[Stoves] Hand-makng small roundish briquettes:

[rongretlarson at comcast.net]

Richard cc List and Dan 

Thanks for the "Not" version below. This makes more sense in terms of your following sentences. I would be surprised if the mix I worked with was optimum. But hand-forming pressure came came out better than I expected. 

I did listen to all the videos you mentioned and that I could find on making smallish briquettes suitable for TLUDs. Nothing I saw compared to the success I think being seen for the "holey briquette" (a very nice shape and szie) I will next send a separate note on the charcoal-making potential of that). 

So, I would still appreciate hearing of any experiences by anyone on making smaller units (a size in between pellets and the holey briquette) - either with machines or by hand. Since my first message on hand-making, I now suggest the name of "thumbettes" - as they are the size and shape of that portion of ones' right hand thumb grasped in a left clenched fist (or vice versa). 

I think thumbettes (its making described in last message - a first squeeze in left hand, followed by only one squeeze in the right - done simultaneously). could be the fastest, cheapest way of making a small sufficiently-dense briquette-like fuel for TLUDs. I would rather it turn out more spherical, but I think this size/shape will work well enough. I hope others with a good mix will both try a two-hand/two-squeeze approach and suggest a better (faster, cheaper, etc) way to make a slurry-fed fuel that will densely pack for TLUds. 

Richard (anyone) - any other "thumbette" or "spherette" ideas from your experience? Again - thanks for the correction. 

Ron 

----- Original Message -----
From: "Richard Stanley" <rstanley at legacyfound.org> 
To: rongretlarson at comcast.net 
Cc: "Discussion of biomass" <stoves at lists.bioenergylists.org>, "daniel roggema" <droggema at gmail.com> 
Sent: Monday, July 29, 2013 10:16:22 AM 
Subject: Re: Hand-makng small roundish briquettes: 

Ron, daniel et al. 
Apologies for my atrocious spelling. 
Here is what I was trying to say: 



Ron, 

Often greater squeezing pressure (to achieve greater density) is NOT the solution. It is most often about blending the right amount of fibrus material and combustible infiller. Its about attaining the right combination of fibers that are conditioned to flex plastically with an infilling material that is dense yet relatively porous. No amount of force will create a good briquette using the wet process becsue increased pressure results in shearing of the fibers and vaporising the water in the slurry, creating a crude form of steam cannon. 

I do not know what blend Approvecho uses as we lost contact with them after they visited here to gather what we were doing, but I would say that it is very likely that if you found paper blends there. Relatively dense briquettes can be achieved with paper-based blends by hand but paper is far from the ideal in terms of good hot combustion… 


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Thanks for your patience, 


Richard Stanley 
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