Free Heat! Its Everywhere!
Intro: Free Heat! Its Everywhere!
An invader from the steppes of Mother Russia. The Russian Thistle(sasoli kali) is a common garden pest. The weed is easy to pull, but a problem remains, what do you do with the massive amount of fibre material?
Simple, turn it into something you can heat your house with, firelogs.
Materials and Tools
1. Russian Thistle, about 1/2 cubic yard of freshly pulled will be enough for one log when its dried
2. Shredded paper from your shredder, any other type of cardboard or cardstock. The residual ligin in the paper helps bind the log together.
3.A 5 gallon plastic bucket and water
4. A plastic flower window box as a mold
5. An electric drill(1/2") with a stucco mixing paddle.
6. A piece of plywood that fits over the top of the window box
7. Cinder block
(Optional)A garden chipper and wheat paste .
Simple, turn it into something you can heat your house with, firelogs.
Materials and Tools
1. Russian Thistle, about 1/2 cubic yard of freshly pulled will be enough for one log when its dried
2. Shredded paper from your shredder, any other type of cardboard or cardstock. The residual ligin in the paper helps bind the log together.
3.A 5 gallon plastic bucket and water
4. A plastic flower window box as a mold
5. An electric drill(1/2") with a stucco mixing paddle.
6. A piece of plywood that fits over the top of the window box
7. Cinder block
(Optional)A garden chipper and wheat paste .
STEP 1: Do the Crunch
Take your thistle and let it dry until its crunchy. Then smash it up with whatever you have. Feet work ok, wear boots! If your have a chipper, grind up the big roots and stems.
STEP 2: Some of the Stuff You'll Need.
Get it all together in one spot and the work goes quickly
STEP 3: Mix the Shredded Paper and Water First
Fill the bucket with paper, then wet it all down and stir.
STEP 4: Add the Dried Thistle
A little at a time if neccessary, add more water.
STEP 5: Finished Mixture
It should be just easy enough to pour
STEP 6: Pour and Fill the Mold
The mold should have a drain to let excess water out. Save the drained water in a separate bucket, because the oxygenating chemicals in the thistle are water soluble. After the solution evaporates, the solid residue can be rehydrated and added to the log to increase its energy content and make it cleaner burning.
STEP 7: Apply Pressure
A piece of plywood fitting over the top of the mold compacts the mixture.
STEP 8: Release the Block
You can do this when its still wet, let it dry in the sun until its dry enough to burn.
84 Comments
Lovetra 6 years ago
All of the sawdust and sanding dust I create in may garage and goes into my dust collector I put into any small box from the kitchen I empty and gets burned in my wood burning stove. So far none of the neighbors have complained and when asked, they say they don't have a problem. I have mixed no binders just used small boxes as a holder for the burnable stuff. If I lived where this thistle grows I would give it a try! Looks interesting
FlyPot 7 years ago
Any plant material that has a woody stock will dry and burn well, but as others have pointed out - you need to be careful with allergies and sensitivities to certain plants. It's one thing to touch something that gives you a reaction - it's something far more nasty to inhale the smoke, air born oils or ash from plants that you or your neighbours are susceptible to.
ksexton1 8 years ago
I won't be trying this, as I have an allergy to russian thistle. Nothing severe, but inflammation if I'm scratched by it(even small green seedlings), and sinus issues, eyes water, etc from smoke from burning it.
DavidL237 8 years ago
Has anyone tried any other materials? I live in farm country and thought possibly using the Soybean chaff or corn stalks after harvest. I've also seen, for the outdoor pellet burners, use Cherry Pits. Possibility of putting some of them in this mixture as well?
DavidL237 8 years ago
I am making something along the lines listed above... Instead of Thistle -- using the saw dust of the logs I cut this Summer and Fall. Looks like it should work - ;)
DavidL237 8 years ago
Will this work on any Thistle? I live in Indiana, and don't think we have Russian around here.
dave367 8 years ago
You may be surprised. Russian Thistle has another, better-known name--tumbleweed. ;-)
3967 8 years ago
is this for burning in a kamin?
alchicken 14 years ago
nanaverm 8 years ago
Other than the wonderful honey bees make from star thistle, this may be the best use of it.
Shadowmang 15 years ago
Mud Stuffin 15 years ago
Shadowmang 15 years ago
jonahjuice 15 years ago
DeusXMachina 15 years ago
chrwei 12 years ago
gasifiers can help with wood burning byproducts, but I'm sure how well it scales.
seems the only thing we all do agree on here is that there is no perfect solution. It's good to see people experimenting though.
jonahjuice 15 years ago
chrwei 15 years ago
adamvan2000 15 years ago
maven 14 years ago