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We quite fancy having a go at making paper logs with one of those squashing log maker contraptions but wondered if there was any particular brand/model that you guys could recommend?

We got the one in the CAT catalogue. It was ok but you need an awful lot of pressure to get the water out which is tricky as if you put too much pressure on the handles they were in danger of getting bent, then the bricks took an age to dry out, if you could find one that you stand on that would do it. I would be interested in a really good one, or perhaps I just did it wrong, anyway I freecycled mine, it cost about £18, did not get along with it

I bought one on Ebay a couple of years back and there is no way that you could break the handles on this one. It works as it's supposed to, but the handle bit that you grab hold of is a bit fierce on your hands. My father-in-law solved that problem with 2 broom handle offcuts with a slot sawn up the long side and fitted onto the metal bars, now it's a lot more civilised.

Unfortunately I don't really use it any more, the paper needs soaking for several days, it's an arm aching job making them, they take a long time to dry out (in winter) and they burn for a very short time compared to the labour input.

This is the one I bought ... http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/eko-mania-Hea ... 8#ht_3468w

I've looked at these for a while and never made the decision which to buy. However, I've gone down a different route now. I save all our loo roll tubes and pack them quite tightly with damp paper. Stand them horizontally to dry for a few days and they burn pretty well, for much less effort.

brought a good while putting full pressure on it to get water out it thr handle broke i ended up head butting the floor
followed by trip to hospatil after getting stiched up and 2 black eyes would not recomaned to any one
my dad has now remaded it builed a fram use a wind down jack works well and a lot less work
1 year one head healed well hair regrowning nicly other then it got a curl to it now right in the middle of my forehead rest of my always been dead stright

I haven't tried it yet but I'm thinking about making my own. There are quite a few videos on Youtube showing how it can be done. Here are a couple I liked:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rE5FeFH_ ... ion_733440
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_lEA53onoTo
(the second one's a bit rambly, but I just love this guy!)

I bought one a few years ago and had several attempts at it but found the logs took a long time to dry.Cant remember the make but it green and sturdy,will have to dig it out and check for you.
you need a lot of presure to gt out as much water as you can.

When I was a kid we had one that used dry paper. You fed the sheets one at a time while turning the crank, and it basically just rolled them up really tight, then you tied it with a piece of twine and it was ready to burn, just like that. Can't remember how the burning times compared to regular wood, but it was great for keeping 2 grade-schoolers occupied!

This looks a lot like what we had: http://www.amazon.com/BRAND-NOT-SPECIFI ... d_sbs_hg_3

Years ago I built a simple wooden frame bolted together and squeezed the paper bricks with an old hydraulic car jack. I did wonder about the time and effort involved for the actual heat returned so to speak and it all got left behind when I started work as a carpenter with access to lots of offcuts. I still wonder about it when ever this sort of topic comes up as it really does seem to me to be a lot of mess and work not to mention always having a dustbin of wet paper and loads of drying bricks around the house,
.It is of course enviromental but so is scrounging the old pallets on building sites that would otherwise go to landfill. Personally I can't help thinking it's better to use the paper to just light the fire and put the rest to compost.


Pete

Very interesting to read about experiences with the paper log maker. Funny thing is we already have a log maker for a few years, but never used it(!). Got it as a present and it just went straight to the attic. Now last week I bought a shredder for our home office and when I saw the amount of paper coming out of that thing I quickly remembered the log maker so I just made a few logs.

....and put them on my wood stove to dry! I am really curious how long that will take, because I think there is still a huge amount of water in the logs which I couldn't press out with the maker. Maybe I am doing something wrong and have to practice and shred more ;-) They are not expensive about 30 bucks so what the heck.

Not sure who makes them, but This is the one I have and as you will see it has some good, but also some bad reviews.

Hope to hear from some folks how they experimented with different kind of (news)paper/magazines/glossy, etc.

Years ago I used to work for British Telecom. Once a year the telephone directories were replaced. I had a multi fuel fire at the time.

I tried a log maker but It consumed more time than it was worth. What I used to do was roll the directories into a tight tube shape and wrap a few turns of wire round them to hold them in place. Not as aesthetically looking but it did the trick.

I bought one from CAT, it cost 30 quid so not a rubbish one. I could not get enough water out of the soaked paper, put a small piece of wood across the handles and put me foot on it for more pressure, but I bent the handles a bit, did an experiment with two logs, they took ages to dry out, put them on top of the log burner to dry out, they did burn for quite a while but you would have needed a lot more than two for any good heat. Freecycled the log maker, pretty much do as JJ does now, we get our milk in paper cartons and you can roll up all your scrap paper and stuff it in. I dont really like all the ash a lot of paper makes. Will have to stick to the old fashioned method of wood and faggots, c'mon Doofa, show us yer faggot

I was lent one a few years ago and did use it, but as every one has said a LOT of work for little return, but I did have stacks and stacks of paper to get rid of, at the time, so in a way it was worth it. However I then , after having to return the borrowed log maker, used some drainage pipe, cut to suitable length, loads of small holes drilled into them, and just filled them, stood on a grate, and used pressure of fists and body weight to compact the mush. worked just as well- and in the larger ones I also added almond shells, and some sprigs of various dried herbs, etc, and they gave off a nice scent.

we were given one of those where you have to soak the paper first, what a pain it is - and you have to have room to stack and dry them separate from storage area too. Better, we find is the two plastic tubes where you just ram the dry paper down. Mainly use the 'logs' to enliven a nearly done fire, adding main fuel on top