Home made fire logs from recycled material: DIY - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

ROLLGUY · #1 11-23-2011, 02:08 PM

For those of you that have a wood burning stove or fireplace, and have access to the materials, these fire logs are basically free! I have been making fire logs for a couple seasons, and thought I would share the process here. I saw this somewhere on the 'net, and have improved it somewhat. I am a veg oil user, so I have "dregs" (food particles, animal fats, etc) left over from the filtering process.

The recycled ingredients needed are: Filter waste, Saw Dust and/or shredder shavings, Milk/juice cartons (1/2 gallon), piece of 2X4. You will also need some shipping/box tape (not recycled of course!).

I use the bottom half of a 20 gallon steel drum for a mixing tub. I add the ingredients:

I use a drywall mud whip and 1/2 drill motor to mix up the ingredients:

The next step is to pack the mixture in the cartons, and tamp down with the 2X4:

They should look like this when full:

The next step is to fold the top over, and tape it tight. I loop strips of tape vertically and horizontally around the carton for a tight seal. The carton is oily, and the tape sticks to itself better than the carton:

They last in my fireplace for at least 1/2 hour, and sometimes more than an hour.
ENJOY!!

Stretch · #2 11-23-2011, 02:13 PM

Do they smell good?

Do they make you feel hungry?

ROLLGUY · #3 11-23-2011, 02:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Army

Do they smell good?

Do they make you feel hungry?

They surely don't make me hungry while making them!!
The smell is different than regular wood, but I don't notice the same nice smelling aroma that my car exhaust has.

Stretch · #4 11-23-2011, 02:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ROLLGUY

They surely don't make me hungry while making them!!
The smell is different than regular wood, but I don't notice the same nice smelling aroma that my car exhaust has.

Oh right interesting so it isn't as strong a smell as some WVO fumes at the tail pipe can be then...

I think you could be on to something here - have you patented the process yet? All proceeds to charity...

Biodiesel300TD · #5 11-23-2011, 02:49 PM

I wonder if a guy could make fertilizer pellets much the same way. It would be a slow release pellet with low levels of nutrients. But all organic.

ROLLGUY · #6 11-23-2011, 03:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Army

Oh right interesting so it isn't as strong a smell as some WVO fumes at the tail pipe can be then...

If I were to smell the smoke from the chimney, it probably would not smell any different than real wood. However, the smell from 2 of my vehicles are quite different from each other. The Mitsubishi truck smells nowhere near as good as the E300. The E300 smells sweet, and very good. It is probably because it is much more efficient. The Mits. on veg smells almost as bad as Dino D.

ROLLGUY · #7 11-25-2011, 12:48 PM

I started a fire last night. After getting a bed of coals, I placed one of the home made fire logs on the coals:

After one half hour:

After one hour:

I am not sure how long it lasted, as I went to bed and my son stayed up watching a movie. He took the photo for me at the one hour mark.

Dubyagee · #8 11-25-2011, 12:54 PM

Does it create buildup in the flue or chimney?

elchivito · #9 11-25-2011, 02:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dubyagee

Does it create buildup in the flue or chimney?

My money's on lots of creosote unless that's a really hot fire.

cmac2012 · #10 11-25-2011, 03:46 PM

Looks semi hot but who knows.

ROLLGUY · #11 11-25-2011, 03:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dubyagee

Does it create buildup in the flue or chimney?

I don't know, as I have never had my chimney cleaned.

elchivito · #12 11-25-2011, 09:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ROLLGUY

I don't know, as I have never had my chimney cleaned.

Ever experienced a nice rip roaring flue fire? Makes a runaway diesel motor seem like a walk in the park, and if your flue happens to go past any wooden roof members, get out fast.

79greaser · #13 01-03-2012, 07:39 PM

I have been wanting to do this for a while. My buddy has a wood burner in his garage, and is a carpenter (surplus of clean saw dust). He said the first log "burned pretty hot". "About as hot as I have seen it." My mix was a bit more "fatty" than what you have pictured. in 6 mo, there is about 6" of thick sludge in the bottom of a 55 gal drum. I added a bit of particulate laden veg oil I had laying around to the mix to thin it because it was initially really hard on the drill (1/2" dewalt, 10gal of sludge, 1/2 garbage bag of sawdust, 1gal ****ty veg oil), and eventually got it mixed. So far so good. going to clean the flu this week to see any change in condition. I've seen a runaway diesel. Would not like to see a runaway chimney fire.

ROLLGUY · #14 01-04-2012, 11:24 AM

I got my chimney cleaned last month before installing a fireplace insert (airtight wood stove). The guy said it was bad, but he has seen worse. The wood stove should help keep the chimney cleaner than the fireplace. Much more complete burn, and MUCH more heat in the room and not up the chimney! I have burned a few of my logs in the stove and they last a couple hours. I need to get busy and make more with the mesquite wood shavings a friend gave me from his wood lathe projects.