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[sarahj]

The 'log-maker' is a two piece tube, where you create an outer skin of rolled newspaper tamped down at one end, and which you then fill with shreddings, and ram it tight with the other half until its almost full, and then you fold over the edges and push it out - you then get a sausage of newspaper filled with shreddings. The two piece tube enables you to compact a lot more shreddings than if you tried it by hand. The brick maker uses soaked paper, either shredded or torn or both, and squeezes it into a brick shape for you to dry.

Both these are available on most of the eco product sites, but I can't remember where I got mine.

 

[Me!]

Take a newspaper and start rolling VERY tightly from one corner

If you wrap it around a knitting needle just to get the roll started, and then pull the needle out once you are rolling, it makes it much easier. I agree it is good for making kindling, but I've never really managed to get the rolls big enough to use as logs, or am I missing something?
I've got one of the wet log-makers which I find does work well as long as the paper is well soaked first to make it really soft. But, I've tried to use it with card and cardboard as well, and that is much less successful. Has anyone any thoughts on a way of pulping card, cardboard, old yellow pages etc. so they can be made into logs as well? I have tried putting dry cardboard through the garden shredder, but it just jams up and doesn't work!
Also, normally I put all the ash from my real wood log fires on the vegetable patch. However, I've always been a bit worried about potentially nasty chemicals in the printing inks in ash from paper logs so I've never used that. Any chemists out there who can either confirm or allay my suspicions?

 

[Nemesis]

I put it all on the compost - I haven't died yet!


(Gasp...)

 

[Me!]

I put it all on the compost - I haven't died yet!


(Gasp...)

Yes, compost I agree is probably fine, it is the process of burning it and any changes that occur then that worries me. It may not be a problem, but then neither is a little rubber o-ring until it has been in a fire -
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydrofluoric_acid

 

[Sue Wilkinson]

PS Under the bombazine lurks me vest. And serge bloomers.

With pockets.

Cricky Evelyn! I'm still working outside all day in a tee shirt, although I've swapped shorts for jeans now. What do you put on when it goes cold?

Sue

 

[Nemesis]

Sue - don't. You'll get Gervase and Penners all excited!

There's the brown paper and goose grease yet to be applied.

 

[Sue Wilkinson]

There's the brown paper and goose grease yet to be applied.

At the same time as you take a medicinal spoon of brimstone and treacle I hope.

Sue

 

[Nemesis]

Actually, I have no real idea what brimstone is or does - must find out!

 

[Gervase]

Brimstone is the old-fashioned 'flowers of sulphur'; powdered yellow sulphur. I burn a saucerful in the potting shed every spring to kill off insect pests.

 

[Nemesis]

I think I'm not going to try that one.

It's possibly one 'certain substance' too far.

 

[sarahj]

'Fold long thin sausage in half.
Tie a knot in the double sausage.
Use to light fire. '

This is where I learnt a different technique - you make as long and as thin a sausage as possible (broadsheets!) and flatten. then fold in half at right angles (anyone remember artstraws or even real straw weaving?) and then fold across the middle with alternate ends until you use up all the paper, these are then small concertina shaped bricks which are also good firelighters (its the kids job, really).

 

[NT]

Brimstone is the old-fashioned 'flowers of sulphur'; powdered yellow sulphur. I burn a saucerful in the potting shed every spring to kill off insect pests.

Since this can kill its doubtless banned by now. Getting sulphur is no longer as easy thanks to all the panic over terrorism.


NT

 

[thiambal]

Cripes though Penners - you may want to visit! I like to be a woman of mystery...

Blimey, perhaps we should put sex on there as well - I have been labouring under the assumption that Nemesis was a chap. Now I find you are a chapess Nemesis!

Given how assumptions can lead you down the wrong parth so easily - I am just off to check exactly what I am :wink:

 

[monkey writer]

nemesis is a girl? my goodness...

so much flirting time wasted!

 

[middi]

Assumption, at times, may be the only tool available to the ileterate to establish the facts.

This poor peasant making his way home from a very hard day's work in the fields come across a couple of young university students standing at the base of a large oak tree arguing about the feminine or masculine genetic make up of this tree.

They could not agree, and decided to ask the peasant on the off chance that he may know, to which he promptly replied " it is masculine of course".

Astonished at the quick convincing reply from the poor man, especially as he did not appear to be a man of science , the two students asked the peasant if he was so convinced of that fact because he had seen the acorns.

"NO, not at all", was the answer, " it was the way you two were posing and behaving like a pair of testicols under the tree, what else can it be".

 

[thiambal]

Right, I have checked and it turns out I am a chap!

Better revise my wardrobe and throw out all those dresses then! :wink:

 

[Nemesis]

It's a very long time since I was a girl,I'm afraid. Been a woman for several decades now.

 

[plumbers mate]

>>It's a very long time since I was a girl,I'm afraid. Been a woman for several decades now.

Wait till you become a wrinkly and get your bus pass/ senior railcard I saved over £30 in one weekebnd )

 

[Sal]

We've got a foolproof way of disposing of our confidential waste - we shred it , then we turn it into logs for the stove.

ha yes we do that too. really have to wonder how they steal the identity once its been turned into heat!

Sal

 

[sarahj]

Have you never sent your letters to Father Christmas up the chimney via a real fire? Surely the fraudsters will soon work this one out!