Uses for sawdust #1: I just got a thing from the tool crib on the uses for sawdust

This is an interesting post. Thanks for the link, Obi.

-- Challenges are what make life interesting; overcoming them is what makes life meaningful- Joshua Marine

Very interesting. They talk about a paint can in the example but don’t say alot about how much of an area it heats. It looks like it might worth investigating further. Thanks for the link.

-- Working at Woodworking http://www.VillageLaneFurniture.com

Here is the entire article from Tool Crib

-- http://ye-olde-cabinet-shoppe.com/

good post on this subject. the amount of sawdust that I create, I would have to use a 20 gallon can to keep up with it.

-- Tim-- http://www.tmuli.com

Thanks for the links Obi. I have just drilled a couple of holes in the bottom of a 2 gallon paint drum and used a 2” plastic pipe.

The sawdust is from my pile created by cutting some trees into planks a few weeks ago, so not 100% dry yet, but it works. Getting it started was a small problem – when inserting the paper the sides wanted to collapse. But it was just started and burning well with no discernible smoke, but definitely some fumes.

I do not know if I would trust it inside the workshop overnight, but it certainly would be useful to keep the frost out of the greenhouse in the early spring.

Any way going to leave it to burn overnight and see what it is like in the morning – I’ll let you all know tomorrow.

-- Tony - All things are possible, just some things are more difficult than others! - SKYPE: Heron2005 (http://www.poydatjatuolit.fi)

I think they were using a 5 gallon can, Tony.

-- http://ye-olde-cabinet-shoppe.com/

It’s been 2 1/2 hours and the 2” diameter hole is now 4” but still burning and giving heat.

I do not have a 5 gallon drum at the moment, but if this works on a small scale, then I might invest some more efforts into this.

-- Tony - All things are possible, just some things are more difficult than others! - SKYPE: Heron2005 (http://www.poydatjatuolit.fi)

so the hole in the bottom of the can is getting bigger. Nice to get actual tests results. maybe we can come up with modifications as we go along.

-- http://ye-olde-cabinet-shoppe.com/

I was just thinking about the hole in the bottom. Maybe if you mixed up a little concrete and with the pipe in the hole pour the concrete around the pipe so not to burn the metal bottom of the can. After the concrete sets up, remove the pipe and let the concrete finish hardening overnight.

-- http://ye-olde-cabinet-shoppe.com/

This is getting good. Thanks, Tony for the experiment. Now I’m really curious how much heat is given off, how much area could be warmed with a 2 gallon furnace? Could the fumes be the result of the sawdust not being fully dry?

Obi, I was wondering the same thing about the can; how long would it last before it burned out? Unfortunately, I don’t need heat this time of year, so I can’t really give it a try for some months.

-- Working at Woodworking http://www.VillageLaneFurniture.com

Well appearantly Tony burned the bottom of the can from the 2” hole to a 4” hole. If you put 2” of concrete in the bottom, I’d bet money that it wouldn’t burn out at all.

Another thing is I buy my lacquer and thinner in a 5 gallon can, so it seems to me that it might heat a larger area for possibly longer. I don’t know, because this wasn’t my design, I just happened accross it from the folks at Toolcrib.

-- http://ye-olde-cabinet-shoppe.com/

I didn’t realize that was the hole in the can, I thought it was the hole in the sawdust. That makes a big difference.

-- Working at Woodworking http://www.VillageLaneFurniture.com

I’m checking the article again to make sure we don’t burn down the house.

-- http://ye-olde-cabinet-shoppe.com/

When the can is full, completely cover the top of the sawdust with a thin, even layer of sand or ashes. Then twist the pipe back and forth and carefully pull it out of the packed fuel. You’ll have a neat hole—which will act as a chimney—right through the mass.

This must be their idea of a lid to keep the fumes from rising right in your breathing area. Saving the lid of the can might also be another way of “keeping a lid on it”.

-- http://ye-olde-cabinet-shoppe.com/

Here are a few photos taken 3 hours after lighting

Flash Photograph

Hand held No Flash

Hand held No Flash

-- Tony - All things are possible, just some things are more difficult than others! - SKYPE: Heron2005 (http://www.poydatjatuolit.fi)