Saw Dust Brick Maker

[tla100]

I'm sorry but their sales pitch is Hilarious!

Using recycled wood is great. And emission output is minimal, 90% less pollutants!!!!!!!!!!!! Amazing, maybe they should burn in a good stove and not in a fireplace. For a 3-4 hour burn, probably not cost effective.

One of the main reasons I burn, cost effective. Plus heat without electricity is nice. Anyways, I hope the "green" folk feel better about themselves for burning these "logs", anyways, getting of point.

 

[nathon918]

Thought I had read here Massachusetts has some biomass plants that buy stuff like that by the ton? Chips/sawdust whatever?

yup there is...we sell tractor/trailer loads of chips to the local powerplant, and a wood pellet manufacture...anything that isn't big/straight enough for a saw log, or big enough to deal with for firewood (under 6-8 inch) gets chipped, all the tops get chipped.
saw chips just aren't worth dealing with to us

 

[zogger]

yup there is...we sell tractor/trailer loads of chips to the local powerplant, and a wood pellet manufacture...anything that isn't big/straight enough for a saw log, or big enough to deal with for firewood (under 6-8 inch) gets chipped, all the tops get chipped.
saw chips just aren't worth dealing with to us

They won't take it if the sawdust is mixed in?

 

[ChoppyChoppy]

We sell it to the oil refinery and to horse folks, gardeners, etc.
I fill a super sack a day (about 1.25 yards) just off my processor. Carl also has a processor and a Woodmizer mill, edger, big planer, etc. Make lots of it!

 

[Philbert]

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/...-uganda-energy-wood-burning-fuel#b01g16f20b15

Philbert

 

[nathon918]

They won't take it if the sawdust is mixed in?

they would...buts its not worth the hassle of putting it in the truck...we chip into 53ft box trailers on site (just regular old fully enclosed freight trailers)...processor is at home, it takes ALOT of saw chips to make a ton. the hassle of putting it in the enclosed trailers, isn't worth the price we would get for them...~$20-30 a ton...would cost more in fuel/labor then the chips are worth
we could also just put a trailer where the shed is and blow it right into a trailer, but it would take a long time to fill up, chips would rot before it was ever filled, then theres paying insurance and registration on a trailer that would move at most once a year...not worth it

 

[unclemoustache]

You could always do pellets. If you have kids, they could do the work, bag it and sell it.

 

[brenndatomu]

One place I cut at allows me to take their trees and then I rake up and give them back some sawdust/chips for chicken and rabbit bedding. That doesn't help you make bricks but I can't see how doing so would ever be worth your time...

 

[Bob95065]

I am a woodworker and I generate lots of fine sawdust. If I could figure out how to make bricks for the stove out of all that sawdust I could use it to get the fire going in the morning.

 

[Philbert]

. . . I rake up and give them back some sawdust/chips for chicken and rabbit bedding.

BTU content might go up after the rabbits use it?

Philbert

 

[ChoppyChoppy]

Would take a week to use up a yard of sawdust with the thing!

You could always do pellets. If you have kids, they could do the work, bag it and sell it.

 

[unclemoustache]

Would take a week to use up a yard of sawdust with the thing!

Not a prob - just go big.

 

[tla100]

Would you be selling enough to offset the cost of gas to run machine? Plus the initial cost of machine.

And if you can't fill the hopper all the way up, seems like a waste of time.

 

[Chris(Glen)]

Thanks for all the insight on the subject. Was just looking for a way to put the waste product to use vs watching it rot off to the side of the yard.

 

[benp]

Interesting idea on the sawdust bricks!!!

Here's my thought.

Get one of these.

Get some parafin wax and maybe a little diesel fuel.

Line the block maker with wax cooking paper.

Melt the parafin wax and mix it into the sawdust with a snort of diesel fuel in there.

Scoop out the mixture into the block maker.

Find a piece of wood/ plywood that fits into the block maker.

Place that piece of wood over the open end of the block maker and figure out a way to compress that down as far as it would go. C Clamps, hydraulic jack, etc.

I guess let it sit for a while for the mixture to harden.

Hopefully the wax paper should allow the block to slide out.

No clue if it would work, but that setup sure wouldn't cost much.

 

[Philbert]

How about spreading the sawdust out on a sheet of newspaper, and then just rolling it up like a . . . er, . . . . . um, . . . 'Jamacian log'?

Philbert