I'm looking for idea and experience in constructing a small wood stove built for stone or blocks to heat a small one room shack (20x16). It would be used as a line shack or to stay for a few days when in the high country. I would like a stove with no doors an open fire box and stove pipe going up through the roof. It could be in center of room or on an end wall.

If an open fire box, will it smoke up the place or would I be fine? Any pictures or experience or ideas for this construction I'm looking to do would be appreciated.

if you dont want a door you need a big pipe. chimney is best. it will still smoke a little till the fire gets going good.

That might be hard to control without a way to shut it down when needed that could be a problem. My uncle made nice heaters and water heaters out of truck wheels. Pretty sure they were the split rim type. One half was welded to the stove the other flipped over and fitted over it to make a door. A pipe with a chain and piece of plate controlled the air intake.

Any problems drop the chain and it all shut down.

Old well water tank would also make a good smaller stove.

I made one once out of a 10 gal oil keg(?) in the oil drum style. Worked great, and I hope it burned down the cabin the (- that stole it used it in.

I made a couple from stoves from 10 inch steel casing. Set them horizontal end cap welded and a made door on front that opens and a 3 inch stack. They work great and I cook on them but would like to not have a stove like that one in this place.

The concept would be more of a fireplace open box type. I have an old free standing stove I could build around it with stone or block, I guess. It has doors but are not airtight like a locking door.

Sounds like you might be looking for something like a rocket stove that you can build out of fire brick or masonry materials.

Might get some ideas here.

https://youtu.be/FMhUFthG4bU


https://www.dragonheaters.com/how-rocket-masonry-heaters-work/

You can get some real high temperatures out of rocket stoves. You get a double burn from the wood burning and gasifying and then the gas burning. If designed right once up to heat they do not put off smoke, just heat waves. Small wood works best to gasify. You will get more heat with less wood. There is all kinds of you tube videos of builds on them.