Compressed wood fire log idea

8.23 million lbs leather table.

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I stand corrected.
Btw. @jnorine hates it. HATES it. Really, really HATES it.

Bwahahahahaha signage that actually works?

The woodshop basics class waste idea would made a lot more sense because you can limit the type of wood chips being made, and where they go pretty easily.

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Just as an aside about folks reading signage, there was a new guy trying to get out, and he went to the supply closet door first. WHICH HAS A VERY LEGIBLE SIGN AT EYE LEVEL. And, he didn’t see the Exit sign, which, granted, is not at eye level. Still, he completely had not read the supply sign…

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I’ve done that at least once myself, and I’m far from a “new guy” at DMS.

Maybe making firestarter pucks as a punishment for intentional BS going on in the woodshop. :wink:

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The idea isn’t to make it a space project. The idea is to do a class that uses the waste we already make. I’m sure we have plenty of members like me that consider themselves outdoors people due to their long history of camping once or even twice in a decade. :smile: Then there is a group that fancies themselves survivalists, casually prepping for the next global disaster. Followed by the group of members that use their own fireplace once per year.

A compressed wood log class casually fits all these groups. If I can make it clean and easy to do in a class room I would estimate you could teach it to 200 or 300 members/visitors in a year. That’s probably a value of 20 possible classes teaching the same thing advertised to different groups, while again making use of the waste already made at dms. Pretty easy equation.

I just need help making the press tooling. I’m getting some free schedule 40 pipe from Ed Kim for the form. Once I have that, I’ll just need to make the rammer. Then scoop wood chips and dust into form and press. Simple, clean, and a product that can be used as more than a Knick knack.

So not looking for approval, just help making the tooling, while also advertising a new class.

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Any chance we can make a form that could be used in the press DMS already has in the automotive section?

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I’d be happy to teach this once I know how to do it.

I want to use the DMS press if possible. But, I want the ability to produce a product about 3" x 3" x 12" (about the size of wood used in fireplaces) or one of 2 shorter sizes. So the length of the piston of the DMS press may require more tooling than I would need for my press.

My hydraulic press has a piston with 12 inches of travel and I have a 2 inch extension already on it, which means I may be able to get away with 1 or 2 reamers as the travel gives the tooling a larger range of increment sizes without having to move the press shelf down. I think the press at DMS uses a bottle style jack that is inverted, these tend to have a travel of less than 6 inches. This may double or more the reamers needed in order not to move the press shelf.

We don’t want to move the press shelf because, It is heavy, not a super easy thing to do by yourself, it is a repetitive task as every log made would require moving it 1 or more time, and it is a task I think will run off people from wanting to do the project multiple times. So why not just make more reamers so the tooling fits DMS and Your Press? More tooling means more materials used and more time making the tooling. This means more cost on me as I’m currently paying for everything. It also means I have to keep track of more items and deal with the additional weight. So if the DMS press requires tooling more specialized than my press, I currently don’t have an incentive to make that.


@Holliday, I’m glad you share my interest I hope I can make the tooling.

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No need to do a lot of thinking or planning for this kind of adventure. Felder, the manufacture of our dust collector has the answer.

Just get the Board to approve the expenditure, It might help with this problem

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I like the idea, especially if takes it directly from the dust collector system. But it doesn’t solve the contaminated wood problem.

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Oh, yup, we could just allow competent woodworkers with pristine nonallergenic wood into the workshop, Good luck with that idea.

I guess my point didn’t come through: The pressed wood logs will all face the various non-wood and, as you point out, non-wood issues. While a nice idea, I think is a non-starter do to the range of wood types and products, DMS correctly IMO, allows to be used.

If an individual or group of individuals want to make a press they can use with DMS equipment like the hydraulic presses, go for it. They can select the wood, take the logs home, and use however they want.

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Just order it, the contamination thing is over stated. Only give the logs away at own risk.

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Hmmm…it will reduce waste by 90%. Sure beats handling saw dust outside when it is windy. The nuggets would be easier to handle.

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The woodshop committee has discussed both the fire starter logs and the briquette press multiple times over the past few years. The contaminated sawdust has always been the main concern with the both. There is an rotary feeder attachment that we have been planning on asking for once we get settled into the new area. It takes all the dust collected and sends it outside directly to the dumpster.

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it could work for CampStove if the point is to create a good heat source. COuld use the pellets with BioLite if you want to charge a phone from trash sawdust.

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Anyone considered this?

Fully automated dust collection powered by arduino