Step 5: Finished/dirty hands
There's your finished newspaper log. Now look at your hands. The photo shows what my hand looked like after making three logs. If you make about eight in one session your hands will be really black.
Put the logs in the sun to dry. It depends on the weather how long they'll take to dry. The logs I made for this instructable dried in one day. But it was a hot day (30c/86f). If you're making them in cool weather it could take two weeks if there's no sun.
Update, 10th November 2008: I have mentioned in the comments section that once the fire season starts you can get your logs dry within a few days by stacking them on top of the wood heater or in front of an open fire. There is a photo in the comments.
If the weather is lousy, but you haven't yet had any fires you can make use of a well aired spot. If you keep your firewood under cover, it would also be a good place to dry your paper logs. In cool cloudy weather I make a space for the logs to sit for as long as it takes. I put an old screen door on some boxes and use that as a drying rack. Air can get to the logs from underneath. Any area that gets the wind but is protected from the rain will do fine if you can afford to wait a couple of weeks for them to dry.
It's surprising how hard they are when they're dry. If you tap yourself on the head with one, you'll see what I mean.
You really need to make a whole lot of them before winter. Otherwise it will be too cloudy and cold. At the beginning you will probably love making them, so take advantage of this and make as many as you can. After a while your enthusiasm will wear off and it will turn into a chore especially if you're out in the cold and your hands are freezing while you play around with cold wet newspaper.
But anyway... good luck if you decide to make them. Your firewood will last a lot longer.
Put the logs in the sun to dry. It depends on the weather how long they'll take to dry. The logs I made for this instructable dried in one day. But it was a hot day (30c/86f). If you're making them in cool weather it could take two weeks if there's no sun.
Update, 10th November 2008: I have mentioned in the comments section that once the fire season starts you can get your logs dry within a few days by stacking them on top of the wood heater or in front of an open fire. There is a photo in the comments.
If the weather is lousy, but you haven't yet had any fires you can make use of a well aired spot. If you keep your firewood under cover, it would also be a good place to dry your paper logs. In cool cloudy weather I make a space for the logs to sit for as long as it takes. I put an old screen door on some boxes and use that as a drying rack. Air can get to the logs from underneath. Any area that gets the wind but is protected from the rain will do fine if you can afford to wait a couple of weeks for them to dry.
It's surprising how hard they are when they're dry. If you tap yourself on the head with one, you'll see what I mean.
You really need to make a whole lot of them before winter. Otherwise it will be too cloudy and cold. At the beginning you will probably love making them, so take advantage of this and make as many as you can. After a while your enthusiasm will wear off and it will turn into a chore especially if you're out in the cold and your hands are freezing while you play around with cold wet newspaper.
But anyway... good luck if you decide to make them. Your firewood will last a lot longer.
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I really like your idea and appreciate the concise way you have presented it. I'm wondering about the duration of the burn on these logs? How long do they burn if they are by themselves?
Before pulping the pages together, I sandwiched a layer of coffee grounds between a few sets of pages and then pulped them in together. Apparently coffee grounds burn hotter and cleaner.
You can also blend in other things like sawdust, toilet paper cores, egg containers etc...
Be creative. Try different things.
You have to try to stick the dried leaves and bark on tightly by pressing them into the pulped paper.
The look like real logs sitting next to your fireplace.
I will try to get some images.
This kind doesn't harm the environment and are non-toxic - also when burned.
You should avoid all other sorts of paper like magazines, and more or less glossy paper and printed cardboard etc. unless the publisher ensures you that the printed materials really are non-toxic.
But again: To burn normal newspapers (printed with non-toxic ink) does absolutely no harm to either humans, animals or environment.
- so go ahead and save some trees ...