DIY bath stove
Over time, even a quality bath becomes unusable, so old cast-iron dishes, as a rule, are sent to a landfill. Just do not rush to commit such an act, because you can use this product in a new way, give it a new life. For example, from an old bath you can make a pond in the country, a bench and even a stove. If you cut the old vessel across, then you will get an excellent stove from the bath with your own hands. It can be installed in a bathhouse or on a garden plot, the main thing is to be able to handle the welding machine, because you can’t do without it in this process. This material will help you with this; you will make a high-quality, durable and useful construction.
to contents ↑What will be required for work?
To make a stove from a bathtub with your own hands, purchase and prepare all the necessary materials, devices, tools for work.
Important! It must be understood that it is rather difficult to saw a cast-iron construction, in particular of Soviet manufacture, because before the manufacturers did not spare metal.
To work you will need tools on the list:
- A small grinder or grinder. It is important that it is reliable, because a low-quality tool will not cope with such a task.
- Circles for cutting metal with a diameter of 125 mm and a thickness of 1 mm. You will need 3-4 circles, it all depends on the thickness of cast iron.
- Grinding wheels. They are necessary for processing the cut sides of the metal.
- An electric drill with drills for metal for drilling holes in the product.
- Welding machine.
- Putty knife and trowel for finishing work and masonry.
- Construction gun.
- Building level.
- Plumb line.
- Hammer.
From the materials you will need:
- Cast-iron bathtub.
- Sheets of metal 5 mm thick.
- Two-burner cooking cast-iron stove.
- Brick.
- Grate.
- Sand and clay for the manufacture of masonry mortar.
- Heat-resistant finished adhesive mixture.
- Sealant.
- Bolts with washers and nuts.
- Metal mesh for reinforcing clay mortar.
- Ceramic tile.
- Metal corner.
- Chimney with a diameter of 110-120 mm.
- Safety glasses, respirator, construction gloves.
How to cut a cast-iron bath?
As we already said, making a stove from an old bathtub with your own hands is not so simple, and the most responsible and difficult process is to cut it. The most important stage is, of course, a high-quality section of a massive structure.
Experts recommend performing this work as follows:
- If you decide to cut in the room, first do the preparatory work, as the cast-iron dust will scatter in all directions and can spoil everything that is around. Therefore, free the room from all objects.
- Mark the future section, because the bath you need to divide clearly in half.
- Given that the structure is covered with a thick layer of enamel, first of all cut it according to the line of the future cut - this will avoid the formation of chips along the edges.
- Carefully cut the cast iron with small cuts of 100-120 mm.
Important! Do this at an angle so that the disc does not peel off the enamel during reverse motion. Make sure that the grinder does not overheat.
- After the cut is finished, put props under each half, for example, from stacks of bricks. This is done so that at the final stage they do not close on the sawn line and do not clamp or rip the disc.
Having at hand all the necessary tools, you can do the job in an hour.
to contents ↑Important! Since the bathtub must be sawn in half to make the design, make sure that the symmetry is not broken.
How to make a cast iron stove from an old bathtub with your own hands?
After completing the preparatory work, deliver the cut tub to the installation site, and you can proceed with the construction of the design.
Perform manufacturing on this technology:
- At the place where the completed stove from the cast-iron bath will be installed with your own hands, arrange the foundation.
Important! It must be done necessarily, since the product will turn out to be heavy, and it will begin to shrink without a reliable foundation. As a result, the entire structure can be deformed.
- Place the bottom of the bath on a dried foundation. If you want it to be higher, then lift it with the help of supports and fix it on the concrete mortar. While the base will harden and dry, start making other parts.
- You can make the oven in two variations, and then everyone decides on what to stop. In the first case, its facade is made out entirely of metal walls, in the second - it is blown and the firebox is closed with a brick wall, into which metal or cast-iron doors are built.
- On the walls of the lower half-cylinder, fix the brackets for mounting the grate. It is needed to separate the blower and the furnace, so it’s better to lift it slightly above the bottom of the bathtub by 15 cm. Fix the metal corners to the marked walls of the product, lay the grate on them.
- Cut a metal sheet to block the bottom of the furnace. Then, cut out the hole for the chimney in cast iron along the outlined contour of the circle, first small holes, then carefully combine them with a grinder, bring the resulting opening with a file to the necessary configuration.
- Coat the furnace part with fireproof sealant, cover with a metal sheet with a chimney mounted in it. On top of the sheet, install the second part of the bath with a hole for the pipe. It is also treated with sealant before installation. As a result, you put the upper part on the pipe, increase the chimney to the desired height.
- Twist both parts of the bath and the metal sheet located between them by means of bolts with a diameter of 10 mm. First, drill through holes in the sides of the bathtub in increments of 15-20 cm, then fasten all the elements through them into a single structure.
- Separate the blower and combustion chamber with a grate. Lay the grate on the prepared corners on the walls.
- Go to masonry work. The walls will be located on three sides of the future structure, that is, behind and on the sides, or around the entire perimeter of the cameras. First of all, masonry lines are laid out along the foundation, and only then the walls are brought out.
- If you decide to close the firebox from the front side and blow it with a brick wall, then install the blower door into the wall not lower than the level of the bottom of the bathtub, and the furnace door slightly above the grate. Fold the walls to the level of the cooking chamber, expand them inward so that the brick fits snugly on the outside of the structure.
Important! In this case, the cooking chamber, which can be used as an oven, is best closed with a metal shutter. To shutter the chamber tightly, fix a metal corner in front of it, while the distance from it to the front cut should be 2 mm more than the thickness of the metal door. The handle on the shutter must be protected from overheating in order to avoid burns, so it is better to make its grip part of wood.
- As soon as the entire lower part is dressed in brickwork, proceed to warming the cooking chamber. To create a fur coat, it is better to use a clay solution with low thermal conductivity. Prepare the mixture, add a little sand to it, after it dries, add lime to it. Leave him to insist.
- Cover the hob with a metal mesh, attach it to the brickwork on the sides and from the back. On top of it, apply the solution in two layers, so that the thickness of the insulation coat as a result is 5-7 cm.
- Now it's time to take care of the aesthetic appearance of the furnace, because it should not only fulfill its main functions, but also decorate your site. You can cover it with ceramic tiles in the form of a mosaic, only for this you will have to first break it into small pieces. Install using a special heat-resistant composition.
to contents ↑Important! As a result, you will get an excellent stove from the bath with your own hands. In the summer you can cook on it every day, thereby saving gas and electricity. It is worth noting that food prepared in this way turns out to be more tasty and aromatic than food that was cooked on a regular stove.
How else can you use an old cast-iron bath?
In addition to the above method of transforming an old bathtub, there are many more interesting ideas that make it possible to make something really useful out of it.
Let's take a closer look at the most successful of them:
- The bath can be turned into a fireplace for a fireplace. The advantage of this use of cast iron is that there is no need to build a complex semicircular shape of brick. To make a fireplace with a furnace with an arched vault, you need to prepare a template from plywood or boards, then do some simple manipulations and cover the structure with brick. All that remains is to make a hole in the ceiling of the old bathtub for the removal of smoke and place a fireplace portal on the front side.
- The sawn bath can be converted into a furnace for a bath. Even a novice master can understand how to make an oven in a bathhouse from a bathtub. It is enough to install it with the dome up, install one part on the concrete base in the steam room, and install the second part into the wall and move it to another room where the furnace will be kindled. Next, the cut hole must be blocked with a brick wall, install a blower and furnace door in it.
- Garden furniture is increasingly being made from cast-iron bathtubs, as it has a strong, reliable and durable construction. If you cut carefully, you can get a kind of sofa that will decorate the gazebo or garden. From one design, you can get a whole set of furniture to decorate your summer cottage or garden.
Stock footage
Transformations of old cast-iron baths amaze with their variety, originality, and beauty. Therefore, do not immediately get rid of the already unnecessary plumbing, perhaps it can serve you for many more years, only in a different form!