Compressed waste paper logs

[Billy]

me thinks, stammer, not stutter.

[Stefan (S.T.E.F.)]

Shredding the paper without electricity is my first problem. The other half thinks that just ripping it up by hand will be fine or just soak whole. Endless stack of newspaper lying around but no electricity to shred with.... well, we have some, but don't want to use it for such a job.
Are there hand operated shredders that can cope with more than 1 sheet at a time?
Also looking for ideas to make a press so that we can start making these logs for next winter.

To dry them out we have planned to make a large frame covered in chicken wire, raised off the ground with a polythene hood like a polytunnel. Moisture can run off to the ground without dripping onto the logs and no mice will move in....

Stefan

[Amy]

Scatter the papers over the lawn and move in with a mower. Rake it all up and soak it.

Or, ..........borrow the blender you bought her the first christmas you were together!!!

Maybe, just maybe there was a good reason why you bought it after all. 

[Stefan (S.T.E.F.)]

Scatter the papers over the lawn and move in with a mower. Rake it all up and soak it.

Or, ..........borrow the blender you bought her the first christmas you were together!!!

Maybe, just maybe there was a good reason why you bought it after all. 

That's funny but not a real solution.

Stefan

[County 4x4]

Newspapers will tear into pretty good strips either down the pages or across - can't remember which - but you could do a whole paper at a time easily.

The biggest problem with these things is that they produce a hell of a lot of ash.

I made a few batches myself once upon a time using a standard press off ebay - I used to stand on the handles rather than press by hand which made a dryer block to start with. Stacked them up by the stove to dry, but never particularly impressed with the heat output, the way they burned, or the amount of ash produced in all honesty.

As ever though - your mileage may vary!

Andy

[Amy]

I know, ............why dont we get logs straight from the trees?
Cut out all the middle men, the mess and waste. Im sure it could catch on. 

[County 4x4]

You could be onto something there Amy!

Meanwhile - just thinking aloud really - I wonder how paper briquettes would perform if they were made in a proper briquetting press? I had a couple of meetings a long time back with a guy who designed machines for compacting shredded banknotes. They were proper solid when they came out of the machine - whereas the "hand made" variety could be described as "firm" at best. I guess that the more dense the finished product, the more energy it's going to contain. Off the top of my head, the pressures involved in commercial wood waste briquetting machines are in the order of 80tons/square inch - which is quite far removed from anything you're going to achieve with a couple of 12 inch hand operated levers.

Andy

[Amy]

Andy,
wernt you involved with commercial waste paper and card?
I knew a chap who set up a drying and extrusion plant for hay and straw to make animal bedding and feed, but I know nothing about the machinery.

I guess when you have 160,000 lbs psi your going to get a more consistant product which might burn hotter and cleaner, so the fire will stay in longer when unattended and reduce the ash.

[billi]

I would not  consider to use newspaper briquettes  as a fuel at all ( forbidden in Germany)  there is heavy metal content and other Poisson ( ) involved  when burning  ....

Billi

ok  i changed a bid   are you English teachers    or polluters ?

Poisson sans boisson est poison 

[martin]

sounds fishily French to me..........

[Amy]

Pousin?

Chicken innit?

[Stefan (S.T.E.F.)]

Newspapers will tear into pretty good strips either down the pages or across - can't remember which - but you could do a whole paper at a time easily.

The biggest problem with these things is that they produce a hell of a lot of ash.

I made a few batches myself once upon a time using a standard press off ebay - I used to stand on the handles rather than press by hand which made a dryer block to start with. Stacked them up by the stove to dry, but never particularly impressed with the heat output, the way they burned, or the amount of ash produced in all honesty.

As ever though - your mileage may vary!

Andy

I never thought one could be impressed with paper bricks but I suppose they are better than burning thin air whilst my willows are growing.... They will help to keep the fuel bill low, as I will need to buy some logs in the meantime... Poplars are also fast growing. [note to self]Must buy some soon....[/note to self]

Standing on the handles is a good idea. I was wondering if that worked... maybe if I put a plank over the handles I could get all the kids to balance on it?

Stefan

[County 4x4]

Andy,
wernt you involved with commercial waste paper and card?

Yes Amy I was.......and look where that got me - redundant and broke

We were baling it with a 50ton baler, but even that would be nowhere near a briquette press in pressure terms. Plus of course we ended up with mill size bales and you'd need a bloody big stove for one of them

Stefan, standing on the handles certainly gets more moisture out - but worth bearing in mind that the rest of the press construction isn't designed for that. I found that after a while the long sides of the press box would start to bulge outwards and you'd have a job releasing the briquette after pressing.

Andy

[kristen]

"Poplars are also fast growing."

Not good to burn though ... like a sponge, so hard to get dry enough, and they tend to fall to bits just as they get dry enough.  Might be OK for burning in Summer if you get them dry during a Summer month, but in Winter they'll reabsorb moisture

I've got some recently felled Lombardy's and a moisture meter; I'll report back ...

[Amy]

Andy, see the positive and take that with you. You have knowledge and experience, and possibly contacts?