Burn Barrel
About the 'SPEEA Stove'
For decades, striking union members had used steel drums filled with firewood to keep warm on picket lines. But when SPEEA engineers and techs walked out in February 2000, Boeing tried to stop this by calling in a complaint to regional air pollution control authorities, saying smoke from the open fires was causing air pollution.
Initially, the authorities agreed and ordered the fires put out.
However, SPEEA leaders, including Tom McCarty, a negotiation team member in 2000, found a solution: McCarty got the specs for an Environmental Protection Agency-approved woodstove.
“The item that struck me was that all fires are allowed if they are in an enclosed stove with a chimney that exits the smoke six feet above the ground,” McCarty wrote in his self-published book, Picket Line, his account of the strike. “These stoves can be home built.”.
Using a 55-gallon steel drum from a scrap yard and Home Depot hinges and stove pipe, McCarty built the first prototype in his home shop, then tweaked the design to allow for easier fabrication. The barrels passed inspection with local pollution control officers, and within days, McCarty and other volunteers had delivered dozens to picket sites.
The barrels were important in that they kept picketers warm through the cold damp winter, threw out light at night and provided flat cook-tops for strikers to heat warm meals and drinks. With the hot food and coffee, most picket sites “had a block party feel to them,” McCarty wrote.
That did wonders for union morale and solidarity during the 40 days on the picket line, and after the strike ended, two barrels were preserved for permanent display at our union’s Everett and Tukwila union halls.
Reviving a piece of union history
Thanks to SPEEA members, you can show solidarity with this iconic desktop visibility item. To print your own burn barrel on a 3D printer, download one of the available files here:
Files provided by SPEEA members Andrew Ferguson (original) and Jared Meboe (revised)
From the SPEEA Archives
How we built the SPEEA Stove
The SPEEA represented Engineers and Technicians of The Boeing Company went on strike February 9, 2000.
In the Northwest, winters are wet and cold. We started by burning wood in open 55 gallon steel barrels. The next day we got a better idea.
We were not the only ones who built these stoves. But this is how we built ours. We have incorporated the best of the improvements that had evolved over the 40 days of the strike.
There are 18,000 people who will never forget the time they spent with their brothers and sisters standing around these stoves.
We know the definition of solidarity; we learned it on the line.
Morris Adams & Tom McCarty
The SPEEA Stove:
Wood lasts twice as long.
Burns twice as hot.
Keeps the smoke out of your face.
You can cook on it.
Construction is very simple. The parts are described as they are installed. Start with a clean 55 gallon barrel and lid. Remove the lid and set it aside for now.
Two vent holes about 2 inches in diameter are cut spaced about 180 degrees apart approximately 6 inches up from the bottom.
Layout the ash door with chalk or soapstone. Locate the door halfway between the vent holes. We made it 8 inches high by 10 inches wide. We also made a layout guide for each of the cuts. This really helped to speed up the job.
Then make two vertical cuts for the ash door as shown. The exact order of assembly is not critical. This worked well for one or two people. A bigger crew can divide the work more efficiently.
Then install a pair of strap hinges and a gate latch. Nothing is critical except avoid any aluminum parts, they didn’t hold up. Everything is fastened with #8 ½ inch long hex head sheet metal screws. Use a 3/32 drill for all screw holes. No need to fill every hole with a screw, 2 per side is about right.
We drove all the screws using a battery powered drill with an adjustable torque clutch. All the screws fit a ¼ magnetic hex driver, very common and handy.
When the hinges and gate latch are mounted, cut the door free. Cut a ½ drain hole in the bottom of the barrel. We originally didn’t have an ash door but after a few weeks we found out we needed one. We borrowed this improvement from our Everett brothers and sisters.
We also cut our brand “SPEEA” in the side. This looked great at night.
Before cutting the lid remove the gasket by heating the outside of the lid with the torch. Two slow passes around outside of the rim are usually enough. Also unscrew the bung that will remain on the feed door and remove that gasket. They will really stink if you leave them on.
The lid has been cut in half and placed on the barrel for the final assembly. Install another pair of hinges and to allow the feed door to open without binding, remove about one inch of the overhang on each side the of the lid. This is necessary to allow the feed door to open fully. Layout and cut the 6 inch diameter hole for the stove pipe.
We used a rafter tie to make a handle for the lid. One screw goes through the edge of the lid to keep the door from binding when is closes. A few whacks with a hammer on the edge of the rim will also serve.
Then a 6 inch duct connector is installed to receive the stove pipe.
If the hole is well cut, the stove pipe will slide in without any trouble. If it is a little out of round, loosen and remove enough screws and mate the stove pipe to the duct connector and re-install. The fixed part of the lid is attached to the barrel by 3 screws. Install one on each side and one in back of the stovepipe. Center punch these holes and drill all the way through.
We used a 3-foot section of 6 inch heater duct for the flue but black stovepipe also is suitable. Use 3 screws spaced about 120 degrees around the collar to secure the flue. Then the stovepipe can be removed and replaced as required for transport or maintenance.
Set the clutch to about minimum torque when driving the screws in the stovepipe, as they will easily strip out.
Notes:
The construction photos were taken of a stove we built after the strike. All other photos were taken during the strike.
No, it is not recommended to wear shorts when using a cutting torch!
Morris and I would like to thank our 18,000 brothers and sisters for their support. We built several variations of the SPEEA Stove. The double barrel stove worked very well but was harder to transport and maintain. We finally wound up building 30 SPEEA Stoves