fire brick maker

[Soloman]

Has anyone bought and used one of those fire brick making things,just wondered if they are any use as i collect newspapers from work for starting the coal fire but am getting to many.
I wonder if you could mix some wood chips from the chainsaw in with them,i might need some kind of binding agent however,any thoughts guys?
Soloman

 

[hedgerowpete]

they dont use a binding agent just either wet news papers squished or if tou want to add some thing we used to add it to the papers in between the pages, any thing thats burnable can be used, we used to have four lentghs of plastic pipe each one about 5 inch round and two foot long we then used to throw all the waste paers into a large bucket of water for a day then roll them up and shove them down the pipe untill it was half full, then add a six foot fence post to puch it down and leave it a day or so to drain and dry and then push it out as a log,

my sons favorites were toilet rolls stuffed with card board that was then drizzeled with oild cooking engine oil as a fire starters there great

 

[Toddy]

I have one of those firelog makers soloman Happy to barter for the usual useful item if you'd like it.

cheers,
M

 

[Soloman]

Now what would that be mary,are the brick makers any good.
If you let russ know ill drop them off this weekend,how many are you after.
Soloman.

 

[Toddy]

Excellent thank you
If you could spare a couple that would be very kind

The log maker I have is a metal one that has two cross over kind of handles that squeeze the block of paper/chippings and the like.
Scrap candle wax is supposed to be very good but inclined to be smokey. It certainly gives off a lot of heat and light.
I've to pick up a rucsack from Russ, so I'll get the log maker to him somehow

cheers,
M

 

[woof]

Any one in the Nottingham area, can by them from the prison on Perry road. They are in the visitors centre.

Rob

 

[Soloman]

I have to go to kdy on sat anyway Mary so ill drop them in then.
Steve.

 

[Brewers Whoop]

Anyone making and using these 'logs' regularly? If so, are they any good?

Although that is a fairly pointless question, as if they weren't any good you presumably wouldn't be doing it regularly. My coat is round here somewhere: I'll just get it....

 

[Man of Tanith]

i've always been tempted by the idea of the log makers but wonder if they are worth the time and effort?

 

[Toddy]

I've burned a few on outdoor fires, and they work fine.
I have friends who have made them for home fires and they both eventually found them too much bother when they had sticks easily available.
Apparantly the biggest issue is drying them out, and then finding somewhere dry to store them for Winter use. They both agreed though that properly made they did make good use of otherwise waste material. One said that if you got into a routine, of drying off a couple beside the fire every night from a batch made every weekend, then those were used the next night on the fire and it was all very straightforward.
I think you have to be the kind of people that don't mind domestic industriousness

cheers,
Toddy

 

[Stringmaker]

I had one of these and as Toddy says, you need time and space.

I used to use well mulched paper (and I mean well mulched, almost porridge). You end up with very dense hard dry bricks but it takes a good while to dry them thoroughly. Mixing fine sawdust would help hugely as I found that just using paper leaves you with cold ash and no residual heat.

One thing I thought of trying but didn't was to make enough bricks to build a cabin/shed. Once finished and painted with waterproof sealant it would be a cool eco-den.

 

[rik_uk3]

Really not worth the effort to be honest.

 

[Zingmo]

Check out what the Legacy Foundation do. Some pictures here. They end up with doughnut shaped briquettes which dry quicker and burn better. I can't find a link but there is a youtube vid out there somewhere showing a press based on the legacy foundation principle but using a bottle jack instead of the huge wooden lever.

Z

 

[spandit]

Time better spent chopping up an old pallet - log makers aren't really worth the effort, IMHO. The legacy foundation one is a bit better but they do take a long time to dry in this country & you could spend a whole day making enough to burn in an evening

 

[eel28]

I have one, not been used for a very long time, found it far too time consuming to make and more importantly, dry out before using them.

It's sat in the loft gathering dust at them moment, so if anyone wants it to have a play with, just let me know

 

[Tengu]

yes, they take ages to dry.

 

[Toddy]

I've been thinking about this.

The sodden wetness is the problem, yes ?

So, don't wet the paper.
Instead, think about what you want......a log that burns well and uses scrap material.
How about lining the log maker with paper like a cake tin, and then packing the inner space with masses of shredded, crunched, or torn up papers with sawdust and melted wax poured in between the layers. Then fold the top of the original liner paper over the lot and 'then' squeeze the whole block. Roll it up in another paper like a toffee and twist the ends or fold around like the white butcher's paper round a bag of chips. Easy to light, uses up the material and no drying out to do at all.

I don't think they'd last as long as a log made from papier maché but it should take a lot less hassle to make.

cheers,
M

 

[bigegg]

If anyone wants any scrap paper/card to make some - free to collect from South Leeds - I scrap about 1cu m a week.

 

[320ccc]

i make small blocks with a caulking gun and a section of perforated pvc schedule 40 pipe.

newsprint and scap paper are my usual ingredients. two cups of sludge make a three inch x one inch and a half block. takes a week for them to dry with high humidity.

when i've used wood waste the slurry has to set for at least two days, longer is better before the blocks will form correctly.

if you dip the blocks in wax (parrafin) it will waterproof the block and make it burn hotter.