Thread: Briquettes

There are two here in Canberra.

First is at Thors Hammer. It was built as a side project, repaired 300 times, then finally replaced with a commercial machine called a RUF. This was done as it became much more than a project and into a "line item" of the business!

Second is at Monaro Timbers. I've not seen this, but apparently they run it pretty hard and the Briqs are popular.

Thor of Thors Hammer tends to share a LOT, especially on Instagram. Two of us went for a tour not so long ago for a few hours and had the guts of the business explained to us. The Briquetter apparently makes them quite a bit of money and stock is always sold (orders required).

The operation of the machine is not complex, at all. Its a fabulous idea.

I'm looking at this one manufactured in the UK, but there not cheap.

New IWM Falach Leaflet.pdf

making your own will require some time and know-how
buying one is about 6k Euro. very tempted to buy one. shipping probably cost more than the machine....

Two questions, RB

1. What feedsock do you plan on using?
2. How much of it in a month?

If that is the at the bridge I won't bother alerting you

Originally Posted by GraemeCook

Two questions, RB

1. What feedsock do you plan on using?
2. How much of it in a month?

Feedsock?
How much of what?

Originally Posted by riverbuilder

Feedsock?
How much of what?

What are you going to make your brickettes out of?

Originally Posted by GraemeCook

What are you going to make your brickettes out of?

Being a woodworking forum....

Originally Posted by woodPixel

Being a woodworking forum....

But Riverbuilder is very creative; you never know what he is thinking about.

And there are other alternatives:

• My late father used to make briquettes out of newspapers - burnt reasonably well but horrible - newspaper is about 110% ash.
• An acquaintance used to make briquettes from peat - burnt well, lovely smell, manageable ash - but then Parks & Wildlife banned the extraction of peat.

So true.

Sarcasm aside, I saw on the site the the RUF that they suggest all kinds of things: cotton, hay, sawdust, woodchips, bark, tobacco, straw and something called Miscanthus.

I'd imagine hemp stalks would work well too.


Hamp is an incredible material. Like bamboo. These two "weeds" have enormous potential as a sink for CO2, land amelioration, fibre and commercial processing (such as phenolics).

What a time to be alive!

Ok, you meant FeedStock.
Ill be using the several kilos of wood shavings that come out of the planers snd spindle moulders every week. I’ve just bought a place that has 3 wood fires and also a Rayburn wood stove in the kitchen, so rather than give the stuff away to the horse stables, I thought I could use it. I’m not looking to make it a business, just alleviate having to cut and split firewood or buy it in.

Originally Posted by riverbuilder

Ok, you meant FeedStock.
Ill be using the several kilos of wood shavings that come out of the planers snd spindle moulders every week. I’ve just bought a place that has 3 wood fires and also a Rayburn wood stove in the kitchen, ...

Oops - too late to fix a typo!

Dad stuffed around for a couple of years mixing sawdust & shavings with a little pulped newspaper to make it bind. These briquettes burnt a lot better than straight newspaper, but I never thought it was worth the effort. He just used a simple wooden long lever press and a mold about the size of a brick but three times as high - briquettes compressed to the size of a brick.

I just put shavings/sawdust into a paper bag and put them in the stove. Burn well provided there is enough heat in the stove, or, if just lighting, provided the stove is properly stacked. Over the years we have used Rayburn, Kent, Lopi, Muir, Embers (?) and my parents had a Rayburn look-a-like. All burn shavings well.

I used to use plastic supermarket bags but no more.

Originally Posted by woodPixel

So true.

Sarcasm aside, I saw on the site the the RUF that they suggest all kinds of things: cotton, hay, sawdust, woodchips, bark, tobacco, straw and something called Miscanthus.

I'd imagine hemp stalks would work well too.


Hamp is an incredible material. Like bamboo. These two "weeds" have enormous potential as a sink for CO2, land amelioration, fibre and commercial processing (such as phenolics).

What a time to be alive!

Yes, indeed it is. I've heard that the alternative is a bit bleak.