Paper/Biomass Briquette Press

[Irving]

The paper logs that I was burning did NOT burn as well as it appears these briquettes do in videos I have seen. The ones I was using were just rolled up news paper that was tied with a string, soaked in water, then dried. They were surprisingly difficult to light as well.

Here is the video I was referring to:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O1Tyt...eature=related

Someone in the comments says that he was getting up to two hours out of the bricks he made. That is tough to believe though.

[GilpinGuy]

The paper logs that I was burning did NOT burn as well as it appears these briquettes do in videos I have seen. The ones I was using were just rolled up news paper that was tied with a string, soaked in water, then dried. They were surprisingly difficult to light as well.

Here is the video I was referring to:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O1Tyt...eature=related

Someone in the comments says that he was getting up to two hours out of the bricks he made. That is tough to believe though.

Damn. Franky, I really don't think the time involved with this is worth it. I mean between gathering paper, leaves, etc., soaking it all, pressing and drying it, etc., it might just be easier to just cut down a dead tree and split it.

Of course, in a survival/preparedness situation this could be very useful, but you'd have to either have a ton of junk mail stored up or have made the briquettes in advance.

Now this is coming from a guy who lives in the mountains with trees all over the place. Maybe for someone in the burbs making these is a better option.