Sawdust Paper Log Press Project

[Christophe]

I did this while waiting for something better...I don't have a 230 V fan on hand...maybe that will be enough?

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[Christophe]

It's better: with the hole, I ground at least twice as long before the trigger...

Just after triggering, the windings are >90°C... the passive will probably not be enough for (slightly) more intensive operation and there are other parts that will heat up, as Gegyx says!

[Macro]

yeah you risk heating up your living room by setting the cabin on fire...

I got one that had started my work on fire after being shunted too...Not the same color but to say the same production...

[Ahmed]

Even if this kind of device seems to me inadequate for this use, I think that you could significantly reduce the power absorbed by slightly moistening the boxes (a night outside to refresh their ideas? ). However, you have to see if it would be harmful to the cutting system (rust).
Apart from the compulsive amateurs (sic) of paper bricks, it is the vermicomposters who show the most interest in the amateur crushing of cardboard...

[Petrus]

My experience with paper/cardboard briquettes:
I cut the paper/cardboard with a document shredder like Christophe's, then soaked in water.
I started with a manual press, the pressure was not enough to obtain a solid brick. I then made myself a press with a car jack, it was better but still not great. In the end I used a 2T hydraulic jack to get a good density, but it still took forever to dry and the combustion result was not satisfactory. It was mostly a lot of ash.
In short, a lot of effort to obtain mediocre fuel.
It's not worth it, this is just my personal opinion based on my experience.

[Ahmed]

Thank you for your interesting testimony; Too bad your experience is negative.
I think that the manufacturing method and tools are indeed decisive for the success of the operation, which otherwise quickly becomes daunting. It is also necessary to consider what influences combustion: density, shape of the log. For my part, I have not noticed any bad results on this side with the format that I have chosen. As for the ash, that seems to me quite close to what is obtained with the combustion of wood and very far from the attempts to burn bundles of leaves previously attempted which smothered the fire and generated abundant ash.

[sicetaitsimple]

A small addition:
- without wishing to fumble, I think that Ahmed's "design", with its two through-holes in the brick, is favorable to a better homogeneity/regularity of combustion.
- concerning the high rate of ashes, it should not be surprising. Papers/cardboards are added during their manufacture with a certain number of "fillers", non-combustible for the most part, aimed at improving some of their characteristics for the intended use. It often represents around twenty% by mass.

[Christophe]

yeah you risk heating up your living room by setting the cabin on fire...

I got one that had started my work on fire after being shunted too...Not the same color but to say the same production...

I didn't bypass the thermal, just the 2 trigger sensors...

[Christophe]

My experience with paper/cardboard briquettes:
I cut the paper/cardboard with a document shredder like Christophe's, then soaked in water.
I started with a manual press, the pressure was not enough to obtain a solid brick. I then made myself a press with a car jack, it was better but still not great. In the end I used a 2T hydraulic jack to get a good density, but it still took forever to dry and the combustion result was not satisfactory. It was mostly a lot of ash.
In short, a lot of effort to obtain mediocre fuel.
It's not worth it, this is just my personal opinion based on my experience.

It's also a bit what I've been thinking since the beginning: apart from the "comfort" of loading and storing (very small volume), paper/wood sticks don't have many advantages compared to their direct combustion. ..

If we take into account the preparation time of the logs, I think it's clearly a negative balance...

However, a paper press can also press other things: like mixing paper / fir needles / sawdust / cereals / sunflower....

Which should boost the PCI...

I will try the compressed mowing waste and encapsulated in newspaper in 2023...

Ahmed's project is in any case interesting, it all depends on the fuel resource we have!

[Christophe]

A small addition:
- without wishing to fumble, I think that Ahmed's "design", with its two through-holes in the brick, is favorable to a better homogeneity/regularity of combustion.
- concerning the high rate of ashes, it should not be surprising. Papers/cardboards are added during their manufacture with a certain number of "fillers", non-combustible for the most part, aimed at improving some of their characteristics for the intended use. It often represents around twenty% by mass.

Exact.

If you want better combustion, you need more temperature, more oxygen and more contact surface, in this case well... you might as well burn the shredded material directly... but it's a lot of loading work... .probably daunting for most people...