices for angle grinders

Materials:

The cast iron bath.
Sheet metal, at least 5 mm thick.
Cooking two-burner cast-iron stove. Instead, an ordinary metal sheet can be laid.
Brick for erecting walls that will close the lower part of the bath, which will be the combustion chamber, on three or even four sides.
Grate grate placed in the furnace.
Clay and sand for masonry mortar.
Ready-to-use heat-resistant adhesive mixture for exterior walls with ceramic tiles.
Heat-resistant sealant (material -).
Bolts with nuts and washers for fastening the structure.
Metal mesh "chain-link" for reinforcing the clay solution laid on the top of the bath, which will act as a cooking chamber.
Ceramic tiles (possibly broken) for decoration.
A metal corner that may be required for the manufacture of brackets - for installing a grate that separates the firebox and blower.
Chimney pipe with a diameter of about 110 ÷ 120 mm.

In order to ensure personal safety, work should be carried out in safety glasses, a respirator and construction gloves.

Prices for heat resistant sealant

heat resistant sealant

Cutting a cast iron bath

The most difficult and responsible process in the manufacture of a furnace is, perhaps, sawing a cast-iron bath, and many even believe that it is almost impossible to carry it out.

Perhaps the most crucial stage is a high-quality cut of a massive cast-iron bath

Masters who have already done this work more than once recommend doing it as follows:

If the cut of the bath will be carried out indoors, then first you need to carry out preparatory work, since the cast-iron dust, flying in all directions, can ruin the objects and things in it. Therefore, the room must be freed from them. If the apartment is being renovated, and the door from the bathroom has been removed, then the opening must be covered with plastic wrap or an unnecessary cloth (moistened is best), because cast iron dust is quite oily, and it will be extremely difficult to wash it from walls and furniture. It is better to take care in advance that she does not get into the living quarters.
Further, the marking of the future section is carried out on the bath, since it must be divided exactly in half.
The bath is covered with enamel, a layer 1.5 ÷ 2.5 mm thick, and first of all it is necessary to cut it along the entire line of the future cut, otherwise chips will form on the edge of the coating.
Then, the cast iron itself is carefully sawn, with small cuts of 100 ÷ 120 mm. Moreover, it is recommended to cut it at a slight angle so that the reverse motion of the disk does not peel off the enamel. It is necessary to ensure that the "grinder" does not overheat - if necessary, the work is interrupted, and the device is given time to cool down.
Having cut half of the bathtub, under each of the future halves it is necessary to put props, for example, from stacks of bricks. Otherwise, at the final stage of work, the halves of the tub along the sawn line may close, pinch or even break the disc (which is extremely dangerous) or damage the instrument.
With a quality tool, such work can be done in about an hour.

If the bath is taken out to the summer cottage in its entirety, then it is best to cut it on the street, turning it upside down in advance. In this position, work will be much easier.

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How to make a garden stove from a cast-iron bath?

When the cut bath is delivered to the installation site, you can proceed to the process of building the stove.

Illustration	Brief description of the operation to be performed
	At the chosen location of the garden plot, a foundation is laid for the installation of the furnace. It is necessary, since the structure will turn out to be quite heavy, and without a reliable foundation it will constantly shrink, which means that the entire structure can be deformed. Then the lower part of the bath is put on a ready, well-dried foundation. If you want the oven to be a little higher, then it is lifted onto supports and also fixed to the concrete mortar. While the concrete solution under the bottom of the bath will gain strength and mature, you can start preparing the rest of the structural elements. It should be noted here that the oven can be made in two versions, and each master chooses the one that is more suitable for himself. In the first version, the facade of the furnace is completely decorated with metal walls, and in the other case, the firebox and blower are closed with a brick wall, into which cast-iron or metal doors are built. After the solution hardens under the bottom of the furnace, it is best to immediately fix the brackets for installing the grate on the walls of the lower half-cylinder. This structural element separates the firebox and the blower, so it must be raised above the bottom of the bath by about 150 mm. On the marked walls of the bath, metal corners are fixed, on which the grate is laid.
	To assemble the furnace structure, a metal sheet is cut out, which will completely cover the lower furnace section. The chimney can be welded into a metal sheet and led through the cooking chamber, i.e. the top of the tub, to the outside. In order to cut a hole for a pipe in cast iron, first small holes are drilled along the marked contour of the circle, which are then carefully combined with a grinder, and then the resulting opening is brought to the desired configuration with a file. Or you can choose another option, less laborious - this is the installation of a chimney pipe through the back wall of the furnace. In this case, the pipe will have to be connected to the bath hole intended for the "drain-overflow" system.
	The next step is that the furnace part of the furnace is smeared along the contour with a fire-resistant sealant and covered with a sheet of metal with a chimney installed in it. Some craftsmen make a cutout of the right size in a metal sheet and install a cast-iron, more heat-intensive, hob on it.
	Next, you need to install the second part of the bath on top of the metal sheet, which has a hole for the pipe. Before its installation, the sheet of metal in the places of future contact with the side of the bathtub is also smeared with sealant. It turns out that the upper part is put on the pipe, and then the chimney is increased to a height of 1000 ÷ 2500 mm, depending on the openness of the space where the structure is installed.
	The next step is to twist the upper and lower parts of the bath, as well as the metal sheet installed between them, using bolts with a diameter of 8 ÷ 10 mm. To do this, through holes are drilled in the sides of the bathtub with a pitch of 150 ÷ 200 mm, through which all the elements assembled into a single structure are fastened.
	In this figure, you can see how the structure should look from the side after it is fastened.
	Here is a view of the cast-iron furnace body from the facade and it clearly shows how the chimney pipe should be installed in the metal sheet and in the "ceiling" of the combustion chamber.
	Then, the combustion and blower chambers are separated by a grate. The grate is laid on metal corners fixed on the walls. But, in principle, it can also be placed in a cylindrical chamber without brackets - if a suitable size is chosen, providing a clearance at the bottom point of the order of 150 mm.
	Next, you can move on to masonry work. As mentioned above, the walls can be erected only on three sides of the structure - on the sides and behind, or around the entire perimeter of the cast-iron chambers. First, the masonry line is marked along the foundation, and then the walls are removed.
	If from the front side the firebox and the blower will be closed with a brick wall, then the blower door is mounted in the wall at the level of the bottom of the lower part of the bath, and the furnace door is at a level just above the grate.
	Having folded the walls to the level of the cooking chamber, it is necessary to expand them inward so that the brick fits snugly against the outside of the bath. Otherwise, the stove will not only look sloppy, but the heat created in the furnace will be blown out by a draft very quickly.
	In this embodiment, to close the cooking chamber, which can serve as an excellent oven, a shutter is made of a metal sheet. This structural element should close the oven as tightly as possible, otherwise it will be problematic to bake bread or a pie in it. In order for the damper to tightly close the chamber, a metal corner must be fixed in front of the latter. The distance between it and the front cut of the bath should be 1 ÷ 2 mm more than the thickness of the metal sheet of the door. The damper handle must be protected from overheating, otherwise you cannot do without burns, so most often its gripping part is made of wood.
	The second design option for the front part is to cover the fuel part of the furnace with a metal sheet in which a hole is cut out for installing the furnace door. To design the cooking chamber, a figured element of the desired shape is cut out from the same metal sheet, which is fixed from the outside to the walls of the cast-iron container using corners. It should be noted that this method of closing the furnace chambers is more laborious and less efficient than the first one, and besides, it is unlikely that it will be possible to save money by using metal instead of brick.
	After the lower furnace part of the furnace is partially or completely dressed in brickwork, you can proceed to the insulation of the cooking chamber. Since clay mortar has low thermal conductivity and adheres well to surfaces, it is perfect for creating a "fur coat" for the top of the furnace. For this, a thick and plastic clay mixture is prepared with the addition of sifted sand, in approximate proportions of 1:2 or 1:3, depending on the fat content of the clay. Sometimes, in order for the hardened solution to crack less after drying, a little lime is added to it. While the solution is infused, the outer cast-iron surface of the brewing section is covered with a “chain-link” metal mesh with cells of 15 ÷ 20 mm - it reinforces the insulation layer well, and will also help retain the solution until it hardens on a fairly smooth surface. The grid is fixed to the brickwork located on the sides and back of the combustion chamber. Then, a clay solution is applied on top of the mesh. You can lay it in two layers, the first of which does not have to be smoothed to perfection, and the second is leveled with a trowel moistened with water, a wide spatula or trowel. In total, the thickness of the layer after drying should be approximately 50÷70 mm.
	When the stove is ready and insulated, it needs to be given the most aesthetic appearance, that is, to make it not only a functional appliance, but also a decorative decoration of landscape design. Some owners of the plots prefer to leave the brickwork in its natural form, and cover the clay "fur coat" with whitewash in several layers.
	Another option would be to finish the entire structure with ceramic tiles. Moreover, for this case, leftovers and even a battle from tile materials of different colors are suitable, and this will help to significantly save on finishing. If the tiles are broken into small pieces, then they will make an excellent original mosaic. Sometimes finishing is also carried out with natural stone, cut into plates with a thickness of 10 ÷ 12 mm. Finishing material should be laid on a special heat-resistant compound.
	The result is an excellent stove in which you can cook every day in the summer, saving electricity or gas. Moreover, food cooked in the oven is always more aromatic and tasty than food cooked on a gas or electric stove.

Thus, by building a stove from an old bath, you can get several benefits at once:

Attach an old thing with maximum benefit.
Decorate landscape design with an exclusive, and most importantly, a very functional accessory.
Save on building materials, and in the future - on fuel (energy source) when cooking.
Get the opportunity to cook a variety of, not only tasty, but also healthy dishes every day.

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How to use an old cast-iron bath in a different way?

In addition to a barbecue oven for a summer cottage, an old cast-iron bathtub can also be used to make a few more useful things.

Part of the cast-iron bath will make an excellent firebox for the fireplace. The convenience of such use lies in the fact that it is not necessary to remove complex semicircular shapes of the hearth from the brick. To fold a neat fireplace with a firebox with an arched vault, you will have to make a template from boards or plywood, and then do complex manipulations of lining it with bricks. The cut off part of the old bath already has the desired shape, moreover, it can easily withstand the weight of the masonry. It remains only to make a chimney hole in its “ceiling” and overlay the cast-iron firebox with brickwork, and then decorate it with a fireplace portal from the outside.

From a sawn cast-iron bath, you can also make a combustion chamber for a sauna stove. In this case, it is installed in the same way as in the manufacture of a fireplace - with a dome up. Part of the bath is installed on a concrete base located in the steam bath, and the edge, where the bathroom section is located, is built into the wall and taken out to another room, from where the furnace will be fired. Then, the cut hole is covered with a brick wall, into which a furnace and blower door is installed.

In the steam room, along the entire perimeter of the bath, at a distance of 80 ÷ 100 mm from it, a wall is also being erected, the height of which should be equal to the height of the cast-iron container. Further, all the resulting space around the bath and the brick wall is filled with stones, which will warm up during the heating of the stove and give the necessary heat to the steam room.

Another use of old cast-iron bathtubs is the manufacture of garden furniture, reliable and durable, which will last for decades. Carefully cutting the bath along, you can get a comfortable "sofa", which is installed in the gazebo or near the barbecue oven. In this case, you get a whole set to decorate the landscape design of the garden plot. Such a "sofa" is not afraid of rain, snow, high and low temperatures. It does not require special care - it is enough to wipe it with a damp and then dry cloth. The smooth surfaces of the sofa are easily painted, both inside and out, and by sewing soft pillows, you can relax on it not only while sitting, but also lying down, stretched out to your full height.

In addition to “sofas”, two comfortable “armchairs” can be made from any bath by cutting it across. Having equipped such “armchairs” with beautiful legs, you can get an exclusive and almost eternal thing. The only drawback of cast-iron "furniture" is its heavy weight, since it will be problematic to move it from place to place.

Some craftsmen manage to make a bath set consisting of a designer chair and an original coffee table with a built-in lamp or even a floor lamp.

Most often, old cast-iron baths, taken out to suburban areas, are used as containers for constructing an artificial pond, which will certainly become an excellent decoration of the territory. The bowl is installed in a prepared pit, to which a sewer pipe is connected, and its ground part is designed to the taste of the owners of the cottage.

Another use case is an artificial pond in the garden.

In this case, you will not have to cut the bath, and the laboriousness of the work will consist only in excavation, lowering the tank into the pit and connecting it to the drain.

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Russian summer residents very often surprise with their ingenuity, and, it would seem, old things that have completely served out on their plots receive a “second life”. Perhaps, having studied the options presented, someone will have the desire and inspiration to come up with their own stove model or other things that are useful in country conditions. There will be slaves if such an inventor shares his achievements on the pages of our portal.

Video: a good example of building a garden stove from an old bath

Evgeny AfanasievChief Editor

Publication author 13.01.2016

Cast iron is an ideal material for building a stove from a bathtub for cooking various dishes with your own hands on a personal plot. But since cast iron can be processed only in industrial conditions, then to make something from it with your own hands, you should use finished cast iron products, for example, an old bathtub.

Advantages of cast iron:

resistant to high temperatures;
has a high heat capacity;
not subject to corrosion.

It is quite difficult to make a furnace from a cast-iron bath, this process requires attention and patience, since the bath itself is strong, but has a fragile structure.

Making from an old bath

An oven of this kind is two halves of an old bath connected to each other, located on top of each other. Therefore, you first have to cut the bath in half.

Attention! Before starting work, remember that cast iron is a very fragile material, and any, even minor damage, can ruin it and make further processing impossible.

To divide the bath into two identical parts, it is best use a grinder, drawing a cutting line in advance and accurately measuring the distance to the edges. Only then can you carefully start cutting the bath. Stock up on several cutting discs, as one may not be enough.

The most important thing to remember is: take your time. If you want to achieve an even and smooth cut edge, you should not rush anywhere.

Main stage: installation of the furnace

The most reliable way to fix the oven and give it stability is. It should be massive enough to ensure the immobility of the entire structure.

After fixing the lower part of the furnace, a sheet of steel about 6-10 mm thick is placed on it.

But keep in mind that the rate of heating of the furnace will depend on its thickness. It is he who will serve as the separation between the firebox and the oven, as well as the hob. Also, it is necessary to make a hole in it for the chimney, which will be welded to it later.

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