Compressed waste paper logs

[Amy]

Im sure theres a dedicated page for this subject somewhere but cant find it.

Anyway, while at friends over new year, doing my bit to pay my way, splitting logs out the back yard i noticed they have 2 tiny little hand presses for making square paper logs.
Just lay there rusting for obvious reasons cos its hard work and has to be done when your in the mood, have a good stack of paper and well in advance of use to allow them to dry.

So, .......yeah i was bored and in engineer mode, thinking about whats needed and came up with this idea.
They have an electric garden shredder and i know from experience of a place i worked at where they used a shredder to chop up dead piglets and afterbirth and i know it does a good job on paper, ...........so, ...........shread the paper, loads of it, dump it in a tank to soak.

Meanwhile, forget the hand opperated press and make something more substantial out of 4" steel pipe. Drill it full of holes for drainage, make a method of closure for one end, make it 12" long and mount on the bed of the hydraulic splitter, above the tank of soaking paper.

Either manually fill the tube or with a submersible pump which handles solids, depending on how small the paper is shreaded.
Use the ram to press out the water , back off, remove the cap and push the log out and repeat, .......many times.
Stack up and allow to dry.

Will it work, is it feasable?  A supply of paper is no probs and the principal works, its just the move to mass production and durability thats important.

[martin]

I think what's stopped most people is the hassle, and they are b*ggers to dry - if you could make a thundering great batch in spring, and then slow dry them in natural airflow (polytunnel with chimney?), I could see it working well.........

[kristen]

"they are b*ggers to dry"

Freshly cut timber, split, is going to take a couple of years to dry ... are "paper logs" worse than that??

[martin]

-probably not - unfortunately, I think many of the "paper log makers" are sold suggesting that it's a 2 day job from making to using!

[Billy]

I did try when I was land based and not so paranoid about sea level rise.   Trouble is the goats took a fancy to the sun dried paper logs and they didn't dry so well in the shed.  And nicking the paper before the scouts got to it was a troublesome pastime.  So I 

[Amy]

-probably not - unfortunately, I think many of the "paper log makers" are sold suggesting that it's a 2 day job from making to using!

Ah, .........swindlesave got there first eh?
Retrospective teapot? 

[johnrae]

Forget the "it can't be done" team and have a go !!
With a decent hydraulic pressure you should be able to get most of the liquid out and then it's only a wait for the moisture to evaporate.  In reality paper logs can't be much different from peat as far as moisture is concerned.
Alternatively don't make a slurry.  Spray a little moisure/paste mix (flour paste so's it's "green") onto a dry shredded paper pile, stir it up then compact it in your press.  Very little moisture and once the blocks are squeezed they should hold together well enough until dry.
Rather than puting on a cap, make a slightly tapered pipe with a die on the end and exctrude sausages of paper and cut to length.
Jack

[Amy]

Forget the "it can't be done" team and have a go !!
With a decent hydraulic pressure you should be able to get most of the liquid out and then it's only a wait for the moisture to evaporate.  In reality paper logs can't be much different from peat as far as moisture is concerned.
Alternatively don't make a slurry.  Spray a little moisure/paste mix (flour paste so's it's "green") onto a dry shredded paper pile, stir it up then compact it in your press.  Very little moisture and once the blocks are squeezed they should hold together well enough until dry.
Rather than puting on a cap, make a slightly tapered pipe with a die on the end and exctrude sausages of paper and cut to length.
Jack

Smokin 

Not sure about the flour though, could get expensive and the mice will love them too much when they are piled up drying.
Potato waste would be good cos the starch sticks anything.

The angle of dangle taper would be proportionate to the pressure needed to squidge the water out to an acceptable level.

[Taffyboy]

How about an auger with tapered die?

[Amy]

Yeah great if I had access to the scrapheap challenge scrap yard which mysteriously always seems to be exceptionally well stocked with just the right kind of scrap for the proposed projects.

Anyone got an old wormdrive concrete pump?

[Taffyboy]

Yeah great if I had access to the scrapheap challenge scrap yard which mysteriously always seems to be exceptionally well stocked with just the right kind of scrap for the proposed projects.

They, they, they, cheat??? Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo......

[Amy]

They, they, they, cheat??? Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo......

Is that a stutter ya have there Michael? 

[room101]

or you could mix it with lard.... ( midnight raid to frotters house )...

[Amy]

The woodstove would smell like a kebab shop but never rust. 

[Taffyboy]

<Looks around for Michael>..

(Taff will do...btw)