Excess sawdust? Consider this:

[John Landis]

I use a wood stove for heat in the winter, subscribe to a daily newspaper, and make LOTS of sawdust.



Last Christmas, I got a 4-in1 logmaker from Kotula's and it works like a champ! I use about a 50-50 mix of newspaper and sawdust to make the fire logs. They dry in about a week (in the summer), and while they don't burn as hot as firewood, they make great starters.



Here's the link:



http://www.kotulas.com/deals/ProductDisplay?catalo​gId=10602&storeId=10152&productId=17632&langId=-1

[Kevin Godshall]

LOL! My son and I were just looking at this in the catalog, and discussing whether or not it actually worked. I was actually thinking about trying to make a ramped up press using my log splitter (no further discussion, please).

Anyway....... does it work? How messy is it? What do you consider the "return on investment" to be? Thanks!

[ray hampton]

do you mix glue with the sawdust-paper ? will the glue burn or melt into a glob ? can you use a oil-based paint as a glue to cement the sawdust and paper together ?

[Larry Browning]

do you mix glue with the sawdust-paper ? will the glue burn or melt into a glob ? can you use a oil-based paint as a glue to cement the sawdust and paper together ?

I read the manual. This is a simple press. You soak your sawdust, paper, and what not in water for a few days. Fill up the mold with you mixture, squeeze the water out of it and let it dry out for a week or so. Presto changeo, you have a log to burn. It makes 4 logs at a time.

[Larry Browning]

LOL! My son and I were just looking at this in the catalog, and discussing whether or not it actually worked. I was actually thinking about trying to make a ramped up press using my log splitter (no further discussion, please).

Anyway....... does it work? How messy is it? What do you consider the "return on investment" to be? Thanks!

Hey?!?!?! Is your real name Tim Taylor:D

[ray hampton]

I read the manual. This is a simple press. You soak your sawdust, paper, and what not in water for a few days. Fill up the mold with you mixture, squeeze the water out of it and let it dry out for a week or so. Presto changeo, you have a log to burn. It makes 4 logs at a time.

If you use hot water to soak the sawdust and paper , if will shorten the soaking time

[Kevin Godshall]

Hey?!?!?! Is your real name Tim Taylor:D

Ruh, ruh, ruh. (LOL).

Been on another board with some crazy loggers, and some of the ideas and suggestions about what to do with logging equipment in the "off season" gets a bit over board. Just a "for example": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JmgIRizmQKw

[Roger Feeley]

I just learned a few days ago that you can get machines to make wood pellets for pellet stoves. Just google 'pellet mill'.

[J. Ed taylor]

A cousin with a cabinet shop in his hardware store was sweeping sawdust into small boxes. I asked the obvious and he said if you place the box in the fire and don't poke it, it will hold together while it burns. I tried it in my fireplace and it worked.

[David Peebles 1]

Similarly, I stuff sawdust into paper bags (of a size that will fit into my trash burner). No need for water soaking or any special prep. The sawdust burns fine, doesn't flare up, and it helps heat the shop. Seems to hold its bundled shape until it's all burned up.

[harry hood]

I used to do something similar for camping when I had lots of free paraffin from a lab I worked in. Melt the wax in a double boiler and pour it into the paper bags that have the sawdust in them, add some copper sulfate crystals, etc. if you want the fancy Duraflame colors, and shape them into log-like things before the wax cools.