Gonna be a big time pellet producer...
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Groundhog said:
That's got a nice ring to it. A small sample stashed in each bag for some extra warmth would be a plus! :lol:
compressedwoodsupplier said:
I understand commercial are dried AFTER they are compressed. Some pellets are produced with dry wood from furniture makers, etc. Some are made from sawdust coming from pallet manufacturing, sawmills (and others) that have "green" wood waste.
I understand that 14-15% is the target moisture content for a heating pellet.
You'd have to engineer a small dryer.... I've seen guys adapt an electric home clothes dryer for other puposes... maybe that could work.
Interesting concept to be sure... but there are guys doing it NOW in their driveways and garages.
I don't see how the power is transfered to the gear box. Is it hydraulic or is there a gear or chain turning the die? Never mind I see it in the video.
Thomas
Thomas
man for the kind of money they want for that mill you think it would have a better pellet shute, almost half of the pellets missed the bucket, even when he picked it up close.
BTU said:krooser said:Ok... I haven't actually BOUGHT this but it's affordable and would be super cool to make your own pellets.
Start saving your sawdust for me... can't wait for the "these things burn like crap" reviews...
![[Hearth.com] Gonna be a big time pellet producer...](https://www.hearth.com/talk/attachments/pelletmill-gif.210577/ "[Hearth.com] Gonna be a big time pellet producer...")
Now if I can get a deal on shipping... maybe they can hide it in a shipment of egg foo yung
If you start making them now....you might have a ton ready for NEXT year at this time...!!
(broken link removed)
I could mount the pellet mill on top of my hopper and just keep it cranking out product.
compressedwoodsupplier said:
The material that's used to make the pellets needs about 15 to 18% moisture, I believe. You also need a binder to help keep the pellets together since the small machines don't generate the heat to turn the lignin into a good binder. It's a lot of work and you DO need a hammer mill for most stuff. I got a quote from China for a 22 hp version of the mill and a 22 hp hammer mill plus three sets of dies and hammer mill screens including shipping for less than $4000 including duty and shipping to my door! Still too much work for me!
The moisture problem is the biggest factor that prevents me from even considering it. If it's not right, it WON'T WORK. To dry the raw material, what ever it is, you need to expend energy, which is just the opposite of what you want to do - save money. The only alternative is to mix in dry material to get the moisture correct. More work.............. Darn, it seems like a great way to make pellets on a small scale but just too many problems to overcome. A few round bales of hay and you have a supply for the winter. Corn stalks - same thing.
tjnamtiw said:
The mill's burn the fines from the production process to dry there material. Most are getting from saw milles that are using wet saw too. You could burn some of the saw dust to dry some as it is free material. No cost to you just labor to dry.
Heck in the fall you could burn leaves to dry your material. Any biomass for that matter.
jay
But you could make pellets out of the leaves instead of wasting them. The system works but the moisture thing is a killer. Realistically with two people mixing, feeding and spreading pellets on cooling racks, you could make about 150 to 200 pounds and hour but you would be humping. Another reason I didn't do it. 
)
)Hi from a newbie to the site & corn/pellet stoves.
I've been looking at those things too. Decided against it when I saw where it was from.
While surfing around the net, I run across something that gave me an idea on how to make one.
If I'm right, I should be able to scavange most of the parts from junk/scrap sources to build it. Shouldn't cost more than a few hundred bucks to build, I hope.
If it works, I'll post the plans and video on my website.
I've been looking at those things too. Decided against it when I saw where it was from.
While surfing around the net, I run across something that gave me an idea on how to make one.
If I'm right, I should be able to scavange most of the parts from junk/scrap sources to build it. Shouldn't cost more than a few hundred bucks to build, I hope.
If it works, I'll post the plans and video on my website.
Could be interesting! There's a LOT of pressure between the die and rollers so you need heavy duty bearings for sure. Also, plenty of power. Even the 22 hp diesel version can get bogged down from what I read. That's why they have versions for PTO's. IF I were doing it, I would cryogenically treat the die and rollers to make them tougher. Also, getting heat into the die is another real problem since you are putting 'wet' material into the machine and cooling it back off. If you can figure a way to heat the die, you really make the situation better.
Boondockdogs said:
Believe me I'm no fan of Chinese crap either. But it would be pretty tuff to find any US/Canadian manufacturer of one of these deals. I'd feel better about buying one from a country that isn't bent on destroying ours, too.
krooser said:
That was ANOTHER reason I didn't buy the setup I spoke of! I'm all for foreign trade but it has to be EQUAL TRADE. I will buy $1billion of your crap if you buy $1billion dollars of mine. No deficits. Jobs magically reappear. Need for corrupt politicians magically disappear. .....
Buskirk Engineering in the US makes a small pelletizer but the price is way out of sight.
Here's a link to a distributor. Funny thing is there only about 8 miles from me.
Didn't see anything they sell for $1000 though.
Make Your Own Pellets
Didn't see anything they sell for $1000 though.
Make Your Own Pellets
warmncozy said:
Talk about a poorly designed website... how can you actually find any prices?
The quote I got was for $950.00 FOB some dock in China... didn't get a freight quote but I know a guy who bought an automotive hoist direct and it cost $300.00 for shipping to Baltimore.
I don't have any $$$ this year so it ain't gonna happen for me... I'd have more $$$ but we're buying too much crap from China and building enough stuff here
Thats to bad I was really interested . I am to old to start that now I would never recover my costs . I will probably never recover the cost of the stove ,but I don't care it is fun .
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