ALTERNATIVE MIXED MEDIA PAPER BRIQUETTES PART 2

Welcome to Part 2 of Alternative Mixed Media Paper Briquettes.

Due to recent renewed interest in Part one and the Burn test for part one I have decided to publish Part two (The burn test for part two will be published once we have a non rainy day where I can get some decent photos)

You can see part one here

As well as the follow up burn test

The recent comments in part one and the burn test have been really helpful so stay tuned for a part three as soon as I can source the additional medias.

Step 1: Getting Started

Here is a quick refresher course for those that haven't seen Part one already.

Grab a big pile of paper that is ready to be recycled and run it through a shredder to make it more manageable.

Step 2: Now Do the Mash ...

No not the Monster mash.

Using a paint mixer attachment, mix the shredded paper up in a 5 gallon bucket with a generous amount of water until you get a nice slurry of paper pulp.

Step 3: Don't Throw Out Those Used Coffee Grounds Just Yet

I am rather fond of coffee so it doesn't take me long to go through a 30 oz container of coffee grounds.

Rather than just throwing them out I collected the used grounds and set them aside until I had a full container and I was ready to make a new batch of briquettes.

As I was collecting the used grounds I would spread them out on a paper towel and let them dry before adding them to the container, with the exception of the second to last batch. That is why the grounds near the top of the container looked a little fuzzy. Fortunately the rest of the container remained dry and mold free so I scrapped the top bit of grounds into the trash and used the rest.

Step 4: Second Chance Candles

Pro tip: don't store candles in an un-air conditioned attic room during summer months.

I had a set of spherical candles that were a nice decorative accent....

Then they got put away for a few months ....

when it came time to get them back out, they were sadly out of shape. (see the oblong globs of light green wax in the first picture)

I also had a really cool Fu Dragon candle that has seen better days.

Aside from at least half a dozen repaired fractures were it broke into one or more pieces when it was dropped or knocked off of where it sat, it was also missing the tip of its tail.

A few minutes with a cheese grater from the dollar store and I had a shoebox full of wax shreds.

Step 5: Mix, Press, Repeat

Now comes the fun part.

Mix the paper pulp with the alternate media and then press it in the briquette press.

I added the full can of grounds to approx 3 gallons of paper pulp, mixed it well and pressed out 3 batches of briquettes.

After that I filled the coffee container up with wax shreds from the shoebox, and added the wax to another 3 gallon batch of paper pulp to make another 3 batches of briquettes.

To dry the briquettes I put a piece of scrap window screen over cookie sheets and cooling racks from the dollar store. This does 2 things:

1) it lets airflow all around the briquette so i drys more evenly.

2) the screen keeps the mix from oozing down between the bars of the cooling rack while it drys.

The cooling racks from the dollar store are a little flimsy so I put a little piece of scrap wood under the center of the rack to keep it from sagging under the weight of the wet mix.