After almost six months of waiting I have finally got my porch heater installed. It was a mottled looking mess of rust, old stove black and shiny steel when I did my first test burn. In the process of that burn I fried some eggs in a frying pan on top of the hot plate, and discovered that a bit of spilled butter had turned the hot rusty metal a shiny black. Taking inspiration from my beloved cast iron frying pans I decided that before I spent any money on stove black or any such spray can product, I would try seasoning the stove as if it were a big cast iron pot. I melted a good quantity of shortening in a frying pan and brushed it all over the stove with a pot scrubber brush. That daylight burn was a smokey one, but the finished product is a beautiful all over dull to shiny black on the hot parts, (two 130 pound truck brake drums and a 1/2" steel hot plate) and a nice brown sheen on the not-so-hot parts. (legs, ash box, etc.) I am very pleased with the results, and confident that this will offer some weather resistance to the metal, since it is exposed to the elements. I also noticed that everything moves easier with first the added lubrication, and now the shiny seasoning Certainly, there is nothing new under the sun, but this was a new one on me.
It seems that you have repurposed your porch heater as a large bacon scent burner.....sure to be as much a deterrent to certain folk as citronella seems to be to some flying pests. Non OPSEC compromising pics would be appreciated.
I will see about pictures. I have plenty on my phone, but no clue how to get them online from there. Not to worry Chelloveck, all my pictures are non-OPSEC compromising.
As requested, here are some pictures. In the welding shop, after application of melted shortening, and after the seasoning process. Yes, it'll pop popcorn and melt wax just fine. I cooked a delicious omelet in my frying pan during the initial burn.
Three large pieces, which was essential, since it weighs 328 pounds assembled. Bottom section was all fabricated and is bolted to the lower drum. Heavy angle iron grate sits in the bottom of that drum. Top and bottom drums are joined by a steel band that wraps around them after they are in place. Large hot plate pivots to allow top feed. I'm working on fabricating a bracket that will attach to the bolt on that bracket and support a round plate of maybe 12" diameter to hold things that need warming. There are lots of changes I'd like to make already, but it is together and functional. That's the beauty of steel. I can weld stuff on today and cut it off tomorrow and try something new. I'll alter pieces once the weather warms up. First will be getting the hot plate cleared of the handle and pivot bolt so I can put a bigger pot on top. So far the draft is only adjustable by adjusting the door opening. This seems to create a nice cyclonic flow, so I may just stick with it the way it is. I need to build a damper, and would love to add a nice ash clean-out chute in the back of the ash pit. It's just what I was looking for in a porch heater, and is a hoot to feed.
I'm hoping that someone here has a use for this information for I certainly did when I got it. If you are unlucky enough to find yourself using an old, too thin, woodstove and you discover little cracks in the box, through which you can see the fire, and want to plug them, here is a temporary fix: put some of your stove ashes into a cup with about half that much plain salt and add enough water to make a paste. You can paint this stuff right over the cracks, (I'd just glob it on with a spoon and spread with my hand, quickly) even when you've a fire in there, and it'll harden and stay there. Eventually it wears off and you'll need to put more on but at least those are three ingredients you are very likely to have in the house all the time. Cracks and little holes can interfere with a proper draw and leak smoke too so I found this handy when I was stuck with stoves like that and doing without a fire in winter was not an option.
