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Monday, September 29, 2008

Recycling Newpaper to Fire Logs

Recycling Newspapers to Fire Wood, Making Tinder From Lint, And Small Tuna Burner.
*This is another part to my Emergency Survival series from my blog. I hope this might be helpful for some home recyclers. I’ve learned these techniques in one of my "food storage" preparedness classes. The process is a great way to recycle your old newspapers, and tinder to start fires or to make a burner in tuna cans as a tuna burner. Do test you home made products out before doing more to get them just right for your stove. Be inventive, use your imaginations, go farther with an idea.
Fire Wood (made from recycled newspaper)
In rougher times and even for convent sake recycling newspapers are a great idea and a fun home made product that can include any member of the family. Many live in areas where there is not much wood about to gather to make a fire in a disaster or emergency. What to cook with or burn for fuel to start your fire? It beats buying wood plus is environmental friendly. (From wood to paper to wood again.)
The tuna burner used leavens, and/or lint from your clothes. Even if you do have wood in their area, you still can use this all the time instead of tear down the forest and/or instead of searching for smaller tender to start a fire.
Fire Logs
1. Starting with pretty much the way given to you. Just use the rolled up paper. Or, take your used newspapers folding all back as it came, in half, and refold it again rolling it from the center to the edge. (The edged ends of the paper are up on the outside because it is easier to start a burn this way.)
2. Then tie off with rubber bands etc that will burn easy. You can practice on a new newspaper until you get the roll tight enough, and with some practice burns to time the burning time. The thicker and/or tighter the paper is the longer it will burn. However, you may not want to burn all the paper logs at the same rate. Varying it tightness or thickness may be wise. Also, if your strong enough two papers can be added together i.e. for a longer burn. Magazines or colored pages do not burn well. However, it can be occasionally be put in to slow down the logs burning. Sunday papers are very thick but can be broken down to several logs
Tie it down in about two-three places with saved rubber bands as when the rolled newspaper when it was delivered.
3. In a basin or dishpan have dish soap water ready to soak your newspaper. Leave until all the soapy water is absorbed. (This adds fat in the log and makes it easier to start. Experiment with the amount of soap made from fat to add. If the soap is not made from fat, it will still keep it together but may not burn well. Have you ever made paper? It’s kind of the same principle
4. Drain well, and set outdoors to dry “completely” and stack, as you would fire wood for the day you will need them. Keep dry and store well. Test the length of time of your logs so to store the right amount of fuel in an emergency.
Making Tinder (re-cycled dryer lint)
1. For tinder, use anything to store dryer your lint in to keep it in tact and dry. Then when you have collected enough bring the bag out along with your stored empty tuna can i.e. Compress the lint tightly. Pour over it a little leftover fat or even a bit of wax in your tuna can. Save this for starting your fires. I knew a woman that took this on her vacation camping every year starting their outdoor fires with her saved dryer lint.
2. You can also wrap lint tightly in the "dryer" sheet etc. binding it down with rubber bands burning them in this way too. This can be very flammable if kept close to the fire.
3. Store in big plastic bags to keep dry
Tuna Burner (re-cycled can and newspaper)
1. Use a black and white page of the newspaper and a tuna can.
2. Fold it accordion style to fit the can and its thickness or width is the size of tuna can, or other such style of cans. Make a folded long strip into an accordion style of continual fan foils. (Like making a hand-fan.)
3. Cut it to fit the tuna can. Remember to allow some space for air ventilation or oxygen. If it is too stuffed and tight it harder to keep it burning, because it will need oxygen that you will try and control in the making of the burner. Do test your burner out before so you will get the amount of fire needed for the desired length of time before you do more. Then remember just how much paper to use and how tight to pack it in your can. Again, some papers will not work for this like magazine and colored heavy paper
4. You can add a bit of your melted candle wax, paraffin, or just leftover fat from bacon i. e. to start the fire in the can. It stores well. The length of time depends and how it burns depends on how you packed your can.
http://roosterpolitics.blogspot.com/2010/03/unusual-tooth-pick-uses.html
http://roosterpolitics.blogspot.com/2010/05/homemade-lint-clay-re-cycled-lint.html

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