How to Make a Sauna Stove

A sauna stove can be made with salvaged materials.

Saunas have been used by Scandinavian people for generations to clean themselves and relax. The primary parts of a sauna are a heat source, the building and steam. Though the individual parts may seem simple, building these parts as a do-it-yourself project can be challenging. The furnace or stove is the heart and soul of the sauna and it traditionally burns wood to heat the sauna and produce steam. Since the stove must be waterproof to produce steam, it can be made with scrap and salvaged materials with a little time and money.

Things You'll Need

• Salvaged hot water boiler or other large, heavy gauge cylinder
• Drill
• Welder
• Heavy-gauge sheet metal
• Chimney pipe
• Pre-fabricated furnace door
• Masonry cement
• Heavy-gauge bolts and nuts
• Field stones

Instructions

1. The key to this project is finding a heavy-gauge cylinder. An old-fashioned hot-water boiler is perfect for this application and can often be salvaged from junk yards. Once procured, the cylinder needs to be cut in half to produce what looks like a large, opened can. One way to do this is to use a drill to cut a series of holes around the cylinder.

2. Weld a sheet of steel across the front of the half cylinder and use more sheets to box in the other three sides producing a box with a half cylinder nested inside.

3. Cut a circular hole in the top of the cylinder and a square hole in the front. The round hole will be used for the chimney and the front, square hole will be for the door.

4. Install the prefabricated door to the front of the box using the heavy-duty bolts and nuts. Install the chimney to the top of the cylinder.

5. Fill the box with field stones so that the cylinder is no longer seen. These rocks will heat from the wood fire within the cylinder.

6. Install the newly constructed furnace into a sauna building so the door is outside. Stoke it with a hot fire, throw water on the field stones and enjoy.

Tips & Warnings

• Most of these materials can be procured from salvage yards. Field stones are also readily available and often set aside on farms.

• The first time the stove is used the fire should be burned very hot and very long to ensure the field stones don't explode from moisture inside. Wire can be woven across the top of the stones to further reduce the chances of rock shards flying out.

References

• Sauna Planning
• Build Your Own Sauna or Sweatlodge
• Saunafin Saunas & Steambaths

Resources

• How to Build a Sauna - Experts Show How