Chris Bacon wrote:

Dee wrote:

I have a large quantity of residual coal slack in the bottom of the
coal bunker.
Placed directly on the domestic fire it tends to put it out.
I believe that there is some simple way to bind the slack and burn it
like coal.
But does anyone know how?
I have a vague memory of something to do with small plastic bags.
But I could be wrong!!


If there's enough slack, mix it with ordinary cement at about
12:1 (the mixture should be *just* damp), and shovel it into
bags and flatten it, or leave it to set in a layer on a sheet
of stuff. Bash it gently after a week or two, and burn it.
If you've only a pail or three, use it for banking up, or
feed it piecemeal onto a good fire.

That takes me back in years :-(

My father used to do that. The slack, like the OP says, can dampen a
fire, but that is good if you wanted the fire to stay lit overnight. You
came down from the bedroom and there was a fire just waiting to be woken
up :-)

Dave