Lifespan of a stockpot stove

[Moondog55]

Just a quick question on the likely lifespan of one of these.
Using one of the very cheap Chinese or Indian made units about a half millimetre thick how long would they last in constant use?
After lots of research I think one of these will be the quickest and cheapest way to get a stove made in my circumstances, especially if I can pick one up S/H in an Op-Shop where they usually sell for about $10- for the smaller and up to $20- for a large one
I would opt for the largest I can find for maximum heat output.
I need it to last for 2 or 3 months.
I will of course be doing the usual things like a double bottom and a cake rack etc
Google shows lots of these but I can't find any comment on the lifespan
The big cheap stockpots seem to top out at around 20 litres and that is a reasonable size. Looking for 2 of them so I can cut one up for use as a baffle and the second layer on the base. My initial experiment years ago did not last very long at all, burnt out in a few days burning hardwood and went into the recycle bins so I think the stockpot is the way to go

[Moondog55]

Follow on thoughts
One of the real problems with LW wood-burners in my limited experience is getting them hot enough to burn cleanly
Rocket stoves solve this problem but need a heat exchanger to work well as heaters
A double layer using a SS stockpot inside a LW paint bucket insulated with vermiculite may give me what I need tho.
Insulating the bottom and side but leaving a small area on the top big enough to put a pot to melt snow and boil the billy
Next question
Has anybody experimented with insulated flues to improve the draw?
My main reason for thinking about this in the context of a fixed or semi fixed camp is the way the flue cools down when the wind blows hard and that seems to be when I need the most effective and smoke free heating
Almost anything I come up with will be lighter than this seasons cast iron stove.
Waiting now until ALDI have the Dremel clone on sale to make cutting the SS easier

[Mark F]

I would have thought that insulating the flue would decrease the draw as the gasses would not cool as much and thus not reduce in volume to the same extent. This may only represent a tiny effect and so be irrelevant. Possibly the better option is to get the outlet shaped so you get a venturi effect.

[Moondog55]

May not reduce in volume but maintain speed
I admit that while I know quite a bit about wood fires and stoves I know almost nothing about flue dynamics
It needs 200C difference between top and bottom of the flue tho and I swear that sometimes this winter the smoke was coming out of the flu cold.

[RonK]

Have you considered the TMS STOVE-2346 Portable Military Camping Tent Steel Wood Stove?

You would have to use Shipito or some other shipping agent but it would still be cheap.

[Moondog55]

Yes but the one sold here

viewtopic.php?f=15&t=23830

If I buy that I can't afford to repair the tent tho and I need the tent and besides ; almost as important as keeping the cost down, I enjoy the DIY side of things.
The main reason for thinking about the longevity of the thin SS is deciding on how much work goes into the build. A tin can stove is an easy DIY day if it is for a disposable unit but if the inner is going to last a decade I'd use better quality insulation and flue materials and ensure it's assembled well

[Moondog55]

So I'm coming back to the stockpot idea but used as the inner on a 15l paint bucket.
Mainly because I can cut holes easily in the paint bucket with tin snips and attach hinges with pop rivets.
Looking at the picture of the stove above I can see an easy way to attach short legs too.
Short bolts and washers using 8mm connector nuts that 8mm cup-head [ coach] bolts would be screwed into and using gutter flanges to take the flue.
There is a small sheet-metal engineering workshop up the road, I'll call in and see if I can buy a very small off-cut of 1.5mm stainless steel sheet about 150*200mm as a surface to put a small pot on for melting snow and heating water.
By making it this way I will have a removable ash drawer that should last a few seasons and I could make a new outer each time it burns out.
Cutting a pot in half could even give two ash drawers to make another stove with

[Neo]

Ha! same thoughts, I posted before reading the thread properly (no interweb the last 5 days). Do it and post us some pics MD.
Here's a Grevillea flowering up the Colo.

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[Neo]

Draft didn't load, I've become a Luddite! My suggestion was to add some curved steel and a cadt iron rack to the fire bed, should ladt 8wks+. Same as your original plan. Cheers Neo.

[Moondog55]

I was going to use an old SS cake cooling rack I have spare or something similar

[Moondog55]

Some progress
A quick trip to Bunnings up the road for the coupler nuts and 4 cuphead bolts
Then 5 minutes with the grinder because I could not find the SS cutting disks and I didn't want to make another trip

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X marks the cut-out area

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Couple nuts in place

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Legs at a wide angle for stability

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[Moondog55]

I need to figure out an easy way to hinge the door and I do need to go back to the Big Green Shed because I need a new 2point bit to drill the pop rivet holes

Next job is deciding on the flue size and fabricating a decently strong collar

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This really is an easy way to add legs

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The fire will actually burn inside the stainless steel pot so it should last at least a ski season

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Needs to be pop riveted to hold it in place but I don't think it will need the refractory at all

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Just enough clearance

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[Neo]

Nice legs!

[Moondog55]

Needs some work.
I need to open it up a little more in front I tried feeding sticks into it [ without lighting] to see how it would go.
Dropping the front edge down ~50mm and moving the handle is needed, another 10 minutes with the grinder a drill and a hammer

[Moondog55]

I'll need to do something to stop the splaying of the legs; some wire should do that but that means getting a few more 8mm nuts or some sort of tray arrangement underneath to hold the bolt ends in place

[Strider]

I'll need to do something to stop the splaying of the legs; some wire should do that but that means getting a few more 8mm nuts or some sort of tray arrangement underneath to hold the bolt ends in place

Use a piece of flat bar with a hole in each end to go between the legs?

[Moondog55]

I'll need to do something to stop the splaying of the legs; some wire should do that but that means getting a few more 8mm nuts or some sort of tray arrangement underneath to hold the bolt ends in place

Use a piece of flat bar with a hole in each end to go between the legs?

Was one of my thoughts or a biscuit tray the correct size, lots of options there.
My main worry is that it will be too big for Strys old PaddyMade tent