Firing the Double Barrel

I know!!!!! You thought this was going to be about a shot gun. Didn’t ya…….. Wrong!!!!!!

As colder weather starts to creep into Oklahoma my thoughts start moving to keeping warm. With electricity finally in the shop I am now faced with the decision on how to keep the shop warm this winter while we work. I could use propane, electric heat, or atomic energy, but since my new ATOM SPLITER has not arrived from the Harbor Freight mail order catalog yet I decided to go another way.

That’s right, I am country. We decided to go with the new Vagelzang double barrel wood stove kit from Tractor supply. After picking up the kit and stove pipe I went in search of barrels. I knew that I should find something safe so I pulled one out of the back corner of the shop. The one with racing fuel in it from the old drag racing days should be a good one to start a fire in. Don’t you think. Maybe I should drain the old fuel out of it and flush it out with water good. My selection for the 2^nd barrel was a little less dramatic. Don’t know what it had in it but I did have to bust an old liner up and take out of the inside in pieces.

The first thing to do now was to lay out the parts and start cutting. I placed the door on the top of the fuel barrel and marked on the barrel where I wanted the hole to be. Then I pulled out the old jig say and went to cuttin. After the hole for the door was cut I then went and drilled the holes for the legs on what would be the bottom of the stove and then bolted the legs into place. Next the door was bolted onto the face of the barrel. Now its time to drill the holes for the brackets that go between the lower and upper barrels and bolt them onto the lower barrel.

Next we must have a small piece of stove pipe between the lower and upper barrel for the smoke to move from the fire chamber to the smoke chamber. Holes had to be cut in the top of the lower barrel and the bottom of the top barrel. Then more holes had to be drilled and the couplers for the small section of stove pipe bolted into place.

Then the light came on. I have to change something from what the instructions say. I went out to the scrap pile and found me a nice 4 ft piece of 4” semi truck smoke stack. I cut 2 4” holes. One in each end of the smoke chamber (top barrel). We now insert the 4” pipe through the top barrel and seal it up tight with stove caulking (good to 1000 degrees) to keep the smoke from leaking around the pipe. I dug out an old 110 volt 6” round fan that my son Andy had removed from his work shop and made an adaptor (from stove pipe ) to channel the air flow through the truck smoke stack which runs through the top barrel (smoke chamber) where the air is heated and blown out into the room. Now if that ain’t top rate Okie engineering I don’t know what would be.

With it all assembled and Okie engineered it is time to build a fire. Well as luck would have it now the weather has turned back warm so the real test will have to wait. Where is the cold weather when you want it. I have no doubt that this will keep it toasty so the wrenches can keep on a turning.

Okie Out-- (Wheels Up)

Here is the Picture of the Dodge I promised. Pretty slick for an 85 model. Don't you think.

I'M LEAVING ON A JET PLANE, DON'T KNOW WHEN I'LL BE BACK AGAIN!!!!!!!

Well, not completely true... Saturday I climbed aboard the Big Bird and headed to St. Louis. Another EBAY deal. I had found myself with out anything to pull my trailer around to pick up jeeps and stuff that I have bought or just move trailers around. It is too much of a hassle to hook up the Toter home just to run to Tx and pick up something and it is impossible to get it in a lot of places. So I started searching Ebay about a month ago. Don't want to tie much money up it a Hot Shot tow rig, but do need something just to run and gather stuff. After much search I located a 1985 regular cab Dodge dually with 128K miles and a reman Jasper gas engine with 8K miles. And yes a Manuel transmission. Got it bought for $3550.00.

The seller agreed to meet me at the Casino Queen Hotel in East St. Louis as he would be unable to get his truck and trailer into the airport parking area. The Big Bird dropped me off at Lambert Airport in St. Louis. From there I hooked up with the Metro Link train and rode over to Riverfront Dr in East St. Louis Ill. (Now that was an experience). From there I walked the 1/4 mile to the Hotel parking lot and we took care of business. And no, I never went into the Casino. I need what money I had to buy gas to get back home...

The Dodge had been sitting for about 5 months and as I got under way it developed a water leak on the water pump gasket. I loaded up with water jugs and headed for Springfield , Mo where I had planned to spend the night with my father. (250 miles) After adding water several times the gasket seemed to seal and the last 75 miles into Springfield was no eventful.

I then enjoyed a evening meal with my Dad and his wife Carol and spent the night. The next morning I found no more water leakage so loaded up a load of firewood for our shop and heading the Big Black dually west. (300 miles)

The Lord provided me with traveling graces and no farther problems. Some 4 1/2 hours later I landed at home and unloaded the firewood and grabbed a bite to eat before heading out to the shop to play the rest of the evening.

All in all I am very happy with the truck so far. I do plan on going ahead and pulling the water pump and installing new gaskets to prevent any future problems along that line.

And my wife Judy is delighted for me to park another piece of yard art out back...(NOT)

I will post up a pic of the truck in a few day. I think I found just what I was looking for. Its not a rig to pull 3 rigs over a long distance but should work good for moving 1 or 2 around close.

Until later. Okie -OUT
God Bless You and Yours......