Making Paper Bricks / Logs

PasturesNew

Has anybody done any rough costings on how much this saves?

How much does wood/fuel cost compared to the savings that could be made by making your own logs?

Just interested. I've not even got a fireplace.

moo2moo

To stop the bricks sticking in the log maker.....

Line the log maker with 2 dry sheets of A4 paper, put wet paper in, place dry A4 sheet floded in half on top. Squeeze then brick comes out fairly easily.

mary43

We had a log maker some 27 years ago...........I seem to remember it taking ages to soak the newspaper, then we had to shred it and put it in the log maker, press it down hard and out came a paper brick. We did this during the summer so we could stack them outside to dry. They worked, up to a point, but didn't seem to keep burning for as long as I'd hoped so we always had to add either coal or wood that we collected from the local woodland (always branches that had been blown down have to add).
OH put a wine bottle on the fire one night and frightened me to death......felt sure it would explode but it didn't..........in fact it kept going all evening..........just checked with OH and he says it had to be a green wine bottle (don't know why).
Now we have gas........when we moved I wanted heat at the touch of a switch.................but I'm more and more wishing we had an open fire what with fuel prices as they are

cuddlymarm

Hi

I'm about to move into a house with a woodburning stove (I know its sad but I'm really looking forward being toasy in winter cos our current house is big and draughty)

My question is do you need to buy one of those paper brick maker thingys or is there another way (I'm trying not to buy anything I don't need to)

Also are there any knacks that I need to know(I was brought up with open fires so I know the basics but we've never had a woodburner)

Any advice will be most welcome

Cuddles

:rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:

BB1984

Do you mean to light it or to burn? If it's to get it lit, I wouldn't bother - my old house had a wood burner and we just used twisted up newspaper and small bits of wood to get it going.

stick a load of newspaper twists in there, with some small bits of kindling wood. Light the paper, open up the holes at the front of the burner fully, then close the doors. When the fire has gotten going a bit, add some bigger bits of wood. Once it's roaring, close the holes halfway, then after a while close them up fully.

lucky you having a wood burner - i miss mine!

bb

Zed42

There is another thread somewhere on here about making paper logs. I'm sure a board fairy will find it for you .... as I can't!

I bought a paper brick maker from Scotts of Stow I think about 3yrs ago. But you can make them by hand, they just need a lot of squeezing to get the excess water out.

For my "mixture" I use shredded paper, torn up newspaper and any sawdust if I have any. I find that too much bleached paper is not wonderful, and therefore need to use more newspaper ... then I dry them in the greenhouse or on top of the boiler.

I tend to soak the mix for a few days, but it equally works well with a few hours. Normally I just run out time, LOL!

Good luck and have fun ... this is definitely the week to get some made

Obukit

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=320166

Just be careful - I tried to make some once and got too carried away with the "squeezing", and they were too dense to burn! Mixing sawdust or similar in with the paper makes a really big difference.

Penelope_Penguin

Zed42 wrote: »

There is another thread somewhere on here about making paper logs. I'm sure a board fairy will find it for you .... as I can't!

Thanks Zed - I love the idea of being a Board Fairy. I still have my Race for Life wings and wand

I'll add this to the existing paper log thread.

You can make logs in a pice of half-round gutter pipe if you don't want to invest in a maker. You might try Freecycle for one, though I've not had a ny luck so far

Penny. x

ness_w

Does anyone have any recommendations as to the brand of brick maker? Or are they all much of a muchness?

Thanks, Ness.

gtriffitt

I am about to have a multi fuel burner fitted and was wandering if you can make logs from leaves and wether or not they would burn without to much smoke. I have already made some by compressing some leaves and now they are drying out. But don't want to use them if their is going to be a problem.
I have just tied them up with string just to keep them compressed while drying out.
My biggest fear is that when they are dried and put on the stove would the string burn and the leaves just flare up. Any ideas anyone?