Paper/Biomass Briquette Press

I will definately post up some stats on burn times and dimensions of the finished bricks along with pictures of the finished product. The price of the materials was minimal as I used scrap 2x4s from other projects, and I went an bought a cheap 2 ton bottle jack from harbor freight.

I plan on using scrap paper only (newspaper, junk mail without plastic windows on the envelope) and/or mix in some lawn waste like cut grass and/or leaves to see how it goes. The paper will be shredded and soaked in water, until it is the consistency of spitball material (only way I can describe it effectively). Apparently it takes a week or two to 'cure' and dry.

What I plan on doing with it? I don't have a fireplace, but I saw a few videos of people using them for bbq-grills, but I want to test them out first to ensure there are no wierd green flames coming off them. As far as being prepared and in a semi-urban environment, it is always handy to have fuel of some kind on hand for cooking when the gas grid would go down.

I work shift this weekend so the rest of the project will have to wait until Tues/Weds. Since I am bored at work right now, I will update the original post with some sort of supply list.

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Originally Posted by rbeau30

I saw a few videos of people using them for bbq-grills,

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If using junk mail, I'd be more than a little concerned about eating food covered in smoke from the various resins & coatings used to make paper glossy.

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Originally Posted by hatidua

If using junk mail, I'd be more than a little concerned about eating food covered in smoke from the various resins & coatings used to make paper glossy.

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Yes, I read that newspaper only is good for this as the ink is vegetable-based supposedly. I'll probably call up the Denver post and ask them before I would use them in the BBQ.

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Originally Posted by rbeau30

I will definately post up some stats on burn times and dimensions of the finished bricks along with pictures of the finished product. The price of the materials was minimal as I used scrap 2x4s from other projects, and I went an bought a cheap 2 ton bottle jack from harbor freight.

I plan on using scrap paper only (newspaper, junk mail without plastic windows on the envelope) and/or mix in some lawn waste like cut grass and/or leaves to see how it goes. The paper will be shredded and soaked in water, until it is the consistency of spitball material (only way I can describe it effectively). Apparently it takes a week or two to 'cure' and dry.

What I plan on doing with it? I don't have a fireplace, but I saw a few videos of people using them for bbq-grills, but I want to test them out first to ensure there are no wierd green flames coming off them. As far as being prepared and in a semi-urban environment, it is always handy to have fuel of some kind on hand for cooking when the gas grid would go down.

I work shift this weekend so the rest of the project will have to wait until Tues/Weds. Since I am bored at work right now, I will update the original post with some sort of supply list.

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Green flames would show you have an excess of one of four different chemicals mixed in with the paper. The most obvious would be phosphorous, the next would be boron. Stick to non-glossy papers with no fancy dyes on them and you should be fine. Bright orange, pink, greens with blues... All from chemicals in the paper. The biggest threat would be aerating heavy metals possibly mixed in with the dyes, a common one is Titanium Oxide or a Ti chelate used to make a white dye, very common. 3M calls one of their industrial white dyes a Ti lactate. It's actually a compound that mimics an enzyme and traps Ti molecules. Aerating the heavy metals from this in small doses wouldn't be a problem. Regular exposure would be a health risk and excessive exposure could be terminal, especially for kids. The mass majority of dyes are safe, but the fancy ones can be dangerous if burned.

So, if you DO get an odd color when it burns and there are dyed papers in it. Don't use that type of paper again. Any dye used in a newspaper should be safe. I'm more concerned about fliers and junk mail adds, the fancy stuff produced in high end machines.

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Originally Posted by SA Friday

Green flames would show you have an excess of one of four different chemicals mixed in with the paper. The most obvious would be phosphorous, the next would be boron. Stick to non-glossy papers with no fancy dyes on them and you should be fine. Bright orange, pink, greens with blues... All from chemicals in the paper. The biggest threat would be aerating heavy metals possibly mixed in with the dyes, a common one is Titanium Oxide or a Ti chelate used to make a white dye, very common. 3M calls one of their industrial white dyes a Ti lactate. It's actually a compound that mimics an enzyme and traps Ti molecules. Aerating the heavy metals from this in small doses wouldn't be a problem. Regular exposure would be a health risk and excessive exposure could be terminal, especially for kids. The mass majority of dyes are safe, but the fancy ones can be dangerous if burned.

So, if you DO get an odd color when it burns and there are dyed papers in it. Don't use that type of paper again. Any dye used in a newspaper should be safe. I'm more concerned about fliers and junk mail adds, the fancy stuff produced in high end machines.

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I'll probably end up segregating the materials that I use the briquettes for. Newspaper/grass/leaves for cooking possibly, and everything else for heat in a well ventilated situation.

If anyone wants to come to my house in the fall, you can pick up as many leaves as you want! [Wave]

Quote:

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Originally Posted by SA Friday

Green flames would show you have an excess of one of four different chemicals mixed in with the paper. The most obvious would be phosphorous, the next would be boron. Stick to non-glossy papers with no fancy dyes on them and you should be fine. Bright orange, pink, greens with blues... All from chemicals in the paper. The biggest threat would be aerating heavy metals possibly mixed in with the dyes, a common one is Titanium Oxide or a Ti chelate used to make a white dye, very common. 3M calls one of their industrial white dyes a Ti lactate. It's actually a compound that mimics an enzyme and traps Ti molecules. Aerating the heavy metals from this in small doses wouldn't be a problem. Regular exposure would be a health risk and excessive exposure could be terminal, especially for kids. The mass majority of dyes are safe, but the fancy ones can be dangerous if burned.

So, if you DO get an odd color when it burns and there are dyed papers in it. Don't use that type of paper again. Any dye used in a newspaper should be safe. I'm more concerned about fliers and junk mail adds, the fancy stuff produced in high end machines.

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With so many beetle-kill trees in CO, it seems like simply getting a permit to take some wood off Nat'l Forest land (which is easy to get), would bypass many of the chemical concerns and provide for a bit of meaningful time outdoors.

I've been hearing mention of these things in various places now but haven't found any burn times yet. Keep us posted if you try this out.

Another question I might have though, what about the glossy type paper? Like magazine paper, some newspaper inserts, etc., should that be filtered out or would you just compress it with the rest? (Those don't usually start well in the woodstove during winter, but once its going they do ok which is why I ask.)



Badger

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Originally Posted by Badger

I've been hearing mention of these things in various places now but haven't found any burn times yet. Keep us posted if you try this out.

Another question I might have though, what about the glossy type paper? Like magazine paper, some newspaper inserts, etc., should that be filtered out or would you just compress it with the rest? (Those don't usually start well in the woodstove during winter, but once its going they do ok which is why I ask.)



Badger

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I think just to be safe I am going to just use regular pages from the newspaper since The denver post ink and such is made with vegetable based products. I definately will post burn times... maybe a video if I can figure this you tube thing out.

I just transitioned to night shift so this whole week has been a haze of drowsiness. Monday I'll finish it up and start making the briquettes.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Badger

I've been hearing mention of these things in various places now but haven't found any burn times yet. Keep us posted if you try this out.

Another question I might have though, what about the glossy type paper? Like magazine paper, some newspaper inserts, etc., should that be filtered out or would you just compress it with the rest? (Those don't usually start well in the woodstove during winter, but once its going they do ok which is why I ask.)

Badger

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Should be up to about 2 hours if good and hard packed.

Glossy paper won't absorb water as well as non-glossy, so it will not only smell worse but not compact as well and therefore not burn as long.

JMO, YMMV. [Beer]