Paper block maker

smcqis

Anyone use one of these? are the results any good

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/New-PAPER-BRIQUETTE-MAKER-recycle-waste-paper-into-log-ECO-FRIENDLY-free-fuel-/130639358114?_trksid=p3284.m263&_trkparms=algo%3DSIC%26its%3DI%26itu%3DUCI%252BIA%252BUA%252BFICS%252BUFI%26otn%3D21%26pmod%3D280688031469%26ps%3D54

I was thinking of using old paper and mixing it with water and coal dust but not sure how it would burn?

smcqis

Its for a multi fule stove

LocalLad

I was thinking of getting one of these, but after looking at it I was able to fabricate a home made one that made perfect briquettes. Truth is that it is quite time intensive. Time to soak paper, mix it, form briquettes (mine made 2 at a time) and then dry out completely. The burn I was getting off each one would be around 30 mins and the heat wasn't great. I think you would need an awful lot for it to be a feasible source of heat. I think if you find a good supplier of hard wood, it would work out cheaper, given the time you would be saving to do something else.

smcqis

possibly but if you have plenty of time and dont mind doing it it could work out good fuel for the spring months where it is not as cold. I see a heavy duty one online (not the one above) that Im hoping to get for around a 10er and Ive loads of paper, mix it in abucket and 30 secs - 1 min to create a brick i would say hopefully

Greenfires

If you want to spend hours making a mess, weeks and weeks drying the "briquettes" out, and then completely fill your stove with ash from something that does little more than smoulder, then these things are great! My guess is that most people who buy them will realise they're a waste of time and energy after the first go - I certainly did. We even made a heavier version to apply a lot more pressure - didn't use that again either...

muckybutt

Ive had customers that have used them and have said what a waste of time and effort, they produce little heat output and as greenfires say they just smoulder away more than anything. They also produce huge amounts of ash, some of which does end up going up your chimney, which if still hot and the conditions are right is a sure fire way to start a chimney fire.

suki1964

smcqis wrote: »

possibly but if you have plenty of time and dont mind doing it it could work out good fuel for the spring months where it is not as cold. I see a heavy duty one online (not the one above) that Im hoping to get for around a 10er and Ive loads of paper, mix it in abucket and 30 secs - 1 min to create a brick i would say hopefully

One minute of pressing

24 - 48 hours of soaking paper - you need pure mush to press else they just fall apart

Then around 4 months in a dry draughty place for them to dry

And then you get about 40 mins of burning leaving your ash pan and fire basket fill to the gills in ashes

Now the stack of bricks we made are home to mice and the best use we found for them so far was to jack the car up when working on it :rotfl:


Seriously, so not worth the effort. The heat from them is minimal. I might throw a few on late at night in the winter months to keep the fire going that wee bit longer rather then get a bucket of coal in, but that only on an already hot stove

Wena

suki1964 wrote: »

One minute of pressing

24 - 48 hours of soaking paper - you need pure mush to press else they just fall apart

Then around 4 months in a dry draughty place for them to dry

And then you get about 40 mins of burning leaving your ash pan and fire basket fill to the gills in ashes

Now the stack of bricks we made are home to mice and the best use we found for them so far was to jack the car up when working on it :rotfl:


Seriously, so not worth the effort. The heat from them is minimal. I might throw a few on late at night in the winter months to keep the fire going that wee bit longer rather then get a bucket of coal in, but that only on an already hot stove

I use my paper blocks wet on a very hot fire, they slowly dry and then burn. Often will work for many hours.

Greenfires

If you're using the energy in the fire to drive of all that moisture, it's not being released into the room! It's essentially the same as burning wet wood - which as everyone who runs a stove should know, produces a fraction of the heat (as well as making a mess of your chimney)

suki1964

Wena wrote: »

I use my paper blocks wet on a very hot fire, they slowly dry and then burn. Often will work for many hours.

Can't really see the point of putting wet paper on a hot fire?

You may as well throw a bucket of water over the coals before lighting them

suki1964

Greenfires wrote: »

If you're using the energy in the fire to drive of all that moisture, it's not being released into the room! It's essentially the same as burning wet wood - which as everyone who runs a stove should know, produces a fraction of the heat (as well as making a mess of your chimney)

Nearly as good as our infamous wet log burner, who was drying the wet logs in his oven along with a fish supper before burning them :rotfl: