A stove for a sauna made from truck rims

The most expensive part of building a steam room is heating and heating, so craftsmen are always looking for a way to reduce the cost of construction, for example, making a sauna stove from the wheel rims of a car, truck or tractor. Despite the seeming adventurousness of the idea, a stove made from spare parts heats a bathhouse no worse than a branded one, if, of course, you approach the assembly with all diligence and accuracy.

What is good about a sauna stove made of disks?

A strange, at first glance, idea to build a heater from steel wheels in practice results in quite decent cost savings and a huge firebox resource. Of course, provided that most of the work on the construction of a sauna stove from wheel rims is done with your own hands. But even if the most critical part of the work is performed by a professional welder, this will only slightly increase costs. And the amount spent on assembling a stove from wheel rims for a bathhouse according to your own design will not be comparable to the 6-8 thousand rubles that a factory potbelly stove will cost.

To be precise, using spare parts from heavy vehicles with rims larger than 19 inches to make a stove provides serious advantages that are not even found in factory models of potbelly stoves:

The huge wall thickness in different wheel models is 7-11 mm. As a result, a sauna stove made from wheel rims turns out to be heavier and more massive than a factory steel or cast iron structure. A wheeled stove cools down in two hours, while branded sauna stove designs made of 3-4 mm thick steel cool down in 50-60 minutes;
A stove made from disks for a sauna is not afraid of thermal shocks, as in the case of fireboxes made of cast iron, and does not burn out or deform due to thermal stress. With proper maintenance, a wheeled firebox can last in a bathhouse for a couple of decades without a significant decrease in heating efficiency;
High quality stamped metal. After processing, the discs have high strength and rigidity, so that the steel rim ring, even when heated red hot, can withstand a load of 2 tons of weight.

For your information!
A sauna stove made from truck disks has one unique property. To ignite and quickly build up the required heat, you can use a coal briquette or washed anthracite in limited quantities. Any other stoves with a closed firebox in the bathhouse are heated only with wood. After combustion, coal ash acts as a heat accumulator, so one stack is enough for 2-2.5 hours of heating. During this time, the owners have time to steam and thoroughly dry the walls and floor of the bathhouse.

Among the disadvantages of the idea of using wheel rims to make the body of a firebox in a bathhouse, we can only recall the not very convenient shape of the crown, which makes it difficult to assemble sealed containers for heating water. In some cases, the seams along the joint line of the disks have to be welded using an autogenous welding machine or an intermediate transition belt must be installed.

Advantages and disadvantages

Furnaces can be made not only from disks, but also from metal barrels. But they are too thin, so strong heat can burn through the walls. Another way is to choose a steel sheet of the required thickness. This design is more reliable than a barrel, but will cost the same as finished equipment.

Pros and cons of the stove

The best option is still to use car wheels. In addition to the affordable price, they have a number of other advantages:

availability of materials;
durability and long service life;
resistance to temperature changes and open fire;
fast heating;
the ability to build a structure of the required size, since the disks can be selected according to diameter;
use for heating, cooking, and heating a bath;
ease of design with your own hands.

Model with cooking tray

But it is worth noting some features that are rather disadvantages:

the impossibility of accumulating and retaining heat for a long time: the metal body quickly gives off heat and gets cold, so the stove will only heat when it burns wood or other fuel;
installation of a high pipe is required to ensure the required traction - its height is at least 2 m;
regular cleaning of sections, especially for the chimney - at least once every 1.5-2 months, and for small diameters once a week.

What to choose from disks for assembling a sauna stove with your own hands

Any construction of a firebox made of steel rims begins with the selection of material. For production you will need at least 3-4 pieces of wheel rims without damage or visible defects. It is clear that it is best to build a stove from the rims of a heavy truck. The wheels from the Gazelle, Bull, LAWN, mini-trucks of the Chinese automobile industry are simply small, the firebox turns out to be small, heats weakly and ineffectively. Such discs make excellent potbelly stoves for temporary shelters and change houses.

Several wheel options can be used as the starting material:

Standard 8.5-20 wheel rim from tractors based on KRAZ 65101. The convenient shape of the rim will require a minimum of alterations, and the wall thickness of 11 mm will make the stove in the bathhouse eternal, even if you burn it with coal;
Wheels 5425-3101012D or 4310-3101012 for KAMAZ, diameter 503-508 mm, with rim width 310 mm and 216 mm, respectively.

All of the above options are found in both very worn and satisfactory condition. There is no point in buying new disks for equipping a stove in a bathhouse, it is too expensive. For example, a new Krazovsky disk costs up to $100, and they last a very long time. There is a chance to buy a pair of old rims from a mining equipment driver, although they are extremely reluctant to part with the rims.

It is best to plan a sauna stove using KAMAZ wheels. Firstly, the rim itself is almost 20% lighter, and secondly, KAMAZ wheels are much more affordable, so the chance of purchasing them for almost nothing is much higher than looking for wheels from a tractor or loader.

Advice! Ideally, it is best to find a flangeless or discless wheel model 5320-3101012 to build a furnace in a bathhouse from KAMAZ disks.

This is a relatively new model designed to use tubeless tires. Essentially, it's just a rim with a width of 179 mm and a diameter of 508 mm. Installation on the stove does not require any additional trimming with a grinder, and in addition, the disc is almost twice as light as a classic rim - 26 kg, versus 48 kg for a regular KAMAZ model.

Consumables

When making a sauna stove from KAMAZ or other truck wheels, we will use available material.

automobile wheel rims from any truck (at least 0.5 m in diameter) - 4 pcs.;
steel pipe Ø160, wall thickness 5-7, L=500 - two pcs.;
red refractory brick for the firebox - 60 pcs.;
concave steel disc 5 mm with a diameter 120 mm smaller than a car disc - 1 pc.;
fittings A-I Ø10-16 L=150 mm - 4 pcs.;
fittings A-I Ø12-16 L=200 mm - 4 pcs.;
fittings A-I Ø10-12 L=100 mm - 4 pcs.;
reinforcement A-III Ø12 - 18 m;
steel sheet, thickness 3 mm, 600x600 - 0.12 m 2;
sheet of 4 mm steel, 600x600 - 0.12 m2;
concrete B12.5 700x700x800 = 0.4 m 3;
doors for the firebox and ash pan;
tap;
Other materials.

Bath stove designs

You can build a good firebox for a steam room from any 20-inch KAMAZ wheels. When choosing, you need to pay attention to ensure that the rim is not deformed, without traces of impacts or flaring of the bead. It is almost impossible to straighten bent metal 7-10 mm thick in a garage, but a crack can be welded.

To build a stove in a bathhouse or steam room, two firebox options are used:

Vertical combustion chamber type. The discs are stacked and welded at the joints, resulting in a compact, durable and stable structure;
Barrel type combustion chamber. The furnace body is welded from three rims and mounted in a horizontal position. This model is convenient for loading equipment from a dressing room or any other utility room.

The third option, combined, involves arranging an ash pit and a combustion chamber in the bathhouse made of red and refractory bricks. Discs are used on the stove only for the roof, heater and hot water tank equipment.

To build such a stove in a bathhouse, you will need the experience and skill of a professional stove maker. Otherwise, the load of 150 kg of disks and 50 kg of stones may cause cracks in the brickwork of the furnace walls.

The optimal option for making a “barrel” from disks

A horizontal stove is no different from sauna heaters and potbelly stoves made from large-diameter water pipes or propane cylinders. To make the simplest stove from disks, you need to select three KAMAZ rims.

Two are left unchanged, the third is subjected to additional trimming and the flange wall is removed. Simply put, you need to cut out the bottom of the disk with an oxygen cutter or a powerful grinder, leaving only the rim. A metal grid of grates is placed inside the rim and welded to the walls of the disc.

The ends of the two remaining wheels are welded with thick sheet metal, at least 5 mm thick. Canopies are welded onto one of the disks and equipped with a door; a hole is left in the lower part for cleaning the ash pan of the stove. Typically, a pull-out metal tray or a sector valve is used for these purposes. A sauna stove must be equipped with a damper damper.

A flange for the chimney is cut into the third disk, after which all three elements are stacked on a metal stand, aligned and the joints between the rings are welded. The most valuable thing about this design is its simplicity and ease of installation. The stove can be installed in a bathhouse without any foundation. It is enough to lay a sheet of steel on the floor on a heat-insulating substrate, and you can install the stove.

This scheme is ideal for installation in a small bathhouse in the country. At the end of the season, the structure weighing just over 100 kg can be taken away or stored.

The classic version of a vertical heater

The idea of using rims from heavy trucks appeared quite a long time ago, almost half a century ago. In the first heavy trucks serving trucking companies in the cold season, it was necessary to warm up the water before pouring it into the radiator. Therefore, drivers and mechanics came up with a design for a stove made of disks, which later migrated to cabins and garages, and was then used in the bathhouse.

The vertical stove made from wheel rims could be used anywhere. Moreover, with the help of a mobile stove it was possible to turn even a tent or a light wooden shed into a bathhouse, even without a chimney. In a properly welded stove made of disks, a fire was lit on oiled rags, then coal and firewood were used. After the walls of the disks heated up to a crimson color, the fire was extinguished, the room was ventilated, covered with blankets, and the change house was turned into a bathhouse.

Rules of use and service

You can’t cook food right away on a newly made stove. Paint, oil or brake fluid remain on car rims. Therefore, the stove is first calcined to clean the device from residues. Otherwise, when burned, they will emit an unpleasant odor that will permeate the food. To do this, the firebox is completely filled with firewood, placing it through the top. Using a special liquid, they light a fire and allow the fuel to burn to the end.

After the stove has completely cooled, the ash is poured out. The walls of the structure are cleaned with a metal brush and sandpaper to remove paint residues. After such cleaning, you can cook pilaf, shish kebab or other delicious dishes on the stove.

For cooking, fuel is added through the door. After adding some wood chips and tree bark, light the flame with matches. The oxygen coming from the lower holes feeds the flame, and the smoke goes up the chimney. Thanks to a successful design, there will be good traction and suitable conditions for cooking.

Important!

When preparing food, do not add large portions of firewood.

It is important to maintain the heat evenly. A strong flame will only ruin the dish and the food will burn. After completing the process, wait for the stove to cool down and begin cleaning it

Fine ash and fuel residues will fall out on their own through the holes in the lower disk. To free the device from large fuel residues, turn it over and shake them out through the door.

After completing the process, wait for the stove to cool down and begin cleaning it. Fine ash and fuel residues will fall out on their own through the holes in the lower disk. To free the device from large fuel residues, turn it over and shake them out through the door.

We build a vertical stove from disks

The design of the furnace, its structure and principle of operation are clear from the photo below.

The stove body is assembled from four disks from ZIL 131, URAL or KAMAZ. The stacked set of steel rims reaches a height of almost 90 cm, and given the weight of the water in the upper tank and the stones, it becomes clear that the structure is quite unstable.

To protect the bathhouse from fire, it is necessary to make a classic concrete foundation with thermal insulation for the stove, and for the lower ring, which acts as an ash pan, use a disk model 43118-3101012 with a maximum rim diameter of 560 mm. The wide part is welded with sheet metal, the head of the ash pan is trimmed to make it easier to connect to the combustion chamber.

The next two rings are cut off on one side and welded together into a solid cavity. This is the furnace firebox. As in the ash pan, so in the combustion chamber, it is necessary to cut a hatch in the wall of the disk for loading firewood or briquettes.

The upper part of the stove consists of a water tank and a heater. It, like the ash pan, is best made from high-speed rims with high sides. A thick-walled metal pipe is welded into the central part of the structure, to which the chimney trunk will be attached.

Features of making a furnace from disks

Before assembly, all parts of the stove must be cleaned mechanically, without firing, preferably with a sandblaster or a brush with metal bristles. The metal of the body is quite thick, 6-9 mm, so the welding line will need to be cut at an angle of 60°.

The joint is welded in three passes; if possible, it is better to weld the stove from disks using a powerful three-phase welder of an industrial model. It is impossible to qualitatively weld metal for a sauna stove with a 2.5 kW garage inverter. In this case, the furnace body is only tacked by welding points, and the entire seam is made with an acetylene torch. This is the only way to make the firebox safe for use in a bathhouse. No putty or grouting of welded seams with clay or liquid glass is allowed.

After welding, the seams are cleaned, and the furnace body is painted with heat-resistant paint. All furnace structures made from wheel rims are classified as very hot; after heating, the walls can burn even at a distance of up to a meter from the surface. Therefore, after installing the stove in the bathhouse, you will need to make a removable screen from aluminum foil glued to a galvanized sheet.

Step-by-step guide to making a wheeled stove

Assembling a stove structure from wheel rims is an activity that does not require special training, but does require skills in working with a welding machine. Before you get started, you need to decide on the type of device. It could be a stove, barbecue or potbelly stove. The furnace manufacturing process consists of several stages. The very first thing is to prepare materials and equipment.

List of materials and tools

The main components of the furnace are car wheels. The most suitable are steel rims from passenger cars or small trucks. Large specimens left over from large-tonnage trucks require efforts to seal the joints, and ovens made from disks of this size are cumbersome. For work you also need to prepare the following materials:

wheel rims – 4 pcs.;
Sheet steel;
fittings;
door hinges;
square pipes;
thermal paint.

To cut and connect parts you will need a grinder, a hacksaw (for fine cutting), a welding machine, a drill, a file, pliers, a tape measure, a hammer, and sandpaper. Brushes will be needed for painting.

First stage: preparing disks

All irregularities and dents on the rims are corrected - the shape should be symmetrical. The surface is cleaned of rust. If there is old paint, then the disk sources are calcined and sanded. But the most important thing is that car wheels must have smooth, even edges. This will ensure that the circles are in close contact and that there are no gaps through which smoke can penetrate. To level each disc, it is ground in a circle.

One disk out of four is left in its original state; it will be needed for the hob. The remaining three copies require additional processing. They cut out the core using a grinder. The result should be a hollow, wide pipe. When these three components are combined, the furnace body is formed.

Second stage: making grate bars

The grate is a lattice plate that separates the firebox and the ash compartment. Firewood or coal is placed on the grate, and the air coming from below provides draft and promotes their combustion. The easiest way to make grate bars is from reinforcing bars. They are cut into pieces and welded inside one of the disks. It is not necessary to make a lattice; it is enough to weld the rods parallel to each other.

Instead of reinforcement, you can use a sheet of steel. Slots are cut in it or holes are made. The steel must be thick enough to withstand the high temperature. A thin sheet will quickly burn out and will not cope with its function.

Third stage: welding parts

For welding work, 5 mm electrodes are chosen. The blanks are welded circumferentially to each other. The auto disk with the whole core should be the top one. First, the edges are pinched by welding. Then, making sure that the cylinder is smooth, weld along the entire edge. The result is a barrel-like structure. If necessary, the number of ring segments can be reduced or increased.

A circle is cut out of a steel sheet. If you plan to use the stove indoors, then this sheet should be larger in diameter so that the coals fall on it and not on the floor. If the stove will operate exclusively outdoors, the bottom can be the same size as the body. Four legs are cut out of a small diameter pipe and welded to the base of the stove.

Fourth stage: installation of a firebox and blower

The next step is the combustion and ventilation windows. The height of the firebox is determined at your discretion, but most often it is made in the second disk from the bottom. The blower is located under the firebox (in the lowest rim). The hole for it is smaller than for the firebox. The marked rectangles are cut out with a grinder. Frames for the holes are made from steel plates and welded. Doors are cut out of metal sheet and hung on hinges welded to the wall of the body. Handles are attached to the doors.

There is a simpler option for installing a firebox and a vent - without using frames. Rectangles cut from the cylinder barrel are used as doors. The hinges are welded directly to the body of the disk stove.

Fifth stage: painting

The finished structure is painted to give an aesthetic appearance. To do this, first all welds are processed with a grinding machine. The remaining areas with rust are also cleaned. After this, the body is coated with heat-resistant paint. Another option is to use a can of high-temperature paint. After the paint has dried, the oven made from car rims is ready for use.

Disc furnace assembly video

The entire process of making a stove from car wheels is shown step by step in the video: