Named after a piece of a very unusual-looking slag Coz recovered during their time spent studying welding at Vancouver Island University, the Dragsonsbreath Wood Stove is a showcase of the knowledge gained during the program.

The piece features a main body made from an 8” pressure vessel endcap with a very thick wall to make it perfect for a stove. A door, custom hinges, chimney, heating pad, legs, baffle, and a removable tray were all added during the creation of this project.

The stove was a culminating project, and as such used aspects from all areas of the program. It began as a design on AutoCAD, then turned to Oxy-Acetylene/Plasma/Gouging to cut the materials. Custom hinges for the door were milled, and assembled. The legs were cut and shaped with saws and grinders and were fitted with self-levelling nuts to be able to make sure that the wood inside the stove burned properly. The legs and chimney had to be properly coped and placed on the main body of the stove, to provide structural support for the legs and ensure that no smoke came out of the side of the chimney. The stove also featured a custom-built operable baffle, as well as a removable tray for the firewood to ensure a better burn. To warm up food or boil water, a tray was added at the top of the stove body, with hooks attached to hang different tools needed for the maintenance of the stove. The stove was finished with a coast of high-temperature resistant paint.

Different parts of the stove were welded with different processes. This was to showcase the different methods learned, including SMAW/GMAW/GTAW/FCAW/MCAW. This resulted in a truly unique, spectacular piece that has provided safe warmth and coziness and is still in use.