So I'd been eyeing wood-heated hot tubs for a while, and finally Snorkel had a combination of tub and shipping sales that was just a bit too good to resist. I'm now the proud owner of the world's most expensive pile of 2x6 lumber -- hopefully I'll clear a spot for it and assemble it before the humidity makes the wood expand too much to seal properly.
The idea is pretty cool... powder-coated aluminum wood stove immersed in the tub behind a wooden fence; light a fire and the water gets warm; repeat at least once a week in winter so the water doesn't freeze.
Given that I live on 50 acres of forest I figure the firewood cost is going to be manageable...
First step is to move the "monkey hut" (garage-y thing made from plastic conduit and a tarp) forward about 10 feet to make room for the tub, then some gravelling and levelling, then about 10 hours of tappity-tap with a rubber mallet putting all the pieces together. What could go wrong ?
Aiming for something like this, but without the trailer and with a 4' deep tub instead of the 3' shown here :