subject: How to use a Log Maker in Four Easy Steps [print this page] For anybody that has an open fire or wood burning stove, a log maker is a must-have item; turning paper, card and other household waste into burnable logs for the fire not only saves money but also reduces the amount of waste that is thrown away in the rubbish bin each week.
And as log makers compact this waste into slow burning logs that produce lots of heat for very little smoke, log makers are environmentally friendly too reducing waste and reducing our energy bills in the winter.
Step one: collect waste
Nearly a third of all items thrown in the typical household bin can be turned into burnable waste for a log maker. Many of us recycle as we dispose of items now but by separating burnable waste you can reduce the amount you have to recycle and provide free heat.
Nearly anything can be turned into a burnable logs including:
paper, cardboard, junk-mail, food packaging, tissues, toilet rolls, breakfast cereal packets and even dried leaves, twigs and other garden waste.
Step Two: choose a log maker
There are two types of log maker:
The dry log maker that compresses waste card into tight compact logs
The wet log maker that uses water to compress logs into even tighter logs for even slower burning and less smoke.
Step three: Insert paper into log maker and compress
The waste paper and cardboard is inserted inside the log maker with the plunger pulled out (large pieces of card should be ripped up first). The plunger then compacts the waste into compact and tight logs ready for burning on the fire or wood burning stove.
With a wet log maker you add water too which makes the logs even more compact which means they burn slower and produce less smoke although it can be slightly messier to produce the logs.
Step four: use the logs from the log maker for free fuel
Once you have created your logs they can be placed on the fire or on a wood burning stove just like conventional firewood. You can even store logs from a log maker in a log store to keep them dry and ensure you have a good supply of fuel for the fire for when the cold winter nights draw in.
