Anybody ever do anything productive with their sawdust? I'm not talking
about using a handful for this or that but for the majority of it produced.
Is there a way to effectively turn it into a log (block,etc) for a firepit,
etc?

I was thinking about a water/glue solution to form it but then I'm thinking,
is that smart?

--
Message posted via CraftKB.com
http://www.craftkb.com/Uwe/Forums.as...rking/200710/1

"WonderMonkey via CraftKB.com" u37947@uwe wrote in
news:7940bebc19857@uwe:

Anybody ever do anything productive with their sawdust? I'm not
talking about using a handful for this or that but for the majority of
it produced. Is there a way to effectively turn it into a log
(block,etc) for a firepit, etc?

I was thinking about a water/glue solution to form it but then I'm
thinking, is that smart?


Ever seen compressed sawdust and glue? If not, just visit your local
cheap furniture store.

The Threshermen used to run their threshing machines really hard and then
throw sawdust in the fire box to get a spark show.

Model railroaders used to die it and use it as grass, ballast, and other
such ground coverings.

Puckdropper
--
Wise is the man who attempts to answer his question before asking it.

To email me directly, send a message to puckdropper (at) fastmail.fm

Puckdropper wrote in
reenews.net:

*snip*


Model railroaders used to die it and use it as grass, ballast, and
other such ground coverings.

Puckdropper

Oops... Wrong form of "die." Should be:

Model railroaders used to dye it and use it as grass, ballast, and
other such ground coverings.

Puckdropper
--
Wise is the man who attempts to answer his question before asking it.

To email me directly, send a message to puckdropper (at) fastmail.fm

WonderMonkey via CraftKB.com wrote:

| Anybody ever do anything productive with their sawdust? I'm not
| talking about using a handful for this or that but for the majority
| of it produced. Is there a way to effectively turn it into a log
| (block,etc) for a firepit, etc?
|
| I was thinking about a water/glue solution to form it but then I'm
| thinking, is that smart?

Well, at least you're thinking. Mix it well with parafin shavings,
pack it into a pipe form, and compress it with a hydraulic ram. You
may want to experiment with the mix ratios and the pressure. :-)

--
Morris Dovey
DeSoto Solar
DeSoto, Iowa USA
http://www.iedu.com/DeSoto/

Fri, Oct 5, 2007, 8:52pm (EDT+4) u37947@uwe
(WonderMonkey*via*CraftKB.com) mumbles;
Anybody ever do anything productive with their sawdust? I'm not talking
about using a handful for this or that but for the majority of it
produced. Is there a way to effectively turn it into a log (block,etc)
for a firepit, etc?
I was thinking about a water/glue solution to form it but then I'm
thinking, is that smart?

Yes.
Yes, but not me.
Yes.
Depends on what you mean by smart.



JOAT
"I'm an Igor, thur. We don't athk quethtionth."
"Really? Why not?"
"I don't know, thur. I didn't athk."

Hmmmm.... turn a log into sawdust, then turn the sawdust back into a log?
Why not just burn the log in the first place?

B.

Fri, Oct 5, 2007, 9:47pm (EDT+4) (Puckdropper)
snipThe Threshermen used to run their threshing machines really hard
and then throw sawdust in the fire box to get a spark show. snip

Where'd you hear that one? The steam threshers I know of used
straw as fuel, plenty of sparks from that, which is why the chimneys
needed spark arresters. One of the last things you'd want in a dry field
of "fuel" would be sparks.



JOAT
"I'm an Igor, thur. We don't athk quethtionth."
"Really? Why not?"
"I don't know, thur. I didn't athk."

"WonderMonkey via CraftKB.com" wrote:

Anybody ever do anything productive with their sawdust? I'm not
talking
about using a handful for this or that but for the majority of it
produced.
Is there a way to effectively turn it into a log (block,etc) for a
firepit,
etc?

You approach the problem the same way the electric utilities burn
powdered coal, you aerate the sawdust, then let it burn as it falls.

Lew

In article ,
"Lew Hodgett" wrote:

"WonderMonkey via CraftKB.com" wrote:

Anybody ever do anything productive with their sawdust? I'm not
talking
about using a handful for this or that but for the majority of it
produced.
Is there a way to effectively turn it into a log (block,etc) for a
firepit,
etc?

You approach the problem the same way the electric utilities burn
powdered coal, you aerate the sawdust, then let it burn as it falls.

Both sound a bit involved to me. In _Downhome_Ways_ by Jerry Mack
Johnson, he recommends taking a large (empty) paint can or other round
metal container, removing the lid, improvising legs, and cutting a
circular hole a couple inches in diameter in the middle. Dry sawdust is
then packed in around a suitable form (round stick or pipe stuck through
the hole), the forming rod removed, and the contents lit using a wadded
up piece of newspaper stuck in the middle. It's claimed to burn
laterally 1 1/2 to 2 inches per hour.

I've not tried it myself, but it sounds reasonable (outdoors or at least
in a very well-ventilated place, of course).

--
Andrew Erickson

"He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot
lose." -- Jim Elliot

There was a local company that made firelogs, with a combination of
shavings, sawdust, and parafin. The logs worked great for a firestarter for
campfires, and would last a couple hours on their own. They were compressed
into trapazodial shapes. I think they're out of business now, but we've got
a few of them in a storage shed, since my dad was involved with making the
factory.

Clint

"Morris Dovey" wrote in message
...
WonderMonkey via CraftKB.com wrote:

| Anybody ever do anything productive with their sawdust? I'm not
| talking about using a handful for this or that but for the majority
| of it produced. Is there a way to effectively turn it into a log
| (block,etc) for a firepit, etc?
|
| I was thinking about a water/glue solution to form it but then I'm
| thinking, is that smart?

Well, at least you're thinking. Mix it well with parafin shavings,
pack it into a pipe form, and compress it with a hydraulic ram. You
may want to experiment with the mix ratios and the pressure. :-)

--
Morris Dovey
DeSoto Solar
DeSoto, Iowa USA
http://www.iedu.com/DeSoto/

On Oct 5, 4:52 pm, "WonderMonkey via CraftKB.com" u37947@uwe wrote:
Anybody ever do anything productive with their sawdust? I'm not talking
about using a handful for this or that but for the majority of it produced.
Is there a way to effectively turn it into a log (block,etc) for a firepit,
etc?

I was thinking about a water/glue solution to form it but then I'm thinking,
is that smart?

Water -- and pressure -- are the binders used to produce
commercial fuel pellets. No need for glue, which would
likely foul up your chimney.

"Ferd Farkel" wrote in message

I was thinking about a water/glue solution to form it but then I'm
thinking,
is that smart?

Water -- and pressure -- are the binders used to produce
commercial fuel pellets. No need for glue, which would
likely foul up your chimney.


It is actually the lignin in the wood that does the binding. The problem at
home is getting up the pressure needed to make it stick together for it to
work.

I wonder if you can spread it on newspaper and roll a log? I've made paper
logs by rolling sheets together tightly.

"Clint" wrote:

There was a local company that made firelogs, with a combination of
shavings, sawdust, and parafin. The logs worked great for a
firestarter for
campfires, and would last a couple hours on their own. They were
compressed
into trapazodial shapes. I think they're out of business now, but
we've got
a few of them in a storage shed, since my dad was involved with
making the
factory.

There is an outfit in Stockton, Ca that manufactures fireplace logs
using waste materials.

As far as I know, they are still in business.

Lew

(J T) wrote in
:

Fri, Oct 5, 2007, 9:47pm (EDT+4) (Puckdropper)
snipThe Threshermen used to run their threshing machines really hard
and then throw sawdust in the fire box to get a spark show. snip

Where'd you hear that one? The steam threshers I know of used
straw as fuel, plenty of sparks from that, which is why the chimneys
needed spark arresters. One of the last things you'd want in a dry
field of "fuel" would be sparks.



JOAT

You're getting in to youthful memories of one event, so they're bound to
be inaccurate.

What I remember is seeing it done at the Threshermen's Reunion in
Pontiac, IL. There was plenty of green grass around, so little chance
of the field catching on fire.

Puckdropper
--
Wise is the man who attempts to answer his question before asking it.

To email me directly, send a message to puckdropper (at) fastmail.fm

On Oct 5, 10:39 pm, "Edwin Pawlowski" wrote:
"Ferd Farkel" wrote in message

I was thinking about a water/glue solution to form it but then I'm
thinking,
is that smart?

Water -- and pressure -- are the binders used to produce
commercial fuel pellets. No need for glue, which would
likely foul up your chimney.

It is actually the lignin in the wood that does the binding. The problem at
home is getting up the pressure needed to make it stick together for it to
work.

It's also about $3.00 for a 25 lb bag of pellets ready to burn.
Using
sawdust for mushroom bedding would be easier and more profitable.

If earthworms can digest sawdust (they can digest newspaper), you
could make a fantastic profit selling worm castings to gardeners.
Local
garden shop here gets $10 / pint, which takes my small herd about 2
days
to produce.

I wonder if you can spread it on newspaper and roll a log? I've made paper
logs by rolling sheets together tightly.

The pellets aren't bound together all that tightly. You can crumble
them into sawdust between your thumb and forefinger. This probably
helps them ignite faster.

Ever seen how the Shuttle solid rocket motors are made? Big,
long pipes filled with fuel, big hole down the center with an ignitor
at the top -- that's what the cones on top are. Could you do the
same with schedule 40 iron pipe and a tamper rod, maybe slightly
cone shaped to generate sideways pressure and ease removing the
tamper after pressing the sawdust?

On Sat, 06 Oct 2007 01:52:14 GMT, "Clint"
wrote:

There was a local company that made firelogs, with a combination of
shavings, sawdust, and parafin. The logs worked great for a firestarter for
campfires, and would last a couple hours on their own. They were compressed
into trapazodial shapes. I think they're out of business now, but we've got
a few of them in a storage shed, since my dad was involved with making the
factory.

Clint


There are companies still out there. A couple that come to mind are
Duraflame and Presto Logs.

Bill

Bill wrote:
On Sat, 06 Oct 2007 01:52:14 GMT, "Clint"
wrote:

There was a local company that made firelogs, with a combination of
shavings, sawdust, and parafin. The logs worked great for a firestarter for
campfires, and would last a couple hours on their own. They were compressed
into trapazodial shapes. I think they're out of business now, but we've got
a few of them in a storage shed, since my dad was involved with making the
factory.

Clint


There are companies still out there. A couple that come to mind are
Duraflame and Presto Logs.

As somebody else noted, the big thing in making them so they'll burn is
that they use something as an accelerant. Sawdust in a log w/o it
doesn't burn well on its own.

--

On 5 Okt, 22:52, "WonderMonkey via CraftKB.com" u37947@uwe wrote:
Anybody ever do anything productive with their sawdust? I'm not talking
about using a handful for this or that but for the majority of it produced.
Is there a way to effectively turn it into a log (block,etc) for a firepit,
etc?

I was thinking about a water/glue solution to form it but then I'm thinking,
is that smart?

--
Message posted via CraftKB.comhttp://www.craftkb.com/Uwe/Forums.aspx/woodworking/200710/1

No addition of any adhesives
http://www.bogma.com/eng/index.htm
klikk on Movie to see it in action

Mvh
Roy

Sat, Oct 6, 2007, 2:58am (EDT+4) (Puckdropper)
doth claimeth:
You're getting in to youthful memories of one event, so they're bound to
be inaccurate.
What I remember is seeing it done at the Threshermen's Reunion in
Pontiac, IL. There was plenty of green grass around, so little chance of
the field catching on fire.

Well, no. "I" was talking of machines actually threshing in a
field, working for real, not a show. However, a real steam thresher did
NOT want sparks.
http://books.google.com/books?id=9xo...3xPfQW3TIHkIDk
Obviously, you're getting in to youthful memories of one event, so
they're bound to be inaccurate.



JOAT
"I'm an Igor, thur. We don't athk quethtionth."
"Really? Why not?"
"I don't know, thur. I didn't athk."

Hmmmm.... turn a log into sawdust, then turn the sawdust back into a log?
Why not just burn the log in the first place?


the intermediate step involves extracting some boards from the log
first....

"Bill" wrote in message
...

There are companies still out there. A couple that come to mind are
Duraflame and Presto Logs.

I'd stay away from Duraflame, putting one of those in a fireplace is like
calling in an airstrike with napalm, I can smell those when anyone in the
neighborhood is burning them, like a chemical spill. The best
compressed-sawdust fireplace logs I found were sold under the name "Hi
Energy" and didn't seem to have the wax or chemicals or whatever it is
Duraflame saturates their logs with.

It should be possible to make your own compressed sawdust logs using say a
3" or 4" pipe and some sort of ram, it's just a question of the value you
put on the time you'll use to do so.

http://www.epa.gov/woodstoves/efficiently.html

Of course if you're a coffee drinker than you can get really creative. ;^)

http://quickstart.clari.net/voa/art/...-16-voa51.html

On Oct 7, 1:46 pm, "DGDevin" wrote:
"Bill" wrote in message

...

There are companies still out there. A couple that come to mind are
Duraflame and Presto Logs.

I'd stay away from Duraflame, putting one of those in a fireplace is like
calling in an airstrike with napalm, I can smell those when anyone in the
neighborhood is burning them, like a chemical spill. The best
compressed-sawdust fireplace logs I found were sold under the name "Hi
Energy" and didn't seem to have the wax or chemicals or whatever it is
Duraflame saturates their logs with.

It should be possible to make your own compressed sawdust logs using say a
3" or 4" pipe and some sort of ram, it's just a question of the value you
put on the time you'll use to do so.

http://www.epa.gov/woodstoves/efficiently.html

Of course if you're a coffee drinker than you can get really creative. ;^)

http://quickstart.clari.net/voa/art/...-16-voa51.html

Wow. We compost both sawdust and coffee grounds, about anything
organic except bones and scrap meat. Less time wasted, IMO.

It does pay to keep walnut chips and sawdust out of the compost, but
otherwise, we've had no problems. I did find that a separate pile of
walnut waste starts allowing plants to grow after about 5 or 6 years.

"DGDevin" wrote in message
...
"Bill" wrote in message
...

There are companies still out there. A couple that come to mind are
Duraflame and Presto Logs.

I'd stay away from Duraflame, putting one of those in a fireplace is like
calling in an airstrike with napalm, I can smell those when anyone in the
neighborhood is burning them, like a chemical spill. The best
compressed-sawdust fireplace logs I found were sold under the name "Hi
Energy" and didn't seem to have the wax or chemicals or whatever it is
Duraflame saturates their logs with.

It should be possible to make your own compressed sawdust logs using say a
3" or 4" pipe and some sort of ram, it's just a question of the value you
put on the time you'll use to do so.

I have in the past, when I had more sawdust than fire logs, filled paper
bags with sawdust and added them one at a time to a burning fire. The paper
bag burns away and the sawdust slowly ignites and burns down. No mess no
problems. Just keep the bags small enough that you don't overload the fire
or smother the existing fire.