Making Paper Bricks / Logs

winkat

go to homebase now if you want one of these there on sale at £4:99
look under paper compressor on line and you can reerve for store collection

im making my bricks using
4 sheets off dry newspaper to line the molds allow extra to fold over
put the soaked paper into the center of an old peice of bed sheet material gather the corners and twist to remove excess water
then fill the paper lined molds with the mix saves drying time
fold over the dry newspaper when full then compact as normal
im drying mine in my now empty greehouse shelving turn once a week
a little time now saves money come winter
the paper lining can be brushed with essential oils lavender is good

sibot74

The brick makers in Homebase are reduced to 99p now - it would be rude not to buy one!

buckman

Just seen these and want to have a go for our woodburner?

Are the Homebase ones any good, as 99p sounds very cheap??

Seakay

http://www.homebase.co.uk/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=20001&partNumber=538508

Looks ok but only available instore and none of my nearby ones have it in stock so I haven't seen one 'live'

sandraroffey

i had one of these gizmos years and years ago. made a million tons of paper bricks and they were totally useless. the paper just flared up and was gone. good luck with it, all who are giving it a go.

Topher

sandraroffey wrote: »

i had one of these gizmos years and years ago. made a million tons of paper bricks and they were totally useless. the paper just flared up and was gone. good luck with it, all who are giving it a go.

We've done various experiments with this. We found that if you barely tear the paper up, it makes a fairly useless brick, but paper torn into thick strips, then nominally separated so they don't go into the compresser as a layered chunk, works better. Compressed only by hand with upper body strength, gives a brick that burns for about and hour within the "coals" of out open fire.
I mention the "by hand" because of the disaster we had when my daughter stood on the compressor and used body weight to squeeze out the water. It was really effective at getting rid of water, it just took ages to get the poor little brick back out.
We dry the bricks outside if there's decent sun (:rotfl:) or indoors on the creel/ Sheilamaid if not. This year I'll be burning last summer's bricks while drying this summer's bricks near radiators etc.
T

buckman

Just got a maker for 99p!!

Anyway, does anyone know the best solution to go in the water (along with the paper) to soak it overnight so it breaks it all down??

I heard that a drop of detergent in the water would help - I just need to add something to break down the paper a bit quicker so it turns to mush

annie123

Just been to my local homebase to get some paint, and although the website said my local one was out of stock of brick makers,
they had 6 sitting in the reduced section for 75p:D

Guess what we now have;)

Hubby gave mine to the charity shop many moons ago:mad:, not telling him 'bout this one till I've a pile of bricks made

DaddyTom

You can, of course, dry them on the AGA or in a low oven provided you watch them - but then perhaps this defeats the object because you are using fuel to produce fuel!

janthemum

Has any one seen any of these brick moulds going cheap anywhere the cheapest I have seen is amazon 'Eko-log maker' £14.99.

I want to make a stack of them for my mum and dad next winter as thet have a multi fuel wood burning thingy.

I thought if I could make two a week and give them 100 around October/Nov later in the year. But woulf that amount not really last very long? should I be aiming to make more? Thanks