Pallet Saw Dust Fire Log

Hy everyone, today after some news projects with pallet I recovered a lot of saw dust.

I will teach you how use it to warm you in winter.

I Europe we are lucky, we using "EPAL" pallet there is no pesticide just a heat treatment.

Remember, energy is our future, save it. And when it's free it's better ^^

Step 1: Materials

Really easy :

• Saw dust
• Toilet paper roll or other paper roll
• Water
• Hammer
• Flour (optional)
• Recycled paper (improvement)

Step 2: Build It

Mix saw dust and a little of water in a container, if you had to much water don't worry, add more saw dust or flour.

My mixture is 6 unit of saw dust with 1 unit of water and 1 cc of flour.

Next push some mixture in the paper roll and use grip of hammer to compress all, if the mixture is good, there should not be any water coming out.

Step 3: Dry It

Then put it in the sun to dry it, when everything is hard, it's perfect for burning.
As you can see, I made several and so far everything goes well and for 0€.

I have some ideas to improve all this as also use recycled paper. I prepare a small machine to do all this more quickly with a silicone gun, but this is for the next instructable.

Don't forget it's better when it's free ^^

Step 4: Improvement

If you have recycled paper , you can mix it with sawdust if you have previously cut into small pieces.

As the cardboard but it will take longer let macerate.

Comments

[bigwillyco]

Isn't anybody else concerned about the pesticides they use in pallet lumber being burned in their house? Untreated lumber, this would be a great idea.

[Mugsy Knuckles]

If you want to be technical, and I know you do, woodsmoke is pretty bad for you anyway, even smoke from a free-range organic slow grown tree that was hugged daily.

[swimspud]

Even if pallets are not chemically preserved, they could still have carried chemicals or been exposed to toxins some other way. Just like in welding, "be safe and keep your head out of the smokes path."

[s_jansen66]

Pallets nowadays usually aren't treated with pesticide. The wood is heat treated. Just look at the "ippc" stamp with the grain symbol. If it says HT that means the wood is just heat treated. (Sometimes it also says DB, which means de-barked.) As long as it doesn't say MB (methyl bromide fumigated) you're good to go.

[Blackir]

I have chance, in europe they are not pesticides in pallet.

We use EPAL pallet, it's a heat treatment and not a chemical treatment.

it's a very dry wood easy to work.

[Mindmapper1]

I have tried this before and these pellets don't give out much heat at all, they just smolder and produce a lot of smoke. Im not yet convinced that this method is worth the effort. I just burn the saw dust on my stove in the workshop. I fill the bottom with about half full with wood dust and chippings, light with the blow torch and then add a few bits of scrap wood on top. Works a treat.

[Blackir]

It's curious, at home it works very well and I did not smoke at all, it burns very quickly and strongly.
I have a Scandinavian wood stove with double burning, this just may that.

[jmwells]

While your idea of using a caulking gun might work, I suggest a modified wall mounted can masher. More leverage, less work and probably would be faster.

[Blackir]

very interesting, thank you, i will work on this.

May be my next instructables ^^

[swimspud]

I've had difficulties with the "piston" method of paper log creation. I was lucky enough to find a press that works very well. like pressing the log long ways (easy to fill and remove)

[Stan1y]

thanks for the sealant gun idea have a similar but unrelated need of compaction into tubes.