Paper log maker

slave1

Lads and lasses,
Thinking of getting a paper log maker like this one
Any thoughts?

ChuckProphet

slave1 wrote: »

Lads and lasses,
Thinking of getting a paper log maker like this one
Any thoughts?

looks like a good deal and better than
this one which I was looking at and is £30

AdrianR

Don’t know how practical it would be as you would have to dry out the "briquettes" after you make them, you would need a suitable place to do this. Unless you store all your waste paper over the winter and do your manufacturing during the summer when you have some turf rearing weather and let them dry outside and this could get pretty labour intensive. Then after all that I don’t know how well they would burn, I would be interested in some comments on this.

Jack Sheehan

I remember when they used to sell these in the Irish Times, do they actually work like briquettes?

slave1

Don’t know how practical it would be as you would have to dry out the "briquettes" after you make them, you would need a suitable place to do this. Unless you store all your waste paper over the winter and do your manufacturing during the summer when you have some turf rearing weather and let them dry outside and this could get pretty labour intensive. Then after all that I don’t know how well they would burn, I would be interested in some comments on this

yep, will be effort involved, supply of paper not an issue so was thinking of continuing the recycling regime through winter and log when the weather is around, wrt the effectiveness thats more what I'm interested in from folk out there doing it or having done it...

ChuckProphet

A review from Amazon of this product

Those things were all the rage in the late 80's, never knew anyone actually use one.
Having said that if you have the time & space to manufacture them they should make "logs" that burn as well as fast growing pine or other lightweight softwood or peat briquettes.
When I get the multifuel biomass boiler up and running I may try to make some myself.

Alun

I've seen these as well, but am wondering as to the wisdom of burning paper that contains coloured inks. Aren't they a source of dioxins?

2 stroke

Alun, what exactly do you use for heat that isn't a source of dioxins?

Del2005

slave1 wrote: »

yep, will be effort involved, supply of paper not an issue so was thinking of continuing the recycling regime through winter and log when the weather is around, wrt the effectiveness thats more what I'm interested in from folk out there doing it or having done it...

I can't help but think that burning paper in logs is a waste, I'm open to correction. There is a lot of chemicals, water and energy involved in making paper, it is easy to recycle and saves ~50% when recycled. If you can recycle would it not be better? Also if you have enough paper to burn, why not reduce the amount of paper coming in?

Alun

2 stroke wrote: »

Alun, what exactly do you use for heat that isn't a source of dioxins?

Not quite sure what you're saying there. Personally, I don't burn anything as a source of heat.

As I understand it, harmful quantities of dioxins are released when things containing chlorine compounds are burnt at relatively low temperatures, i.e. the kinds of temperatures you'd find in bonfires or domestic fireplaces. Also, although these are deprecated nowadays and are being replaced, many coloured inks used in glossy magazines and newspapers contain large amounts of chlorine compounds.

If anything is burnt on a commercial basis as a source of energy, at least it is a) being burnt at high enough temperatures to reduce the amount of dioxins released and b) the exhaust gases filtered and are subject to controls, none of which apply to burning random stuff in a domestic setting.

Del2005

Del2005 wrote: »

I can't help but think that burning paper in logs is a waste, I'm open to correction. There is a lot of chemicals, water and energy involved in making paper, it is easy to recycle and saves ~50% when recycled. If you can recycle would it not be better? Also if you have enough paper to burn, why not reduce the amount of paper coming in?

I'm very much of the opinion that transporting waste paper (domestic not commercial) can waste more energy than just burning it to heat your home.

ednwireland

i actually had (and used one of these ) you need a big barrel to soak the paper in then somewhere dry (and warm ideally) to store and dry the logs. the logs didnt actually burn that well (in a log burning stove) they didnt seem to be compressed enough. they were ok but not worth the effort imo. its still in the shed somewhere

Del2005

Deleted User wrote: »

I'm very much of the opinion that transporting waste paper (domestic not commercial) can waste more energy than just burning it to heat your home.

Yes if you only go to recycle the paper, but if you do it when shopping or going to work it shouldn't make any difference. Also if everyone had this idea then it definitely wouldn't make sense. But if there was enough recycled then economies of scale would come in. I'm lucky enough to have kerbside recycling so if I was to burn the paper the truck would still come by but there wouldn't be anything to go in, that would definately be a waste. Again I'm open to correct on this if someone can show me otherwise.

prospect

Del2005 wrote: »

Yes if you only go to recycle the paper, but if you do it when shopping or going to work it shouldn't make any difference. Also if everyone had this idea then it definitely wouldn't make sense. But if there was enough recycled then economies of scale would come in. I'm lucky enough to have kerbside recycling so if I was to burn the paper the truck would still come by but there wouldn't be anything to go in, that would definately be a waste. Again I'm open to correct on this if someone can show me otherwise.

Then,

If everyone compacted & burned their waste paper and cardboard, there would be no need for the truck, or it could be used to collect more glass/aluminium/plastics/metal etc.
Also, if it provided 5% of your weekly heating requirement, then that would be 5% less oil/gas/peat/coal you are using.

I am not entirely disagreeing with, just highlighting the flipside.

2 stroke

Alun wrote: »

If anything is burnt on a commercial basis as a source of energy, at least it is a) being burnt at high enough temperatures to reduce the amount of dioxins released and b) the exhaust gases filtered and are subject to controls, none of which apply to burning random stuff in a domestic setting.

Not true. Incinerators work like this. The same leglislation does not apply to burning fossil fuels or rdf.
If someone burns paper logs instead of coal or oil, they will imo reduce the amount of dioxin they produce.

Alun

2 stroke wrote: »

Not true. Incinerators work like this. The same leglislation does not apply to burning fossil fuels or rdf.
If someone burns paper logs instead of coal or oil, they will imo reduce the amount of dioxin they produce.

Incinerators burn at much higher temperatures than domestic fires or bonfires, that's the (very big) difference. You'll release more dioxins into the atmosphere burning a given amount of paper in the form of logs than you would if the same amount were burnt in an incinerator.

prospect

Alun wrote: »

Incinerators burn at much higher temperatures than domestic fires or bonfires, that's the (very big) difference. You'll release more dioxins into the atmosphere burning a given amount of paper in the form of logs than you would if the same amount were burnt in an incinerator.

But how does burning a recycled paper log, instead of a lump of turf from the bog, compare to:
Throwing the paper into landfill & then depleting a natural resource by burning turf aswell?

P

wazzoraybelle

We used one of these years ago and found that they never burned well even when dried for months! They smolder more than burn. We eventually found it wasn't worth the considerable time and effort involved.

Oldtree

ditto, many years ago. These logs (just like most turf) tend to smolder unless you combine with a very hot coal fire. Not worth all the effort. Buy some wood, leave it to dry and chop it up yourself, very rewarding flame, carbon neutral and good exercise too.

Antrim_Man

slave1 wrote: »

Lads and lasses,
Thinking of getting a paper log maker like this one
Any thoughts?

Well, did you ever do this????

Mahatma coat

As someone said, these things were all the rage in the eighties, they used to make a briquette that was the same dimensions as a BnM ones, the Paper ones themselves were a bit rubbishy as was stated, but a combo of Paper and coaldust and sawdust and wasteoil and basicly anything you think would be a good idea to burn in yer fireplace is the way to go

they did make a lovely Looking briquette

periodictable

I have access to alot of sawdust-I'm wondering if it could be mixed with the paper so as to use the paper as a binding agent?
Would it be possible to compress woodchip or is one looking at buying an industrial type machine?

ian_m

periodictable wrote: »

I have access to alot of sawdust-I'm wondering if it could be mixed with the paper so as to use the paper as a binding agent?

That is what is recommended. Sawdust or shredded paper.

El Kabong!

We have one of these. We used it during the summer, and then dried out all the briquettes in the greenhouse.

I found them OK to burn but noticed a lot of paper 'ash' on the roof of my car the day after.

Only used it one summer because other things got in the way.