Home/Cottage and garden/The most original ways to use sawdust
If sawdust has accumulated in your dacha or garden, do not rush to throw it away. They can be beneficial. After all, sawdust is an organic, pure material that can also serve, for example, as fuel, mulch or a substrate for mycelium. So, life hacks using sawdust:
Compost
The simplest and most pure gardening task. Compost fertilizers are always needed and are especially valuable for their natural origin. Since fresh sawdust is not suitable as a fertilizer - they take nitrogen from the soil - you need to make compost from it, or rather add it to where it has already been created. Sawdust helps the main components of the compost mature, and it also warms up faster in the spring. The process can be started from the beginning of summer. Typically, sawdust is placed in compost in layers, which are spilled with water and fertilizers - urea, superphosphate and potassium chloride. It is also recommended to sprinkle each layer with lime. At the end of summer, compost can be used.
Advantages of building a house from material
Building a house from sawdust concrete is not at all difficult. Therefore, you can cope with such work with your own efforts, but you still must have some minimal knowledge in construction. It is allowed to erect a building from such a product, the height of which will not exceed 3 floors, and the wall thickness will not exceed 30 centimeters. The strength of the walls is very high.
As evidence of the advantages of the characteristics of such a material, we can make the following list of advantages:
- Environmentally friendly. It is known that with minimal use of cement mixture, the structure will have higher strength. However, cement can be used in such a material, because the main component is sawdust. It is also worth knowing that sawdust concrete walls are breathable. This ability makes it possible for an ideal ratio of thermal conductivity and humidity inside the building, and also promotes air microcirculation. An additional bonus will be the prospect of not having to worry about fungus or mold in the house.
- Low cost. Quite often, the main component of a given building material can be obtained free of charge or very cheaply. From this it becomes clear that the costs will only relate to the acquisition of the fastening component.
- Environmental friendliness of the material.
Economical foundation. This happens due to the fact that the box has a small mass. The mass of sawdust concrete is approximately several times less than that of blocks made of plain concrete. And at the same time, houses made from such a product can withstand loads well, and their strength is not inferior to other building materials.
- Ease of manufacturing building material. These products for the construction of buildings can be easily made with your own hands, and the strength will be high.
- Excellent thermal insulation qualities. Thanks to its special structure, sawdust concrete does an excellent job of thermal insulation of constructed buildings.
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Creating warm beds
Warm beds differ from ordinary ones in that the soil where the plants will be planted is mixed with organic material such as sawdust, which gives off heat to it and protects the roots of the plant from hypothermia. In addition, sawdust will release nutrients to the roots. Before laying, the sawdust is scalded. Next, they need to be covered with a cloth and watered with a solution of potassium permanganate. The next layer will be, for example, leaves or tops with a layer of ash. Next is a mixture of fertilizers.
Pressed timber
The interacting components are compressed and ultimately turned into timber of any length, with a cross-section of 250 x 150 mm and a density of 1000-1800 kg/m3. Moreover, it has a tongue-and-groove design. The undoubted advantages of this material are the following:
- it is fireproof and frost-resistant (withstands 35 freezing and thawing cycles);
- the timber is not subject to putrefactive processes and damage by harmful microorganisms and rodents;
- walls made of pressed timber are lightweight and have no architectural restrictions. In addition, they do not require a deep foundation, which allows you to save on this;
- thanks to the optimal profile, timber walls can be assembled without any problems, for example, a house with an area of 36 m2 can be assembled during a working day and without the involvement of specialists. The crest of the beam is covered either with a solution of bischofite and magnesite, or with ordinary cement, after which the next element is placed on it. After hardening, the wall becomes monolithic;
- since the pressed timber has a leveled, smooth surface, you can save on plastering work by immediately starting finishing;
- walls made of such timber are classified as “breathable”;
- the cost of pressed timber is not too high if you compare it with the prices of laminated veneer lumber, rounded logs, etc. In addition to the advantages that pressed timber provides, it is not without its disadvantages, in particular:
- the binder in the timber requires high-quality waterproofing, since it is not characterized by increased moisture resistance;
- In terms of thermal insulation characteristics, pressed timber cannot compete with sandwich panels, although it is superior to brick in this parameter, i.e. has approximately the same indicators as cellular concrete;
- unlike the latter, pressed timber is somewhat more difficult to process, which, however, can be called a disadvantage with a certain degree of doubt, especially if you have modern power tools.
A material such as wooden “brick” has recently appeared on the domestic market, so it is not very common in the practice of country house construction, but we believe that the reader and the hypothetical developer will be interested in obtaining information about it, especially since construction from it can be carried out in record time. The name wooden “brick” is quite arbitrary, since this material is a wooden beam and only resembles a brick in shape, but differs from it in size, which can be different. The limitation concerns only the length - it cannot be less than 315 mm. A distinctive feature of the “brick” (actually a beam) is a special four-sided locking design, thanks to which the individual elements fit together without the slightest gap, which allows you to save on seals and sealants. A wall made of such material turns out to be almost monolithic and looks more like a furniture panel than the enclosing structure that is familiar to us. But the advantages of wooden “bricks” are not limited to this. Let's list its other advantages.
- First of all, the material retains all the positive aspects of wood, which there is no need to name, since they were discussed above.
- During the manufacturing process, exclusively dry wood is used, which is sanded and brought to almost perfect condition. In addition, a special Tikurila composition is applied to the front sides, which not only performs a protective function, but also emphasizes the texture of the wood. Thanks to such high-quality processing, a wall made of such material does not need finishing, i.e. there is a real opportunity to save money.
- The variety of sizes allows you to implement different architectural solutions, change the layout and dimensions of the premises.
A country house (however, this applies not only to it) must correspond to your inner essence, be its spatial and material reflection. Only under this condition will you feel comfortable and free while in such a house.
4. The walls and the house itself made of wooden “bricks” are lightweight, so there is no need to lay a reinforced foundation, which significantly saves materials and costs.
5. Walls made of such material are not prone to deformation and are installed with great speed - in about 2-8 weeks. 6. A house built from wooden “bricks” does not require a technological break and can be immediately occupied and equipped with doors and windows. 7. An equally important advantage of this material is its attractive price - 2.5-3 times cheaper than laminated timber.
Growing mushrooms
Oyster mushrooms are grown in sawdust substrate. It is prepared from sawdust with the addition of straw or feed. All this needs to be prepared, namely: soak in hot water for up to 7 hours. All this time the temperature should be maintained at 60 degrees. When the mass has cooled, it is squeezed out and folded in layers into a tight bag. In this case, each layer is sprinkled with mycelium. Holes are made in the bag and after a month and a half the mushrooms produce a harvest.
Biofuel
Methyl alcohol is obtained from sawdust, which can be used for heating and any engines configured to run on gasoline or gas.
Methyl alcohol is very poisonous and should not be drunk .
There are industrial and home methods for producing alcohol from this product, the difference between them is in the method of producing glucose from sawdust.
For both methods, it is necessary to grind the sawdust as much as possible - the smaller its size, the higher the yield of the finished product.
To obtain biofuels, it is desirable to use hardwood , since they produce more glucose.
For more information about shredding devices, read the article “Equipment for processing wood waste.”
Having converted the sawdust into glucose, they are fermented with yeast , and after fermentation is completed, they are heated to a temperature of 60–70 degrees so that the alcohols evaporate. This steam is then cooled and a mixture of various alcohols is obtained, which, after purification, becomes biofuel.
Any gasoline engine can run on this fuel , although the engine needs to be slightly modified for maximum efficiency.
Read more about the production and use of biofuel here.
Sawdust flavorings
Sawdust has good absorbent properties, so they can easily be used as a natural flavoring. If the sawdust is hardwood, you can soak it in any essential oil. If the sawdust is coniferous, then the material is already ready without additional components. Sawdust is placed in a fabric bag or jar. Such sachets will absorb odors and moisture well.
Mobile conveyor for loading firewood into a trailer
List of materials:
— petrol engine 3 hp
(for map or similar); — profile pipes, plates, sheet steel; — bolts, nuts, washers; - small hand winch; — ready-made conveyor belt or material for manufacturing; - matching wheels; — chain transmission; — threaded rods; - bearings in housings. List of tools:
- band cutting machine; - welding machine; - Bulgarian; - lathe; — milling machine; - drilling machine; — belt grinding machine; - tape measure, marker and more. Homemade manufacturing process:
Step one. Conveyor shafts
First of all, we will make the conveyor shafts, these are the rollers on which the belt will rotate. As a base we use a round pipe of suitable diameter. The ends of the pipes need to be welded with washers; the author turned them himself on a lathe. Drill holes for the shafts in the center of the washers, insert round timber into the wheels and boil everything well. Finally, the author processed the parts on a lathe, resulting in two excellent videos. The axes will rotate on bearings in the housings.
For the conveyor to operate, the maximum possible torque is needed; it is thanks to it that heavy loads in the form of firewood or others will be lifted. To increase torque, we place a driven sprocket of the largest possible size on the conveyor drive shaft. To install the sprocket, the author turned a flange for it on a lathe. The sprocket is attached to the flange with screws.
Step three. Frame and tensioner
We assemble a frame for the conveyor; profile pipes are an excellent material for such purposes; they are relatively light and strong. The frame design is not complicated.
The frame must have a tension unit on which the driven roller is installed. This tensioning unit is a telescope in the form of pieces of pipes of different diameters, one pipe goes into the other. The telescope is fixed using screws and welded nuts. Tension occurs due to threaded rods and nuts welded into the ends of the pipes.
Step four. Lifting unit and wheels
The conveyor frame must be adjustable in angle so that firewood can be loaded into trailers of different heights. The legs are hinged to the frame in the shape of the letter “V”; at the bottom of the hinged legs there is an axle with wheels. When the legs are closed, the conveyor rises and vice versa. To adjust the conveyor, the author adapted a small hand winch.
To install the conveyor, the author also made folding legs from profile pipes; do not forget to make a trailed one for transporting the conveyor with a tractor or car.
Step five. Motor
We weld fasteners for the engine from thick sheet steel; the author used a 3-horsepower motor, such engines are used for go-karts. The motor is equipped with a centrifugal clutch and produces good torque at the output.
We also place a gas tank above the engine so that gasoline flows by gravity into the carburetor. To adjust the engine speed, we make a handle that can be locked in the desired position. Thanks to this control, you can adjust the desired conveyor speed.
Step six. Protective shield
Be sure to place a strong shield over the chain drive. Otherwise, a stick may get caught in the chain and the mechanism will fail, and this is important for safety reasons. The author cut out the parts with a plasma cutter and welded the metal shield. We fasten the casing to the frame with screws.
Step seven. Gutter and assembly
We make a gutter for the machine; galvanized sheet steel or other sheet material is suitable here. The author bent the gutters using a sheet bending machine. We glue the resulting gutters to the frame and fasten them with a rivet gun.
After painting all the components, you can assemble the conveyor; all that remains is to install the belt on it. You can make such a tape yourself or you can buy a ready-made one.
This completes the project, I hope you liked the homemade product and found useful thoughts for yourself. Good luck and creative inspiration if you decide to do this again. Don't forget to share your ideas and crafts with us!
Become the author of the site, publish your own articles, descriptions of homemade products and pay for the text. Read more here.
Garden paths
If you dig a shallow trench and fill it with sawdust, you will get a beautiful path. It can be made of any shape, length and width. Water does not stagnate in these places, and weeds do not grow. You will just need to add material as the path is compacted.
IrinaAuthor of the article
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Smoking
Sawdust is a good fuel for smoking various products , giving them a unique taste and aroma.
Smoking is one of the ways to prepare and preserve most foods. released during the smoking process contains :
- antiseptics that inhibit bacterial activity;
- phenols;
- aldehydes;
- resins;
- formic and acetic acid.
There are 3 types of smoking :
- cold;
- hot;
- fast.
Cold smoking is the treatment of products with smoke at a temperature of 17–30 degrees for several days.
Before such smoking, the product is salted, boiled or fried, bringing it to full readiness, and cold smoke changes the taste properties of the product and preserves it, removing moisture and suppressing the growth of bacteria.
When hot smoking, the smoke temperature is 60–80 degrees, and the processing time is 3–7 hours. Both raw and cooked foods can be used for hot smoking. Hot smoke produces the same effect as cold smoke, but in less time.
During rapid smoking, the product is fumigated with smoke at a temperature of 90 degrees or more, so the product is not only smoked, but also baked. Approximate cooking time 1 hour.
Due to the short exposure time, the product does not have time to absorb a sufficient amount of preservatives and is not suitable for long-term storage , but it acquires a “smoked” taste.
More details about:
- principles of smoking;
- the impact of smoked meats on health;
- smoking machines;
- recipes for smoking various products
read the article Sawdust for smoking.
