Couldnt you use a lever that you could apply your body weight too [sit on it] it would only have to be maybe 5 feet long hmmmm then youd have to fix the block to the ground.....forget what i just said im going back to the drawing board lol, nice video by the way
@ukgardener1 Have you been spying on me? I had a lever built and then discovered I needed the press to sit on a base the same length as the lever to stop it tipping towards me when I leaned on it (basic physics that I forgot in my rush to build). I am working on the Mk2 version now but it's cold and wet and horrible outside so I'd say nothing will be done until Spring. However, there will be a video.
:~ Ive not been spying honestly haha. i had a thought of adding to the design you already have though, when you put the piston block into the frame could you put it on its side and use a door to apply the extra pressure needed. If you can get your body weight plus the added pressure of pushing with your legs instead of just using body weight, im sure my drawing board has ran out of batteries
That's a great idea, and pallets can be found everywhere sometimes for free, I would like to have a go at making one, would use the blocks for burning on my outside patio burner, good video.
@kppteam I tried this and only got about 3mm more compression because the centre of gravity of the car shifted on the ramp and the weight went towards the rear. However, it might work with 2 presses if the weight were equalised more. Another idea I had was to dig a hole and put the press in it and then drive the car onto it. That would put more weight onto the press but I haven't done that yet.
@apsert Thank you. I'll let you into a wee secret that I don't think I've ever mentioned here before... I was a Mathematics Lecturer in a previous life so numbers are something I like and I've played with for a long time.
@couvidan LOL, I don't know about 3 times the pressure but it's suggestions like this that fire the imagination and end up improving a design so, thank you for taking the time to help me because I can see how this will help on another design as well.
I used to do this when i had an open fire, shitty gas now :(
Get 2 old jacks and weld a solid frame to both of them. So they have a square frame attached between them. Then put a water barrel, pile of bricks, old engine, ect on the frame and use that free weight to press the biomass. When its compacted you use the jacks to lift the weight off.
Good way to put a lot of weight on it without breaking your back. Or bank.
Theres plenty of cow dung in N Ireland , you could collect and dry it out in the summer for use in the winter It was discovered during an experiment at Leads University that cow dung gives off O2 rather than CO2
hi brendan, did you make enouch and where they dry enough for the workshop? i couldnt make enough of them to keep the fire feeded, especially in this cold time of year
Hi. No, I didn't make enough to keep me going. The main reason was that I was at the garden all the time and didn't get around to making briquettes. However, I am getting a new press built in Spring that will speed up production and, maybe, make the whole thing more viable. I haven't given up on the pallet press but there's no point making briquettes now when I can't get them dried. Also, I'm building a solar dehumidifier to speed up drying, more on that later. Brendan.
@baconsoda thanks for the reply, pretty much in the same boat as me then, ive mostly turned away from this and im looking at just either burning the wood sawdust/chip straight into the burner, im looking forward to seeing the solar dehumidifier :)
@BongoOldChap Have you checked out the sawdust stoves yet? They are very simple but very efficient. All you do is pack the sawdust around 2 pipes which you remove to act as intake and chimney and they burn all day from the inside out. There are loads of videos on here.
@Tboom49 Thank you. It's crude but reasonably effective. More later when the weather improves. I've had an idea for drying the briquettes so that will be coming in Spring.
Just redesign the thing so that the blocks are sticking up independently and you can stand on each one with all of your weight by standing on one foot. What do you do with the compressed paper blocks?
@Bently100 I'm making them to try to use up lots of wood shavings and paper and then burn in my workshop stove. I can get good compression with a tube and hydraulic jack but it is time consuming and would probably be less economical than buying fuel in terms of time value and alternative work I could be doing. I'm also aware that there is a lot of fuel poverty so, maybe, I might offer an design or idea that could help other people develop better designs.
Just spotted this, thought i would suggest, if you want to press more water out, its not about extreme weight, its progressive compression that will work, get 4 large 'G' cramps and put one on each corner, then wind them in half a turn every two hours, you should be able to get pretty much all the water out, even if you do it over a day or two.. then they will dry much easier. and burn longer because they will be denser, plus if you add some bleach to the paper/water mush. they will burn hotter
@Moonfleet41 This is good information and will work well with another suggestion, a few down, that told me to leave the centre hole empty to prevent that middle block becoming a pivot point and stopping compression around the outside. I'll try to set this up tomorrow or the next day if it stops raining for a few minutes. I'll report back. Thank you, this is the beauty of YouTube, people like you freely advising and helping others, great!
@baconsoda You're right Brendan, i love youtube, its great for learning and sharing information, i have never seen the pallet press thing, just individual single brick presses... i have a pallet at home, guess what its fate now is.... ha ha... thanks fopr posting mate, thats a genius setup you made.. Regards Del.
@Moonfleet41 LOL, you are aware that it takes about 3 hours to deconstruct a pallet... aren't you? Thanks for the encouragenent, I hope you post a video of your results. I had a look at your channel, well worth a sub.
@baconsoda Thanks Brendan, you're very kind... and yeah, took a long look at the pallet in the garden yesterday, thought to myself..."where the phuq do you start dismantling that".. they arent made to come apart are they..lol... maybe ill do it later.. ha ha. cheers mate.. Del.
I like this.. it's simple. I have a cider press which can produce up to 10 tons of pressure. The drying is always the problem as they will start to absorb moisture form the atmosphere in the winter months.. excellent and affordable..
@hrhpaul Thank you. A cider press would be ideal for this. I am trying to keep this as simple as possible so that it can be easily copied because I have had lots of feedback from countries where fuel poverty is a problem and mechanised briquette production is just not feasible. In Africa these briquettes dry in a few hours, here it takes ages but it's worth it because they burn well for about 20 minutes.
@HamiltonCountyBotany Yeah, I was going to do that but I was impatient to get trying the press out and didn't want to waste time if the press was totally useless. However, the next ones will be protected with a layer of wood glue. Thank you for taking the time to comment, all ideas are very welcome.
Hi Baconsoda, great idea and informative vid. Hope you don't mind my suggestion - I noticed when you poured in the mulch, the centre hole got filled more than the others. this resulted in a rocking action whilst you were compressing. The centre hole effectively acting as a piston stopping the outer ones being compressed fully. You might try not putting any mulch in centre hole, 1 less Briquette - but 8 others fully compressed !
@busterpiggle That would work. I tried driving one wheel up a ramp but the weight just transferred to the opposite rear wheel and I only got about 3mm more compression. I tried to send you a message but it failed. Look up 'homemade fuel briquette press' and you'll see a 4 chamber one on an 'A' frame. It's good.
@busterpiggle This is an idea I played with but when I thought of the 4 hours to dismantle each pallet it kinda demoralised me a bit. However, it is still an idea worth trying. I did try driving one wheel up onto the press but all the weight transferred to the opposite rear of the car. I got about 3mm more compression than standing on the press and the car was a Mercedes S320 so plenty of weight. Four presses might be the way to go.
Awesome idea! You just helped give me an idea because I want to try making bio bricks. My father is cynical and don't think they'll work. He'd rather burn wood. After I cut it, split it, stack it, then load the stove for him AND carry the ashes out. I think that after I make one of these bio presses and we burn some of the briquetts he might change his tune! But I'll still have to carry the ashes out for him...
Those car or bottle jacks are really cheap and would give you a lot of pressure. You'd have to build a top part but if you have a lot of wood pallets, it shouldn't be a lot of money, if not, free. Living in America, I forget how accessable and most times, cheap, some things are. For drying, build a box close to the stove and use that heat. just a thought. Maybe reuse the water as there are bonding agents in it? Hope all is well in your country. Cheers, from America! :-D
@balbin23 No, I don't bother because these are just trial runs and the wood is from free pallets. I had thought of sealing the wood with glue but didn't bother.
I understand, please watch my channel because soon( 2-3 weeks) I will show my home made press ( almost the same idea as yours but little bit better I think)
PS. last year I made by hand briquettes from cow manure , they burn great !
@InvalidMemberAccount Hi, increased compression expels more water and speeds up drying - which is an issue here. Also, I think a more dense block would burn longer. If you are somewhere hot with good sunshine compression wouldn't be such an issue.
@jwwm2 I have a stove that just needs to be set up in the workshop so I'm hoping to do that soon. When that's done I'll do a video to show how the briquettes burn.
Brendan, very ingenious; and all the from old pallets! As a new sub, I'm really enjoying watching you videos. As a child my father would make apple cinder with apples from out back yard trees yard using an apple press that belonged to his dad. It had a large diameter, Acme threaded screw through which great pressure could be exerted on the crushed apples. If I still had it, you'd be welcome to it!! Have you every tried "lathing" threads on dowels?
@rlewis1946 Thanks Roy. I live in the apple capital of Ireland and I am searching everywhere for a press like you mention. They can generate a huge amount of pressure so would be very suitable for briquettes. The problem is getting the canny farmers around here to admit they might have one... but I'll keep trying.
You didn't finish what you were saying about putting more pressure on the briquettes. How about you make 4, maybe 6, ofthe same type of presses, then put some boards on top (in the US they'd be 2x9 inches). Then you drive your car onto them, and in the morning you have a lot of briquettes. Plus, you can do an oil change easily...
@jwwm2 I tried driving my car onto the press but got very little more compression because, even though the car is a heavy brute, all the weight transfered to the low side and rear. I have build a press that operates with a lever but made an elementary mistake with the physics but it will be easily rectified with more timber when I get time to get it. I'll be doing a video when I have it operational. That idea of yours is very good and something I might try if the lever doesn't work. Brendan.
@TheNeonlouie Nope. I just tear the paper into strips about an inch wide, half fill a bucket with paper and add hot water. I leave that overnight and stir it a few times. You can speed the process up by adding a tablespoon of bleach. The bleach evaporates off during drying. I use a drill and plaster mixer to stir the paper because I'm a lazy shite. Tip - to tear paper, start at the centre fold of the newspaper and tear to the edge - most efficient way and fairly consistent strip width. B
Cheers Brendan ,, I think you've outdone yourself on this one , I have a hershey woodstove in my new living room and use it alot , this is one i'm gonna use for sure
loads of paper scrap collected ,, newspapers junk mail etc will prolly do fine yes?
oil is to darn expensive this one is brilliant ,, smacking myself for not thinking of it ,, Your friend Louie
@TheNeonlouie Hi Louie, thank you. Yes, scrap paper is fine but I've been told to avoid glossy, magazine-type paper because of the chemicals used in production and the fumes they give off when burning. However, if you are using an enclosed stove they would probably be fine mixed with newspaper. I'm working on a lever for this press and, if things go as well as they did on paper, it should be easily made and give a lot more compression than just body weight.
@AndyDaviesByTheSea LOL, Hi Andy. So, you've discovered my dark secret? OK, I admit all, I've been at the lathe in the middle of the night with a balaclava on and dark clothing...it's a terrible addiction but I have to try to live with it. I've been making some stuff out of wood from pallets that arrive here with granite headstones on. The wood (3X3) will blunt a chop saw in 2 cuts but, on the lathe it is actually quite soft, like pine, and takes a good finish. Drive-on press soon. Brendan.
How about building another press, get a scaffold board and cut 2 lengths, each about 4 or 5 foot long put one end of each scaffold board on top of the press so as to make a ramp and then drive the car up it. You'll need to slightly tilt the bottom of the press so as to be parallel with the board and it'd be a good idea to put a stop on the end of the board so you don't drive too far.
@AndyDaviesByTheSea That's a super idea Andy and it would be even more efficient if I made another press and put one under each wheel. Do you know - I am actually getting those excitement butterflies in my stomach thinking about this. Thank you. This is the beauty of YouTube, shared ideas. (Is it too dark to go out and try this now? LOL)
@baconsoda I seem to be putting my responses in the wrong box,
Hi, that's what I meant; make another press the same as the one you've already got. But here's a dodge for you, before making a second press stack up a bunch of bricks as a dummy press to keep the car level then you use the original press and try it out. You might find that it "over presses" and the guff may goes up the side of the pistons causing them to lock up. So will you get to sleep tonight? Kind Regards...Andy
@AndyDaviesByTheSea Good thinking. I will build the dummy because it's quicker than building a second press. I am going to stand on the press to get most of the water out before driving on it so that will reduce the amount of liquid slurry available for seizing the press and will also lower the top by about 3". Sleep??? HUH! Sleep is for wimps. Us cutting-edge machine designers laugh in the face of sleep!
That's super Brendan. I remember your earlier video using the jack and I thought that was a clever solution. Either way, what a great way to use up papers and wood scraps. If you're like me, you generate a lot of chips working the lathe. How long does drying take and how much heat do you get from a briquette? We heat the house partially with burning wood so I'm really interested.
@garygardens Hi Gary. I am drying the vriquettes in the greenhouse now so, after that, I'll do a burn video to see how they go. I still have my first briquettes but haven't burned them yet so I'll do those too. From watching other videos where this mix is used the reports are very good so I'm hoping mine work well too.
@MsCountrywitch Thank you. The ratio of paper pulp to wood chips is about 50/50. I tried a mix with more wood than paper and the blocks didn't form well. If you look at my first video I show how I make the mix. I am going to try some more mixes to see how much wood content I can get so I'll do an update on that soon.
Wow! Very cool and very clever! I like some of the ideas in the other comments as well. I have no idea what a cider press looks like. For some reason I'm picturing a torture type device that screws down slowly LOL What's the travel distance from uncompressed height to compressed height?
@mediamaker2000 A cider press has quite a bit of travel because it is used to squash layers of apples in muslin wraps (I forget the name). If you type 'cider press' in here there are loads of videos. It's a very simple screw press that applies a lot of pressure and you wouldn't want to be inside it when it's going down...would kinda spoil your day.
great job on that press....and good use of a pallet. working on a project right now with some pallets the guts from a old cider press might work if you could get your hands on one
@pinetar100 Thank you. A cider press...what a superb idea! I live in apple country and two of my mates do engineering work for apple farmers so there must be something lying about. If not, they could soon make one for me. I'm getting quite excited about this now.
@johnrob281 Thanks John, it was an attempt to mass produce blocks as cheaply as possible so a free pallet, some steel brackets I had and a few screws did the job. I am drawing another, simpler version, so that will be along some time.
@cooper68ns Thank you. I soak newspaper overnight and then mix it with a stirrer in a drill. Then I add the same amount of wood shavings I get from under the lathe I have. I add more water as I mix the paper and wood to get the mix a bit sloppy to make it easy to pour.
@wingshooterz I don't know because today was the first time I made them. However, when I have them dried I'll do a burn video to assess quality and burn time.
You are quite a builder,I like how you keep working on something and don't give up. You are right about dismantling a pallet,lol. Have you ever thought about building a rocket stove for some outside cooking or camping...it would be perfect for your briquettes. Great instructional vid,my friend !
@allengoodman69 Hi Allen. Thank you. I have thought of the rocket stoves because their simplicity and incredible efficiency make them a very attractive project. That might be next so I'll have to go and re-watch a lot of videos.
@allengoodman69 rocket stoves are awesome! I'm always on the lookout to find stuff to build a micro one with thermal mass storage. No luck so far. I like anything thermal mass like thermal fireplaces with built in pizza ovens and Russian stoves. Very cool!
@Praxxus55712 Yeah, hopefully, if I can get them dried. I might have had more success with pressing two years ago when I weighed 304 pounds...the result of not being able to walk for about 5 years. I didn't eat much but I could do no exercise so my weight crept up by about 2 pounds a month. In a few months I'll be back to my normal weight of about 170/175. Hey, just thinking, get a heavy friend to stand on the press with you.
cool going to get hubby to make one ;.)
spartan7hk 1 week ago
Couldnt you use a lever that you could apply your body weight too [sit on it] it would only have to be maybe 5 feet long hmmmm then youd have to fix the block to the ground.....forget what i just said im going back to the drawing board lol, nice video by the way
ukgardener1 1 week ago
@ukgardener1 Have you been spying on me? I had a lever built and then discovered I needed the press to sit on a base the same length as the lever to stop it tipping towards me when I leaned on it (basic physics that I forgot in my rush to build). I am working on the Mk2 version now but it's cold and wet and horrible outside so I'd say nothing will be done until Spring. However, there will be a video.
Thanks for your input. Best Wishes, Brendan.
baconsoda 1 week ago
@baconsoda
:~ Ive not been spying honestly haha. i had a thought of adding to the design you already have though, when you put the piston block into the frame could you put it on its side and use a door to apply the extra pressure needed. If you can get your body weight plus the added pressure of pushing with your legs instead of just using body weight, im sure my drawing board has ran out of batteries
ukgardener1 1 week ago
great idea!!!
nobodyprepper 2 weeks ago
@nobodyprepper Thank you, more to come on this.
baconsoda 2 weeks ago
That's a great idea, and pallets can be found everywhere sometimes for free, I would like to have a go at making one, would use the blocks for burning on my outside patio burner, good video.
steno01 2 weeks ago
@steno01 Thank you, I am still working on a lever to press this but it's hard to get enthusiastic when it's cold and wet. More coming later.
baconsoda 2 weeks ago
You can climb your car on this to get more pressure, one wheel will be enough.
kppteam 3 weeks ago
@kppteam I tried this and only got about 3mm more compression because the centre of gravity of the car shifted on the ramp and the weight went towards the rear. However, it might work with 2 presses if the weight were equalised more. Another idea I had was to dig a hole and put the press in it and then drive the car onto it. That would put more weight onto the press but I haven't done that yet.
baconsoda 3 weeks ago
Your Maths Is incredible!
apsert 3 weeks ago
@apsert Thank you. I'll let you into a wee secret that I don't think I've ever mentioned here before... I was a Mathematics Lecturer in a previous life so numbers are something I like and I've played with for a long time.
Best Wishes, Brendan.
baconsoda 3 weeks ago
HEY BACONSODA!!! why not chains hooked to the side withe handles to pull on. and pull yourself down way harder, maybe like 3 times pressure
couvidan 1 month ago
@couvidan LOL, I don't know about 3 times the pressure but it's suggestions like this that fire the imagination and end up improving a design so, thank you for taking the time to help me because I can see how this will help on another design as well.
Best Wishes, Brendan.
baconsoda 1 month ago
I used to do this when i had an open fire, shitty gas now :(
Get 2 old jacks and weld a solid frame to both of them. So they have a square frame attached between them. Then put a water barrel, pile of bricks, old engine, ect on the frame and use that free weight to press the biomass. When its compacted you use the jacks to lift the weight off.
Good way to put a lot of weight on it without breaking your back. Or bank.
DreamsCatcher101 1 month ago
@DreamsCatcher101 I like the way you think. Thank you.
baconsoda 1 month ago
Theres plenty of cow dung in N Ireland , you could collect and dry it out in the summer for use in the winter It was discovered during an experiment at Leads University that cow dung gives off O2 rather than CO2
ahamatmabrahman 1 month ago
ww.briquette.beep.com
sungutsolar 1 month ago
hi brendan, did you make enouch and where they dry enough for the workshop? i couldnt make enough of them to keep the fire feeded, especially in this cold time of year
BongoOldChap 1 month ago
Hi. No, I didn't make enough to keep me going. The main reason was that I was at the garden all the time and didn't get around to making briquettes. However, I am getting a new press built in Spring that will speed up production and, maybe, make the whole thing more viable. I haven't given up on the pallet press but there's no point making briquettes now when I can't get them dried. Also, I'm building a solar dehumidifier to speed up drying, more on that later. Brendan.
baconsoda 1 month ago
@baconsoda thanks for the reply, pretty much in the same boat as me then, ive mostly turned away from this and im looking at just either burning the wood sawdust/chip straight into the burner, im looking forward to seeing the solar dehumidifier :)
BongoOldChap 1 month ago
@BongoOldChap Have you checked out the sawdust stoves yet? They are very simple but very efficient. All you do is pack the sawdust around 2 pipes which you remove to act as intake and chimney and they burn all day from the inside out. There are loads of videos on here.
baconsoda 1 month ago
Love this idea, absolutely ingenious, very nice work!
Tboom49 2 months ago
@Tboom49 Thank you. It's crude but reasonably effective. More later when the weather improves. I've had an idea for drying the briquettes so that will be coming in Spring.
baconsoda 2 months ago
Just redesign the thing so that the blocks are sticking up independently and you can stand on each one with all of your weight by standing on one foot. What do you do with the compressed paper blocks?
Bently100 2 months ago
@Bently100 I'm making them to try to use up lots of wood shavings and paper and then burn in my workshop stove. I can get good compression with a tube and hydraulic jack but it is time consuming and would probably be less economical than buying fuel in terms of time value and alternative work I could be doing. I'm also aware that there is a lot of fuel poverty so, maybe, I might offer an design or idea that could help other people develop better designs.
Best Wishes, Brendan.
baconsoda 2 months ago
Just spotted this, thought i would suggest, if you want to press more water out, its not about extreme weight, its progressive compression that will work, get 4 large 'G' cramps and put one on each corner, then wind them in half a turn every two hours, you should be able to get pretty much all the water out, even if you do it over a day or two.. then they will dry much easier. and burn longer because they will be denser, plus if you add some bleach to the paper/water mush. they will burn hotter
Moonfleet41 2 months ago
@Moonfleet41 This is good information and will work well with another suggestion, a few down, that told me to leave the centre hole empty to prevent that middle block becoming a pivot point and stopping compression around the outside. I'll try to set this up tomorrow or the next day if it stops raining for a few minutes. I'll report back. Thank you, this is the beauty of YouTube, people like you freely advising and helping others, great!
Best Wishes, Brendan.
baconsoda 2 months ago
@baconsoda You're right Brendan, i love youtube, its great for learning and sharing information, i have never seen the pallet press thing, just individual single brick presses... i have a pallet at home, guess what its fate now is.... ha ha... thanks fopr posting mate, thats a genius setup you made.. Regards Del.
Moonfleet41 2 months ago
@Moonfleet41 LOL, you are aware that it takes about 3 hours to deconstruct a pallet... aren't you? Thanks for the encouragenent, I hope you post a video of your results. I had a look at your channel, well worth a sub.
baconsoda 2 months ago
@baconsoda Thanks Brendan, you're very kind... and yeah, took a long look at the pallet in the garden yesterday, thought to myself..."where the phuq do you start dismantling that".. they arent made to come apart are they..lol... maybe ill do it later.. ha ha. cheers mate.. Del.
Moonfleet41 2 months ago
dont use wood glue for a sealant it is soluble in water..unless Tightbond III ,use a deck water sealer.:) like your idea tho!!
HamiltonCountyBotany 3 months ago
I like this.. it's simple. I have a cider press which can produce up to 10 tons of pressure. The drying is always the problem as they will start to absorb moisture form the atmosphere in the winter months.. excellent and affordable..
hrhpaul 3 months ago
@hrhpaul Thank you. A cider press would be ideal for this. I am trying to keep this as simple as possible so that it can be easily copied because I have had lots of feedback from countries where fuel poverty is a problem and mechanised briquette production is just not feasible. In Africa these briquettes dry in a few hours, here it takes ages but it's worth it because they burn well for about 20 minutes.
baconsoda 3 months ago
u might want to use water sealer or paint on your wood because if use alot the wood will swell and not fit in your holes
HamiltonCountyBotany 3 months ago
@HamiltonCountyBotany Yeah, I was going to do that but I was impatient to get trying the press out and didn't want to waste time if the press was totally useless. However, the next ones will be protected with a layer of wood glue. Thank you for taking the time to comment, all ideas are very welcome.
Best Wishes, Brendan.
baconsoda 3 months ago
Hi Baconsoda, great idea and informative vid. Hope you don't mind my suggestion - I noticed when you poured in the mulch, the centre hole got filled more than the others. this resulted in a rocking action whilst you were compressing. The centre hole effectively acting as a piston stopping the outer ones being compressed fully. You might try not putting any mulch in centre hole, 1 less Briquette - but 8 others fully compressed !
wardron11 3 months ago
@wardron11 Now, this is extremely interesting and advice that I think is well worth taking. I will try that tomorrow and let you know how it went.
Thank you, Brendan.
baconsoda 3 months ago
Make four of those, each with a ramp on one end and park your car on it!
busterpiggle 4 months ago
@busterpiggle That would work. I tried driving one wheel up a ramp but the weight just transferred to the opposite rear wheel and I only got about 3mm more compression. I tried to send you a message but it failed. Look up 'homemade fuel briquette press' and you'll see a 4 chamber one on an 'A' frame. It's good.
baconsoda 4 months ago
@busterpiggle This is an idea I played with but when I thought of the 4 hours to dismantle each pallet it kinda demoralised me a bit. However, it is still an idea worth trying. I did try driving one wheel up onto the press but all the weight transferred to the opposite rear of the car. I got about 3mm more compression than standing on the press and the car was a Mercedes S320 so plenty of weight. Four presses might be the way to go.
baconsoda 3 months ago
You could have a partner for that dance to increase the pressure. Excellent!
poiupupu 6 months ago
Add a frame and screw like on an old cider press- youtube.com/watch?v=9_rldmJQrfI
aloisgault 6 months ago
Awesome idea! You just helped give me an idea because I want to try making bio bricks. My father is cynical and don't think they'll work. He'd rather burn wood. After I cut it, split it, stack it, then load the stove for him AND carry the ashes out. I think that after I make one of these bio presses and we burn some of the briquetts he might change his tune! But I'll still have to carry the ashes out for him...
johnh32156 7 months ago
@johnh32156 sounds like my house !
BeepBeepBoing 5 months ago
Those car or bottle jacks are really cheap and would give you a lot of pressure. You'd have to build a top part but if you have a lot of wood pallets, it shouldn't be a lot of money, if not, free. Living in America, I forget how accessable and most times, cheap, some things are. For drying, build a box close to the stove and use that heat. just a thought. Maybe reuse the water as there are bonding agents in it? Hope all is well in your country. Cheers, from America! :-D
Landotter1 7 months ago
for drying try looking into sola dehydrators
Redshift21 8 months ago
Mother Earth News has instructions for a cider press - for some reason the thing won't post but google it and you will get the link.
panthiere 9 months ago
AWSOME YOUR IRISH!
paidskn1488 9 months ago
This is very helpful idea. We can use for heating water and save on LPG or charcoal which became very expensive.
alphaphiomega5526 9 months ago
cool idea ,, do you impregnate/paint wood with some laquer against mold for your press ?i imagine long use of your press may root wood .
balbin23 10 months ago
@balbin23 No, I don't bother because these are just trial runs and the wood is from free pallets. I had thought of sealing the wood with glue but didn't bother.
Best Wishes, Brendan.
baconsoda 10 months ago
@baconsoda
I understand, please watch my channel because soon( 2-3 weeks) I will show my home made press ( almost the same idea as yours but little bit better I think)
PS. last year I made by hand briquettes from cow manure , they burn great !
greetings
balbin23 10 months ago
What is the advantage in increased compression? is it worth the effort?
Seems to me that speed & ease of production are very important.
InvalidMemberAccount 10 months ago
@InvalidMemberAccount Hi, increased compression expels more water and speeds up drying - which is an issue here. Also, I think a more dense block would burn longer. If you are somewhere hot with good sunshine compression wouldn't be such an issue.
Best Wishes, Brendan.
baconsoda 10 months ago
I'm happy you like my idea, but I'd like to see a video of these things burning. How easily they start, how long they burn, like that.
jwwm2 11 months ago
@jwwm2 I have a stove that just needs to be set up in the workshop so I'm hoping to do that soon. When that's done I'll do a video to show how the briquettes burn.
Best Wishes, Brendan.
baconsoda 11 months ago
Brendan, very ingenious; and all the from old pallets! As a new sub, I'm really enjoying watching you videos. As a child my father would make apple cinder with apples from out back yard trees yard using an apple press that belonged to his dad. It had a large diameter, Acme threaded screw through which great pressure could be exerted on the crushed apples. If I still had it, you'd be welcome to it!! Have you every tried "lathing" threads on dowels?
Cheers! Roy Atlanta, GA USA
rlewis1946 11 months ago
@rlewis1946 Thanks Roy. I live in the apple capital of Ireland and I am searching everywhere for a press like you mention. They can generate a huge amount of pressure so would be very suitable for briquettes. The problem is getting the canny farmers around here to admit they might have one... but I'll keep trying.
Best Wishes, Brendan.
baconsoda 11 months ago
You didn't finish what you were saying about putting more pressure on the briquettes. How about you make 4, maybe 6, ofthe same type of presses, then put some boards on top (in the US they'd be 2x9 inches). Then you drive your car onto them, and in the morning you have a lot of briquettes. Plus, you can do an oil change easily...
jwwm2 11 months ago
@jwwm2 I tried driving my car onto the press but got very little more compression because, even though the car is a heavy brute, all the weight transfered to the low side and rear. I have build a press that operates with a lever but made an elementary mistake with the physics but it will be easily rectified with more timber when I get time to get it. I'll be doing a video when I have it operational. That idea of yours is very good and something I might try if the lever doesn't work. Brendan.
baconsoda 11 months ago
one question , do you used some type of shredder for the paper?
TheNeonlouie 1 year ago
@TheNeonlouie Nope. I just tear the paper into strips about an inch wide, half fill a bucket with paper and add hot water. I leave that overnight and stir it a few times. You can speed the process up by adding a tablespoon of bleach. The bleach evaporates off during drying. I use a drill and plaster mixer to stir the paper because I'm a lazy shite. Tip - to tear paper, start at the centre fold of the newspaper and tear to the edge - most efficient way and fairly consistent strip width. B
baconsoda 1 year ago
Cheers Brendan ,, I think you've outdone yourself on this one , I have a hershey woodstove in my new living room and use it alot , this is one i'm gonna use for sure
loads of paper scrap collected ,, newspapers junk mail etc will prolly do fine yes?
oil is to darn expensive this one is brilliant ,, smacking myself for not thinking of it ,, Your friend Louie
TheNeonlouie 1 year ago
@TheNeonlouie Hi Louie, thank you. Yes, scrap paper is fine but I've been told to avoid glossy, magazine-type paper because of the chemicals used in production and the fumes they give off when burning. However, if you are using an enclosed stove they would probably be fine mixed with newspaper. I'm working on a lever for this press and, if things go as well as they did on paper, it should be easily made and give a lot more compression than just body weight.
Best Wishes, Brendan.
baconsoda 1 year ago
nice i love your video keep them coming =-)
sugerbear520 1 year ago
@sugerbear520 Thank you, another few on the way this week.
Best Wishes, Brendan.
baconsoda 1 year ago
Hi Brendan.
So, how's Ireland’s first drive through briquette factory coming along?
I can't believe you're getting all theses wood chippings from just two wedding goblets. What else are you turning that you're not showing us?
Ps the snow video looks lovely but I’d rather have it just a bit warmer, get that wood-burner going.
Kind Regards ...Andy
AndyDaviesByTheSea 1 year ago
@AndyDaviesByTheSea LOL, Hi Andy. So, you've discovered my dark secret? OK, I admit all, I've been at the lathe in the middle of the night with a balaclava on and dark clothing...it's a terrible addiction but I have to try to live with it. I've been making some stuff out of wood from pallets that arrive here with granite headstones on. The wood (3X3) will blunt a chop saw in 2 cuts but, on the lathe it is actually quite soft, like pine, and takes a good finish. Drive-on press soon. Brendan.
baconsoda 1 year ago
Hi Brendan, there's no stopping you is there?
How about building another press, get a scaffold board and cut 2 lengths, each about 4 or 5 foot long put one end of each scaffold board on top of the press so as to make a ramp and then drive the car up it. You'll need to slightly tilt the bottom of the press so as to be parallel with the board and it'd be a good idea to put a stop on the end of the board so you don't drive too far.
keep on having fun! Kind Regards...Andy
AndyDaviesByTheSea 1 year ago
@AndyDaviesByTheSea That's a super idea Andy and it would be even more efficient if I made another press and put one under each wheel. Do you know - I am actually getting those excitement butterflies in my stomach thinking about this. Thank you. This is the beauty of YouTube, shared ideas. (Is it too dark to go out and try this now? LOL)
Best Wishes, Brendan.
baconsoda 1 year ago
@baconsoda I seem to be putting my responses in the wrong box,
Hi, that's what I meant; make another press the same as the one you've already got. But here's a dodge for you, before making a second press stack up a bunch of bricks as a dummy press to keep the car level then you use the original press and try it out. You might find that it "over presses" and the guff may goes up the side of the pistons causing them to lock up. So will you get to sleep tonight? Kind Regards...Andy
AndyDaviesByTheSea 1 year ago
@AndyDaviesByTheSea Good thinking. I will build the dummy because it's quicker than building a second press. I am going to stand on the press to get most of the water out before driving on it so that will reduce the amount of liquid slurry available for seizing the press and will also lower the top by about 3". Sleep??? HUH! Sleep is for wimps. Us cutting-edge machine designers laugh in the face of sleep!
Best Wishes, Brendan.
baconsoda 1 year ago
That's super Brendan. I remember your earlier video using the jack and I thought that was a clever solution. Either way, what a great way to use up papers and wood scraps. If you're like me, you generate a lot of chips working the lathe. How long does drying take and how much heat do you get from a briquette? We heat the house partially with burning wood so I'm really interested.
Regards, Gary
garygardens 1 year ago
@garygardens Hi Gary. I am drying the vriquettes in the greenhouse now so, after that, I'll do a burn video to see how they go. I still have my first briquettes but haven't burned them yet so I'll do those too. From watching other videos where this mix is used the reports are very good so I'm hoping mine work well too.
Best Wishes, Brendan.
baconsoda 1 year ago
That is so great. Do you have a place where you have a ratio of paper to wood. Thanks so much because this is just awsome.
MsCountrywitch 1 year ago
@MsCountrywitch Thank you. The ratio of paper pulp to wood chips is about 50/50. I tried a mix with more wood than paper and the blocks didn't form well. If you look at my first video I show how I make the mix. I am going to try some more mixes to see how much wood content I can get so I'll do an update on that soon.
Best Wishes, Brendan.
baconsoda 1 year ago
Wow! Very cool and very clever! I like some of the ideas in the other comments as well. I have no idea what a cider press looks like. For some reason I'm picturing a torture type device that screws down slowly LOL What's the travel distance from uncompressed height to compressed height?
mediamaker2000 1 year ago
@mediamaker2000 A cider press has quite a bit of travel because it is used to squash layers of apples in muslin wraps (I forget the name). If you type 'cider press' in here there are loads of videos. It's a very simple screw press that applies a lot of pressure and you wouldn't want to be inside it when it's going down...would kinda spoil your day.
Best Wishes, Brendan.
baconsoda 1 year ago
great job on that press....and good use of a pallet. working on a project right now with some pallets the guts from a old cider press might work if you could get your hands on one
pinetar100 1 year ago
@pinetar100 Thank you. A cider press...what a superb idea! I live in apple country and two of my mates do engineering work for apple farmers so there must be something lying about. If not, they could soon make one for me. I'm getting quite excited about this now.
Best Wishes, Brendan.
baconsoda 1 year ago
Clever idea! I really like the way you take what you have on hand and make something even more useful....my kind of project!
All the best,
John/W5CYF
johnrob281 1 year ago
@johnrob281 Thanks John, it was an attempt to mass produce blocks as cheaply as possible so a free pallet, some steel brackets I had and a few screws did the job. I am drawing another, simpler version, so that will be along some time.
Best Wishes, Brendan.
baconsoda 1 year ago
great idea,just wondering what you ground everything up with.thank you.
cooper68ns 1 year ago
@cooper68ns Thank you. I soak newspaper overnight and then mix it with a stirrer in a drill. Then I add the same amount of wood shavings I get from under the lathe I have. I add more water as I mix the paper and wood to get the mix a bit sloppy to make it easy to pour.
Best Wishes, Brendan.
baconsoda 1 year ago
@baconsoda add a little concrete and you can make papercrete
mediamaker2000 1 year ago
@baconsoda thank you for the reply,all the best.
cooper68ns 1 year ago
Very clever! Hope they burn nice for you!
/Nic.
findingusernamesux11 1 year ago
@findingusernamesux11 Thank you, I hope so too because I have A LOT of wood shavings.
Best Wishes, Brendan.
baconsoda 1 year ago
Cool idea , what kind of burn time do you get from these briquettes ?
wingshooterz 1 year ago
@wingshooterz I don't know because today was the first time I made them. However, when I have them dried I'll do a burn video to assess quality and burn time.
Best Wishes, Brendan.
baconsoda 1 year ago
You are quite a builder,I like how you keep working on something and don't give up. You are right about dismantling a pallet,lol. Have you ever thought about building a rocket stove for some outside cooking or camping...it would be perfect for your briquettes. Great instructional vid,my friend !
^ l l { l\l
allengoodman69 1 year ago
@allengoodman69 Hi Allen. Thank you. I have thought of the rocket stoves because their simplicity and incredible efficiency make them a very attractive project. That might be next so I'll have to go and re-watch a lot of videos.
Best Wishes, Brendan.
baconsoda 1 year ago
@allengoodman69 rocket stoves are awesome! I'm always on the lookout to find stuff to build a micro one with thermal mass storage. No luck so far. I like anything thermal mass like thermal fireplaces with built in pizza ovens and Russian stoves. Very cool!
mediamaker2000 1 year ago
Glad you answered Praxxus's question. I had no notion at all as to what you would use those for when finished. LOL
dalecalder2003 1 year ago
@dalecalder2003 LOL, maybe I should add an annotation that I have a stove in the workshop, in fact, I just will.
Best Wishes, Brendan.
baconsoda 1 year ago
Those are used for starting fires in a woodstove? I'd need a press or jack because I don't weigh enough to smash anything down. :)
Praxxus55712 1 year ago
@Praxxus55712 Yeah, hopefully, if I can get them dried. I might have had more success with pressing two years ago when I weighed 304 pounds...the result of not being able to walk for about 5 years. I didn't eat much but I could do no exercise so my weight crept up by about 2 pounds a month. In a few months I'll be back to my normal weight of about 170/175. Hey, just thinking, get a heavy friend to stand on the press with you.
Best Wishes, Brendan.
baconsoda 1 year ago