Disposing of sawdust and offcuts - what do you lot do?

[Big J]

Just curious what some of you larger sawmills do with your waste products? I'm about 38 tonnes into a 130 tonne cutting job and we're producing sawdust and offcuts at a rate of knots. About 2 cube of sawdust a day and 2.5 tonnes of firewood offcuts to be precise.

 

Are the biomass lot interesting in sawmill offcuts or will they only pay a pittance? I used to firewood it myself, but I don't have time time (and never really had the inclination). The sawdust goes to horsey types, but it's a ballache loading them up and organising them to bring builders bags and not come after hours or weekends.

 

Any ideas appreciated - seem to spend almost as much time dealing with the waste products as cutting!

[TurtleWoods72]

You could buy a briquette forming press and start producing 'fire logs' like they sell in petrol stations, supermarkets etc.

 

The initial investment would be significant, but ongoing you've got a second business!

 

If you weren't so far away I'd do it myself.

 

As for off cuts, if you're taking the outer strips of 'bark like' material, a sawmill near me used to bundle them up into, err bundles and sell them for £50 each, collection only in roughly 8ft lengths for firewood. There was even a waiting list!

 

If you're talking small odds and sods, I'd pile them up somewhere and advertise it as 'collection only - budget firewood' and let people fill their own sacks/ trailers / car boots / pockets etc whilst charging them a small fee for the privilege.

 

Might not go great guns in August, but come the winter you'll be turning them away

 

Good luck!

[Mike Dempsey]

The one advantage of using the alaskan mill is that the sawdust gets left where the log lay and not at my workshop. Even my firewood gets cut to length on site to minimise any waste at the workshop.

[Big Beech]

Our local sawmill used to sell them as cords as above, 4 yrs ago for £15 a go. Now you won't get them for less than £45. Easy money

[se7enthdevil]

well i'm no sawmill but my waste goes to a chicken farmer for free, he gets rid of my waste and he gets free bedding.

 

my offcuts go for the fire.

 

 

jon, could you not find a local (possibly on the doll) who would be interested in processing the waste you produce?

[10 Bears]

I know dairy farmers often use a lot of sawdust for in the sheds, but I believe this may be treated?

 

Perhaps you could supply the supplier?

[farmer rod]

Just curious what some of you larger sawmills do with your waste products? I'm about 38 tonnes into a 130 tonne cutting job and we're producing sawdust and offcuts at a rate of knots. About 2 cube of sawdust a day and 2.5 tonnes of firewood offcuts to be precise.

 

Are the biomass lot interesting in sawmill offcuts or will they only pay a pittance? I used to firewood it myself, but I don't have time time (and never really had the inclination). The sawdust goes to horsey types, but it's a ballache loading them up and organising them to bring builders bags and not come after hours or weekends.

 

Any ideas appreciated - seem to spend almost as much time dealing with the waste products as cutting!

 

I used to collect slabwood from a mill up the road from us, which got chipped once a year for our boiler. However with the sustainability criteria for Biomass, it would now have to have a chain of custody certificate or something similar. (Arb waste has escaped this )

 

It was a great asset when we did have it because it dries out far quicker than roundwood, so brings the average chip moisture percentage down appreciably

[gensetsteve]

There are plenty of people with hammer mills and brick machines happy to spend hours and £2 in electric to get £2.50 a bag for there produce. Or get an incinerator to heat the workshop/ house. Doesn't need to be high tech just a bit of pipe running through and a control method to stop it chalking up.

[aspenarb]

There are plenty of people with hammer mills and brick machines happy to spend hours and £2 in electric to get £2.50 a bag for there produce. Or get an incinerator to heat the workshop/ house. Doesn't need to be high tech just a bit of pipe running through and a control method to stop it chalking up.

 

When Swanny had his sawmill all his sawdust and offcuts went into this rather fancy incinerator that heated his joinery shop. Being fan assisted it was virtually smokeless .

 

Bob

[Alycidon]

Sawdust in a heap and set fire to it late on a Sunday night. Chips/ offcuts etc into a bag and use myself as kindling or logs.

 

A