Compressed Sawdust

[Gav73]

Hence why I said it would be the only reason to go to all that work. [emoji849]

It would be a lot of work and expensive for me to get in the car, drive to home bargains (other cheapo shops are also available) and spend money on firefighters when I have everything available to make them at home for nothing other than my time to put a shovel of sawdust into a bucket, and mix it into some melted wax.

I’m not sure why you think it’s a lot of work? it seriously isn’t, it takes a couple of minutes to make 50 firelighters.

It would probably cost me a fiver in fuel to get to and from home bargains with the current fuel prices and I would have used an hour of my time - when I take all that into account pack of 50p firelighters doesn’t sound cheap to me.

Oh and I’d have an extra bucket of sawdust to dispose of too [emoji23]

[AHPP]

Used engine oil and brake fluid instead of wax.

[trigger_andy]

It would be a lot of work and expensive for me to get in the car, drive to home bargains (other cheapo shops are also available) and spend money on firefighters when I have everything available to make them at home for nothing other than my time to put a shovel of sawdust into a bucket, and mix it into some melted wax.

I’m not sure why you think it’s a lot of work? it seriously isn’t, it takes a couple of minutes to make 50 firelighters.

It would probably cost me a fiver in fuel to get to and from home bargains with the current fuel prices and I would have used an hour of my time - when I take all that into account pack of 50p firelighters doesn’t sound cheap to me.

Oh and I’d have an extra bucket of sawdust to dispose of too [emoji23]

You must spend a fortune when you drive into town solely for Milk. Then the next day for Bread. Then the next day for butter……..

[Gav73]

You must spend a fortune when you drive into town solely for Milk. Then the next day for Bread. Then the next day for butter……..

Learn something new every day. I didn’t realise home bargains also sold milk, bread and butter, might have to start doing my weekly shop there

[trigger_andy]

1 minute ago, Gav73 said:

 

Learn something new every day. I didn’t realise home bargains also sold milk, bread and butter, might have to start doing my weekly shop there

 

Every days a school day.

[scbk]

I'm a weirdo, I occasionally collect a few bulk bags of sawdust from the sawmill, throw some in the chicken run, mix a bit in with the woodchip, put it down as a path in the polytunnel, tried it as a mulch, etc, it's all free organic matter of some sort and it will rot down into the soil.

Also built a compost toilet last year, that uses sawdust, but only a tiny amount really!!

[Rob_the_Sparky]

For home users who generate just a small amount of saw dust (like me) I have thought about this and looked into it.  Pellets from a machine are financially out of the question.  I really can't see the mess of mixing with shredded paper in water, then compressing and drying is going to be worth the hassle.  I tried mixing with candle wax last year and it worked but was a bit messy (quite possibly would be easier with a bit of practice and might do it again).

 

I mostly just shovel it into a large flexi bucket and put handfuls on the fire to aid lighting.  No messing about with it, just use it as is (once it has dried a bit).  Putting it in some kind of box you can put on the fire is clearly also an option (easier to store and cleaner) but TBH as I can just use it as is I don't see the point in messing around trying to turn it into some other product.

[Welsh cleaning services]

How about filling a suitably sized tin can with a couple of vent holes in bottom and just standing it on embers of fire last thing at night,that’s if it’s in a wood burner .

[Steven P]

Coming back to this again,

 

I've seen and made the sawdust burners (last years experiments), and they work well, barrel of some sort, even a bean tin sort of works (for the kids!), a hole down the middle, and off it goes (got in trouble for this one when I tried that in the garage and it still smelt of smoke in the morning).

 

Wax, or used oil, yes, seen that and I reckon that would all work nicely. Been making lard/seed bird feeders with The Boys this week, wonder if melted lard would work too, then decide which is cheapest.

 

Back to what I was doing this week, dried coffee grounds are no good, crumbles, so now trying the same with wet coffee grounds see if a bit of water helps (thinking back to coffee shops having to smack the coffee holder to get the pressed coffee out after making a brew, though this might be a factor of it being heated up with the hot water / steam). Wet coffee went in last night, 24 hours later - tonight - will see how it goes.

[Rob_the_Sparky]

If you are trying to form briquets you need a binder of some sort.  Plenty out there on the web about it, once you wade through all the wet paper solutions.  You can do it with wood but it takes a lot of heat to do it, which is what the pellet machines do.  Rather than experimenting randomly I'd do some focussed Googling/reading.