Waste paper 'logs'

[R D S]

I've been toying with the idea of getting a log burner for some time and i've seen a tool that squashes soggy waste paper into a block for burning.

Has anyone tried turning their waste paper into fuel?

[Paul D Smith]

My parents used to do it years ago on a small scale. Make sure the "log press" you get is well constructed as my parent's early model split after hard use.

If you look on eBay there is a company making the regular "soak then mould" brick things and they also make something they claim can make "dry" logs, although they admit that those do burn quicker.

I suppose the question is, can you be bothered and what would it save you - can't answer that and who knows, perhaps making paper logs is a nice way to while away the winter hours in front of a roaring paper fire.

Paul DS,

[Clive George]

Those "log" tools are shit. Lots of work, lots of drying required - you'll never get anything useful out of them.

[Huge]

Consensus of opinion is that these are crap. It's a lot of work, they take ages to dry out and don't burn very well.

[Lobster]

I've not tried it myself but have read about various disadvantages which don't make me inclined to:

- It's very time-consuming to produce the blocks, in terms of hours of work spent for kWh energy gained

- Takes a very long time for the soggy blocks to dry out enought to burn, and they need to be stored somwewhere dry while this happens. Process takes even longer in winter, which is when they are most needed.

- Blocks don't burn particularly well and when they do, they produce huge amounts of ash

I'm sure there was more...

David

[Davey]

We bought one of those things at SWMBO's insistence. Now it's my fault that nobody has made any paper bricks yet, apparently.

[R D S]

So the general consensus is that it's a waste of time.

I produce a load of waste paper at work, I fill a wheely bin weekly. I thought about getting a belfast sink and chucking the shredded paper into it then making it into logs.

It would be nice to put the waste to use, after all isn't burning paper now considered 'carbon neutral'?

[Martin Brown]

Only in the sense of putting some of it in under the kindling when starting a fire. You can't burn much though as it makes a lot of ash by comparison with wood (depending on how much china clay is in/on it).

The basic things are toys and wet bricks take forever to dry out and leave too much ask when they burn. Whereabouts are you?

A friend who is very into this green energy lark has a genuine industrial scale hydraulic sawdust to briquette converter and is intending to try it on shredded paper this year. It is becoming difficult to obtain enough waste wood for it. Can't solve the ash problem but it should at least avoid having to let them dry out.

[Lawrence]

I make and use them. They take a very long time to dry, I use the greenhouse. Each log only lasts about 30 mins but they are good for starting the fire. You do need the strongest and most expensive press. On balance.just about worth it.

[geraldthehamster]

Speaking as a wood-burning stove user, it's just wouldn't be efficient. You= 'd put in a huge amount of effort for a few minutes of burning. Your waste = paper will come in handy for starting fires though. As we don't buy newspap= ers, I've been contemplating opting out of the mail preference service, to = receive more junk mail for that very purpose...

If you get a stove (recommended) you'll spend enough of your time cutting w= ood and chopping kindling.

Cheers Richard

[Newshound]

put in a huge amount of effort for a few minutes of burning.

preference service, to receive more junk mail for that very purpose...

A lot of junk mail (the glossy stuff) is worse than useless: it's full of filler, has hardly any calorific value and produces lots of ash.

I use the shredder bin for fire lighting, but newspaper is better than "office" paper.

[Bill Wright]

A much better idea is to carry a chain saw in the car boot and use the country lanes as much as possible. That's what I used to do before I realised the total folly of any sort of solid fuel heating.

Bill

[Jonathan]

Which is?

Jonathan

[NT]

Its far easier to just wrap the paper into a bundle and tie it.

If you've got shredded, I've not tried this, but might be better: wet it fully, throw it down in a flat mat shape onto some sawdust and let it dry. Quicker & easier to make. Now use it round the edges of the fire, the wood centre will sustain the flame, and the ash wont put the fire out.

NT

[Onetap]

Just look up the calorific value of paper kJ/kg and compare with a hard wood. You'll probably find it's not worth the time required.

They use animal dung as fuel in some parts of the world, Does anyone sell a device for air drying turds, I'm sure someone would buy it.

[mogga]

You'll probably find it's not worth the time required.

device for air drying turds, I'm sure someone would buy it.

[NT]

wood. You'll probably find it's not worth the time required.

sell a device for air drying turds, I'm sure someone would buy it.

left in the small pieces it came in - and with no work involved.

NT

[Owain]

sell a device for air drying turds, I'm sure someone would buy it.

I thought the manufacturers of breakfast cereals had already bought one.

Owain