[ckdeaton]

No this isn't a thread about everyone's favorite lavatory passtime. It's about using recycled materials (newspaper, leaves, pine cones, limbs) to make burning logs.

The concept is simple: 1) Soak the materials in water. 2) Compress the materials to strain out water. 3) Dry. 4) Burn.

How would you compress the materials?

My concept is in the works. Pictures will be posted soon.

 

[miker84]

My dad told me they used to do it when he was a kid. There are 2 ways I've seen to do this, a roller or a brick maker. I bought a roller from Lehmans about 10 years ago a tried out this idea, but it could probably be done with a broomhandle too.

The best results came from only using the newspaper (not the shiny ads). Soak the sheets in water with a little Dawn or similar dishwashing liquid. Roll the papers until you get a log 3-4" thick. Stand it on end and let it drip-dry for a few days (assuming you are doing this in the summer). It will still be wet in the middle, so you have to let it dry for a month or more.

Once it is thoroughly dry, it can be burned like a wood log, but you still need kindling to get it going. A 3" log lasted about 15 minutes, too big of a log took a lot of wood to keep going. By soaking the individual sheets as it rolls, you reduce the layering effect of the paper. If you roll dry or only wet the edges, then you get a lot of flaky ashes that smother all the coals and make it difficult to keep the fire going.
Let us know how your project goes

 

[Beladran]

i have mixed wood shavings, shreaded newspapser, and a little parfin wax together to make some great fire starters

 

[Big Sexy]

If u use a big pvc pipe with a piece of stretched metal on bottom, and pushed with a broom handle would that work?

 

[ckdeaton]

I'm taking a large pvc pipe (6 inch), drilling holes in it for drainage, then take another pvc pipe with an end cap on it, insert the press pipe inside the drain pipe and compress the log.

 

[miker84]

If you get them too big, it takes an equal amount of wood to keep them lit. I guess that's still half as much wood!

 

[ckdeaton]

I may put spacers inside the tube as I fill it. That way I'm making more of a disc vs a log. I've seen people online do this with simple pieces of metal or plastic inserted every 2 or 3 inches. Apparently they encountered the same problem with keeping the logs lit.