The first thing to do before starting work is to be patient and purchase some tools. Next, you need to clearly measure half of the bath and draw a line exactly in this place. At this stage of work, you will need an angle grinder with a working diameter of 250 millimeters, as well as several high-quality cutting wheels for metal.

Using these tools, we saw our now former bathtub in half. Remember, the most important point at this stage of work is the correct measurement. An error, even by one centimeter, will lead to the fact that the stove from the cast-iron bath will no longer work.

We collect the body of the furnace

Once all the preparatory work has been completed, it is time to assemble the furnace. To do this, it is necessary to carefully compare all the previously made holes and fasten them with reliable bolts. At this stage, you should also take care of the tightness of the future furnace. To do this, you can use a special sealant, basalt cardboard or even asbestos.

After each bolt is tightened as tightly as possible, the assembly of the stove is considered complete.

In order for our design to take on a finished look, you must also take care of the doors. They are best cut from pieces of metal, the thickness of which is 5-8 mm. The resulting furnace is installed on a pedestal made of bricks and insulated with basalt fiber. This is necessary in order to maintain the highest temperature in the oven.

But do not forget that ovens of this type can be used not only for cooking, but also, for example, for space heating. Therefore, it should be borne in mind that it is simply necessary to insulate garden stoves, otherwise all the heat will go to warm the surrounding air. And if it is assumed that the stove is a bathhouse, it is better to refuse insulation, since its main task is to transfer heat to the room in which it is located.

In order for the resulting structure to acquire a beautiful appearance, it should be ennobled. The stove itself is best painted with black refractory paint, and the brick on which it is installed is decorated with a variety of finishing materials.

Advantages and disadvantages of a cast iron bath stove

The main advantage of this design, of course, is its cost. If you have an old bathroom, you will need quite a bit of money to turn it into a stove.

The second no less important advantage can rightfully be considered the durability of such a furnace. It depends solely on how well you have worked out the joints between the two halves of the bath. But even if you didn’t succeed in making perfect seams the first time, you can always disassemble the oven and correct the defect.

But if we consider this design from the point of view of heat engineering, then the efficiency of its work will not exceed 40%. This is because the flue gases have a direct outlet to the outside, which means that they transfer only part of the heat to the furnace itself, while the rest is sent to the atmosphere. That is why this design is an excellent fixture for a bath. In this case, no efficiency indicators play a role, since only the temperature to which the furnace can heat up is important.

A cast-iron bathtub made back in Soviet times is a durable, solid and very heavy product. However, the once white enamel is losing its former luster, and it is unlikely to be restored. It’s a pity to hand over a bathtub by the weight of scrap metal or drag it to a landfill. What else can be done with it? Some owners of country cottages and summer cottages suggest using this cast-iron product with greater benefit: make a stove from an old bathtub with your own hands. Agree, this is original and rational. Such an oven will be able to decorate the estate and make it possible to cook delicious dishes.

Required materials and tools

To independently build a stove from a cast-iron bath, you will need to stock up on the necessary tools.

Here is an exhaustive list of them:

• grinder (angle grinder), as well as discs for it (cleaning and cutting);
• electric drill and a set of drills;
• equipment that allows gas cutting of metal elements (if any);
• wrenches of different sizes, a hammer and pliers;
• crowbar and shovel;
• container where the solution will be mixed;
• spatula and trowel;
• measurement tool: building level, plumb line, tape measure, metal corner;
• a welding machine (it will be needed to mount the chimney), as well as electrodes for it and a protective mask;
• hacksaw for woodworking.

The main element of the furnace is a cast-iron bath. However, the stove has a significant weight, so it must have a foundation. For its construction, a certain amount of sand, cement mortar, brick, as well as clay and water is needed.

Making a cast iron bath stove is much cheaper and more profitable than buying a new one.

In addition, you will need:

• corner (metal);
• metal sheet (4 mm);
• lattice of a certain size;
• the pipe necessary for the manufacture of the chimney (length - from 2 to 3 m, diameter - from 10 to 12.5 cm, wall thickness - from 3 mm);
• hinges for doors;
• Rabitz;
• polyethylene film (necessary for waterproofing the foundation);
• board (thickness - from 2 to 2.5 cm);
• slats (2 by 2 cm);
• nails.

Making a stove from an old bath with your own hands: step by step instructions

So, let's look at how you can independently make a stove from a cast-iron bath.

For a country house, you can make a stove from an old cast-iron bath, which in terms of strength and service life will not be inferior to models from the factory

First we build the foundation.

1. Using a cord and stakes, we mark the foundation.
2. We dig a trench, the depth of which should not be less than 50 cm. We put layers of sand and gravel on the bottom, after which we carefully tamp them down.
3. On top of the sand and gravel cushion, we put a waterproofing layer, as a rule, which is polyethylene.
4. To raise the base of the foundation, we build a formwork in the center. Usually a common formwork is built, and the pouring is carried out to a height of at least 30 cm.
5. Reinforcement of the free volume is carried out and it is filled with a solution of cement and sand (1 part of cement to 3 parts of sand). You can also fill the volume with brickwork.
6. After pouring the foundation, it must definitely harden.

Now it's time to design the stove itself.

To this end, we perform the following actions:

1. We cut the cast-iron bath across. This must be done carefully, as cast iron is very brittle. If the movements are sloppy, abrupt, you can damage the bath so that it becomes unsuitable for subsequent work.
2. We take half of the cut bath, after which we install it on top, and in such a way that we get a design that looks like a capsule with a cut.
3. Further, a sheet of metal with a thickness of more than 5 mm will be needed for work. For the construction, you will need two halves of the bath and a metal sheet, which is necessary to separate the lower part from the upper (fuel zone from the place where food is cooked).

In the sheet of metal, it is necessary to provide a hole for the chimney, located near the rear wall. The chimney starts from the lower chamber, and then goes through the entire stove.

In order to fix the two halves of the bath and the metal sheet with maximum reliability, it is advisable to use fasteners. To prevent smoke from the chamber located on top, a special sealant, which is called a stove, should be used.

The chimney is attached to a metal sheet using welding.

1. We install the blank of the stove on the bricks. To prevent the structure from falling, it is very important to align it. Before starting to weld, it is recommended to heat the cast iron a little (for example, the material will become much more pliable if the firewood is heated in the chamber).
2. In the lower chamber, we close the front part with a metal sheet, making a large diameter hole in it before that (through this hole, firewood will be thrown into the chamber).
3. We make chamber doors for the furnace and for cooking.

Well, a simple and fairly functional stove is ready. It remains only a little: to decorate the structure decoratively, making it a decoration of the yard. The stove can be painted, for example, in a folk style. No one will even think that a cast-iron bath was used to make the product.

Sauna stove from an old bath

A cast iron bath can be the basis of a good kitchen stove. However, it is quite possible to make an excellent sauna stove from it, and with your own hands.

Cast iron is an environmentally friendly material, so when heated, no harmful substances are released.

Building a bathhouse and equipping a stove in it will require certain skills, so it makes sense to consult a professional before construction.

There are certain requirements for sauna stoves:

• All such ovens must have enough power (thermal), and they must also have a large range of its adjustment.
• To change the mode of heat and moisture, the device is equipped with a heat accumulator and a steam generator.
• Furnaces should be able to adjust the convention.

So, from a worn-out cast-iron bath, you can make a simple two-tier sauna stove that meets all the requirements listed above. The lower tier of the stove is one half of the bathtub, which faces the wall with a cut, and the convex part upwards. The entire structure must be lined with bricks from the outside. The required steam generation is provided thanks to the stones that cover part of the "bath-furnace". Heat accumulation takes place in the upper chamber.

The principle of operation of the stove is quite simple. When passing through a cast-iron bath, the gas warms up the stones, then reaches the so-called bread chamber located on the opposite side. Then the gas flow makes a “dive” (goes down and immediately up), after which it exits the pipe. A damper is located at the bottom of the furnace to prevent smoke emission.

Cast iron stoves: let's evaluate the benefits

Why is a homemade cast-iron stove (in our case, a cast-iron bath stove) so profitable? Cast iron is one of the best materials for this purpose, but factory-made cast iron stoves are quite expensive. This material gained popularity due to its strength, although it is fragile. In addition, it is resistant to critically high temperatures and unpretentious in operation.

Modern cast iron stoves are especially popular

Comparing cast iron and brick stoves, let's say that the thermal conductivity is much better for the first. And since the temperature in the bath is not constantly maintained, the material should not be sensitive to temperature changes.

In winter, a bathhouse in a summer cottage is usually not heated, which is why the brick sometimes begins to crumble, while cast iron does not know such problems. As for fire safety, only a new brick oven is absolutely not dangerous. In an old product, sparks can break through cracks.

In order to enhance the aesthetics of a do-it-yourself cast-iron bath stove, it is best to brick it. If some blocks are damaged, they can be easily replaced.

Steel competes with cast iron. In terms of heating rate and strength, steel furnaces are not inferior to cast iron ones, but the service life of the former is significantly shorter. Perhaps the main weak point of steel furnaces is their susceptibility to corrosion. In cast iron, this problem is not so pronounced.

Having made a furnace from a cast-iron bath, you will become the owner of a convenient and reliable device that functions perfectly in any conditions. From such a bath you can also make a very original fireplace for a summer residence. It is especially suitable for those who are currently laying a country house, since the fireplace is, as it were, “sunk” into a brick wall, and this makes it possible to use the space with maximum benefit.

Video: Universal miracle stove from a cast-iron bath

Having appreciated all the advantages of cast iron (for example, compared to steel) and the relative ease of making a bath from a cast-iron bath, we note that it is very profitable to make a bath from this material on your own. So, if you want to make a stove from an old bath with your own hands, buy the missing material, pick up the tools and get started!

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, from 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.

You may be interested in information on what to guide when choosing

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 solution. 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 has hardened 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 decorate 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 grid. 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 composition.
	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.

You may be interested in information on how to do with step by step instructions

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 bathtubs, 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.

You might be interested in information on how

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

7131 0 1

Bath stove: 4 stages of creating a cast-iron monster

There are never many stoves in a well-equipped dacha, especially good ones, and it’s a pity to rent an old cast-iron bath for scrap. It was these thoughts that visited me after installing a brand new kvarilovy font in my apartment. And I decided not to get rid of the former massive tank, but to take it to a suburban area and convert it into an efficient furnace design. Next, I will describe how it was.

Stage number 1: preparation of tools and materials

As for transporting the bathtub to the dacha, the most difficult thing was to bring it to the trailer. Cast iron is incredibly heavy and has a magical property: to gain mass with every step taken. But somehow, with my comrades, we, nevertheless, put the “behemoth” into a prepared vehicle and I delivered it to the place of further work.

It was only after everyone had suffered in the role of loaders that I had a brilliant idea that it was necessary to cut the font even in the bathroom, because anyway it will need to be done in the future to create a furnace. So, on the other hand, the two halves are much more convenient and easier to carry than the entire cast-iron product.

After the delivery of the main "beast", I set about preparing all the other accessories necessary to carry out the planned accessories:

Instruments

When working with a cast-iron bath, poured back in Soviet times, I recommend using only high-quality power tools of well-known foreign brands, since cheap Chinese specimens simply cannot withstand such a difficult confrontation and burn out.

materials

In addition to the cast-iron tank itself, I needed:

Stage number 2: cutting a cast-iron font

I just want to warn you that This process is very time consuming, requiring great patience and care., since during its execution it is possible to break both the instrument and the disc, as a result of which there is a high probability of serious injury to people nearby.

In my performance it looked like this:

1. To start put the tub upside down on the ground for the convenience of further operations;

If you cut the container while still indoors, be sure to cover the walls and furniture with plastic wrap or old rags, otherwise cast-iron dust will settle on them, which is almost impossible to remove.

1. Strictly draw a straight line in the middle, marking the place of the incision;

1. Further strictly according to the marked markup carefully cut the enamel layer with a grinder, the depth of which, as a rule, is from 1.5 to 2.5 mm. If you immediately start sawing cast iron itself, then chips will form on the enamel covering it;

1. Now moved on to cutting the font itself and did it slowly, regularly resting the instrument. Believe me, the price of haste here can be very high, the saved 20-30 minutes will not replace your burnt grinder.

Stage number 2: installation work

Now it's time to assemble a real stove from an old do-it-yourself cut bath. I will conditionally divide this part of the work into three phases:

Foundation laying

Above, I already mentioned that the cast-iron font is very, very heavy, and so the structure being constructed will be even harder. Therefore, without a reliable foundation, shrinkage processes will constantly occur, which will lead to deformation of the body, which is absolutely unacceptable. Therefore, I started the assembly by pouring a reliable foundation:

1. I dug a pit with my own hands with a shovel with an area slightly larger than the future furnace, and a depth of 300 mm;

1. Then he covered the bottom with a ten-centimeter layer of sand mixed with rubble;
2. around the perimeter laid out the formwork from the boards;
3. Installed fittings inside;
4. Mixed concrete mortar from gravel, sand and cement in proportions 5:3:1;

1. I filled the prepared recess with the resulting mixture.

In a good way, the foundation should be poured long even before the dismantling of the old bath, as it will take time to set. But for me this moment came out ill-conceived, and therefore there was a break in my activity aimed at making a furnace.

Furnace assembly

As the foundation hardened, I moved on to assembling the two halves of the tub into something more practical and functional:

1. Cut out a sheet of prepared metal, which can completely cover the floor of the font;

1. I made a hole closer to the back wall of the future structure and welded a half-meter piece of the prepared pipe to it;
2. One of the halves of the tank was installed on the foundation;

1. Then applied a heat-resistant sealant to its edges using a mounting gun, and placed the assembled sheet on top with a part of the mounted chimney;

1. Further took up making a hole for the chimney in the second half of the cast-iron container. Here the work turned out to be more difficult than similar manipulations with a steel sheet, so I will describe them in more detail:

• He applied the markings in accordance with the section of the chimney pipe around the drain. Of course, it needs to be marked first of all where it will take place, it’s just that initially, for greater convenience, I adjusted all the structural elements so that these points coincided;
• Drilled a lot of holes along the outlined contour;
• Carefully, again, without haste, I cut the remaining jumpers with a grinder;
• The edges of the resulting opening were carefully processed with a file, bringing to the desired state;

1. He applied sealant around the perimeter of the sheet covering the already installed part of the furnace, and, putting the second half of the bath on the pipe, closed the structure with it;
2. The top of the chimney increased to a meter height;
3. The sides protruding along the perimeter, including the steel layer of the intermediate sheet, drilled with a drill drill with a diameter of 10 mm;

1. In the resulting holes threaded the corresponding bolts, and screwed nuts with washers on top of them. Tighten each connection tightly;

1. For the lower combustion chamber picked up the grate so that it fits snugly between the walls, and at the same time there is still 150 mm left to the bottom. If you have problems with an object of a suitable size, then weld metal corners on the sides;

Decoration of the perimeter and facade

In the state that the furnace had after the end of its assembly, it gave off too much thermal energy to the environment, did not look aesthetically pleasing and was a somewhat shaky structure. So I did the following:

1. Mixed mortar of cement and sand using a ratio of one to three. I used a drill for this in tandem with a special nozzle in the form of a whisk;

1. He erected brick walls behind and on the sides of the furnace. Brick has a low thermal conductivity, therefore, now more heat will go up to the cooking dishes;

1. For the facade, I sawed out curly under the contours of the halves of the font with a grinder metal sheets. Then:

• In the canvas intended for the lower furnace part, I cut out a small hole, just such that the prepared firewood could freely pass into it, and installed a door;
• In the canvas intended for the upper cooking part, I cut out a kind of crescent, which covered only the edges of the chamber, and from the rest I made two doors opening in different directions;
• The installation of both products was carried out with the help of corners, a drill and bolts.

As an alternative, the front side can also be covered with bricks up to the level of the cooking chamber. Only in this case, then it is necessary to install doors for the blower and firebox into the masonry. The upper compartment is then closed simply by a large steel flap with a handle.

Stage number 4: finishing

Here I had two tasks:

• Insulate the furnace structure even more;
• Decorate the building, making it an excellent addition to the country interior.

And I started:

1. Kneaded a solution of clay and sand in a ratio of one to two;

You can also add some lime to the batch. This will reduce the risk of cracking during the hardening of the finishing layer.

1. Covered the cooking compartment with steel mesh, the cell size of which is 20 mm, and fixed its edges on the brickwork using self-tapping screws and plastic dowels. Now the clay plaster applied from above will not slip on a smooth cast-iron surface, but when dried, it will have sufficient strength;
2. By this time, the mixed mixture had reached the desired consistency, and with the help of a spatula I applied the first finishing layer who did not iron;

1. After the clay has set, already done the cleanup, then moistened the spatula and carefully leveled the created coating. In total, my lining came out with a thickness of about 70 mm;
2. After curing whitewashed the fur coat, adding to the similarity of the appearance of the structure with ancient stoves.

Also, in the future, I also want to close the brickwork with ceramic tiles, but in order to save money, I don’t want to specifically purchase expensive materials for this. Therefore, I am waiting for the turn of repairs in the bathroom in the country to come up in order to use the ceramics removed from its walls.

Benefits received

It turned out to be quite possible to make a stove from a cast-iron bath with your own hands, but not so easy. Here and excavation, and the construction of brickwork, and cutting cast iron, and welding, and even finishing. Weak set of tasks. But as a result I:

• Gave a second life old stuff that has already served its purpose. There is always some joy in this small victory over time itself, which treats everything in our world mercilessly;

• Diluted country interior attractive looking design. Of course, it’s worth, nevertheless, to overlay it with tiles, but even now the created structure has very organically fit into the design of my suburban area;
• Very well saved on materials used. It is much more profitable to have a working solid fuel furnace on the farm than to get a penny for a cast-iron bath in the acceptance of ferrous metal. Yes, and everything else that I still needed to implement my plans, I for the most part found at home;
• Got the ability to cook with solid fuel, saving gas and electricity, with the presence of which in some suburban areas there can be big problems at all;
• I was finally able to cook, requiring the special conditions of a real Russian stove, which the erected structure has now provided me;

• I began to see friends on the threshold of my dacha much more often those who want to taste something tasty with "hot-hot". In addition, they never come empty-handed, as a result, wonderful feasts come out.

Alternative modifications

In fact, these are even more likely not modifications, but, on the contrary, somewhat stripped-down options that the theme can also be very useful in the household. Even more than that, both of them can be implemented from the same vessel:

1. Here, for example, how to make a bath with a cast-iron grill oven? After all, fried meat cooked on an open fire is simply amazing. For this it will be enough:

• Take that half of the bath, which is without a hole, and attach another pair of legs to the cut edge for structural stability;
• Place a grid of suitable size on top. It is not at all necessary to fix it “tightly”, on the contrary, the removable version is more convenient to use and maintain;
• That's it, you add firewood or remove coals through the open facade, put pork, lamb or chicken on top, and heat-resistant cast iron helps to create the temperature you need for frying;

1. For a bath from a cast-iron tank, you can also make an effective stove:

• Lay the bath upside down so that its main part is in the steam room on a pre-prepared concrete base, and the cut goes into the next room;
• Inside, you install a grate with the help of corners, and close the facade with a metal sheet equipped with doors for the firebox and blower;
• Mount the chimney pipe with access to the territory of the bath. You can first weld a small horizontal pipe into the front part, and then use the elbow to vertically bring the chimney to the roof;
• In the steam room, build a brick wall around the cast iron tank at a distance of 10 cm and as high as the tank itself;

• The gap between the bricks and the bathroom is filled with stones, which, when heated, will provide the necessary heat.

Conclusion

Do not rush to throw away or scrap an old cast-iron bath, because you can make a wonderful garden stove from it, which will delight you with very tasty and healthy dishes more than once, decorate the site and become another reason for your friends to come to visit you. In addition, you can do most of the work with your own hands, help will only be needed during transportation and installation of the upper part of the structure.

The video in this article will offer you a number of additional materials that are directly related to the information presented. If you have any questions on the topic, please ask them in the comments.

If you want to express gratitude, add a clarification or objection, ask the author something - add a comment or say thanks!

Do-it-yourself cast-iron bath stove

Old cast-iron baths are made of durable material that can withstand any load and temperature, so not using it a second time for the benefit of your health is a big mistake. In addition to its strength, cast iron is also an environmentally friendly material, so during heating, you can be sure that no harmful substances are released in the bath.

How to make an oven with your own hands?

Of course, after using the bathroom, it may not be in the best condition, but all its qualities remain at the same level, for example, it still remains strong and durable, so it is quite possible to give it a second life. Naturally, many who have summer cottages use bathtubs such as a water tank, and those who are great at fantasizing can come up with many other interesting things. If you have a bathhouse in your summer cottage, then you can make a stove out of the bath with your own hands, which will be very expensive in the store. To create a furnace, a material such as cast iron is excellent, because it has such advantages as:

Great durability.

Excellent thermal conductivity.

Withstands even the highest temperatures and high humidity in the room.

It is easy to operate and does not require special care.

You can use an old bath for the construction of such types of cast-iron stoves as: outdoor, which will be located in the garden, as a fireplace for a country house, and, of course, for a bath. Such options can be quite realized with the help of your own hands.

Making a stove, how to properly prepare a bath?

It will not be possible to fully use the container, so it will need to be cut. To properly cut, you need to approach this issue with great responsibility. You will have to work with a grinder, you will also need to prepare several discs for metal in advance. Be sure to take care of safety, so put on special glasses, a respirator and gloves. Correctly perform all actions according to the recommendations given below:

1. Before proceeding with sawing, you will need to make calculations and apply markings for the future cut.

2. First of all, a layer of enamel is cut, this is done in order to prevent chips along the edges.

3. The cast iron itself is cut into small pieces, while it is worth taking breaks.

4. When half of the bath is sawn, it is necessary to substitute supports under both parts, which will not allow further damage to the tool, and indeed the material itself.

Experts say that cutting is best done at an angle, then the enamel will not exfoliate much.

Rules for making a sauna stove from an old bath

The process of manufacturing a sauna stove is very complicated, because you have to take care not only of quality, but also of safety. The fact is that the stove will be located in the bath building, so there are some parameters for installation, for example, it is worth considering the thermal power and its change, the ability to produce steam, as well as the ability to regulate convection flows. As soon as the bath is sawn, you can begin to build a stove in the bath. You will need one half of your cut, but sometimes you can use two parts of the tub.

To properly build such a furnace, you must be guided by the following expert advice:

To make a stove on your own, you first need to prepare a foundation, it is made of concrete mortar, sometimes a filler is used, broken brick is perfect for this, which can withstand even a large load.

One part of the bath is laid on the foundation, while it is important to make sure that it looks with the curved part up. The cut should be built into the wall with access to another room, where the bath firebox will take place directly. For security reasons and in order to implement the design idea, the hole is closed with brickwork, then a furnace and blower door is installed.

When half of the bath is properly installed, then at a distance of 10 centimeters, walls of refractory bricks are also erected, which will be equal to the height of the cast iron tank. The space that forms around must be filled with stones, it is they who will warm the room to the desired temperature.

Alternatively, you can build an ordinary sauna stove, which will consist of two tiers, while all the heat will go to the upper tier. The principle of operation of such a furnace is based on the passage of gas through the bath, due to which the stones are heated, and then the heat already flows down and returns up again, after which it exits the pipe.

One cannot but agree that the decision to create a bath stove in this way at your dacha from a bath is creative, but it is also considered rational in terms of extra costs. For construction, it is absolutely not required to use any material, except for an old cast-iron bath, you can also make a stove yourself without involving specialists from outside, of course, this option should be considered if you have at least some experience in building baths. It is important to note that another advantage is the durability of this equipment, because cast iron is a durable material that can withstand high temperatures and moisture, which means that you can enjoy a hot bath for a long time. In addition to saving money, you also get a durable stove in addition, which is difficult to find in the construction markets, because most of the materials today are not up to quality.