MtB Posted October 12, 2012 Report Share Posted October 12, 2012 My coal bucket usually seems to contain about a kilogram of coal dust each time I get to the bottom. I've no idea where it comes from as there never seems to be much in the coal bags! Anyway, as it obviously contains the same heat energy as coal (ok, 'smokeless fuel'), I generally attempt to burn it by putting it in the stove anyway. However, I'm not certain this is a good idea for reasons I find hard to verbalise. What do you do with yours? Burn it or chuck it? And why? Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RLWP Posted October 12, 2012 Report Share Posted October 12, 2012 My grannie used to stuff it into an old tin and put it on the fire Mind you, she used to put anything on the fire Richard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luctor et emergo Posted October 12, 2012 Report Share Posted October 12, 2012 I chuck it down the side.. Tried the towpath, but was told off... Out of sight... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Holden Posted October 12, 2012 Report Share Posted October 12, 2012 My grannie used to stuff it into an old tin and put it on the fire Mind you, she used to put anything on the fire Richard What, like potato peelings and cabbage stalks? The coal dust used to get mixed with a little cement, moulded in flower pots and left to dry before burning, don't know how that would work with smokeless though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoodGurl Posted October 12, 2012 Report Share Posted October 12, 2012 any slack in the bottom of the scuttle is thrown on the fire at every empty scuttle, i dont let it build up or it gets heavy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tuscan Posted October 12, 2012 Report Share Posted October 12, 2012 I used to twist up in newspaper as a firelighter, however now have a bubble stove running heat, rads and water and no mess. Get my fix when I light the stove in the boatmans. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alf27 Posted October 12, 2012 Report Share Posted October 12, 2012 Just chuck it on with the rest of the fuel ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RLWP Posted October 12, 2012 Report Share Posted October 12, 2012 What, like potato peelings and cabbage stalks? Makes an interesting noise, a tin of potato peelings Richard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grace and Favour Posted October 12, 2012 Report Share Posted October 12, 2012 Put it in a thin poly bag, (paper bag if available) When keeping the stove in overnight (i.e. Nov>>March), throw the bag on top of the last loading of coal. It helps damp the fire down, and aids slow burning throughout the night Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Holden Posted October 12, 2012 Report Share Posted October 12, 2012 Makes an interesting noise, a tin of potato peelings Richard Doesn't it just! Mind you a lot of what they burnt sounded interesting - I dread to think what it did for air pollution though. And I just had a flash of sitting round a rubbish fire that seemed to suck all the heat out of the room. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billh Posted October 12, 2012 Report Share Posted October 12, 2012 It is a fact that the first engine designed by Dr Diesel ran on coal dust. So there we have it- blow it into your JP/ K/DM/ whatever, with a hair drier and we have a diesel engine that runs on bottom of scuttle waste, got to be better than chucking it in the cut........ Think of the savings and miss all those "discussions" about 60:40 etc . Bill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MtB Posted October 12, 2012 Author Report Share Posted October 12, 2012 It is a fact that the first engine designed by Dr Diesel ran on coal dust. So there we have it- blow it into your JP/ K/DM/ whatever, with a hair drier and we have a diesel engine that runs on bottom of scuttle waste, got to be better than chucking it in the cut........ Think of the savings and miss all those "discussions" about 60:40 etc . Bill SHHHHHHH.... we don't want them to put road tax on coal too Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilR Posted October 12, 2012 Report Share Posted October 12, 2012 My coal bucket usually seems to contain about a kilogram of coal dust each time I get to the bottom. I've no idea where it comes from as there never seems to be much in the coal bags! Anyway, as it obviously contains the same heat energy as coal (ok, 'smokeless fuel'), I generally attempt to burn it by putting it in the stove anyway. However, I'm not certain this is a good idea for reasons I find hard to verbalise. What do you do with yours? Burn it or chuck it? And why? Mike I'll take the coal dust off your hands for free. Can you bag it first? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Radiomariner Posted October 12, 2012 Report Share Posted October 12, 2012 Dross, I think it's called. I remember my mum used to make a bucket of thinish Paper mash. She would then thicken it up with dross. We would then take handfulls of the stuff and roll into balls that she would stack up behind the Raeburn to dry out. Unfortunately, I can not remember exactly how they performed. I think she used them mainly for damping the fire down at night but sometimes I believe, probably if the mix was wrong, she would use them as firelighters (Suspect she may have dipped them in paraffin first!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilR Posted October 12, 2012 Report Share Posted October 12, 2012 Dross, I think it's called. I remember my mum used to make a bucket of thinish Paper mash. She would then thicken it up with dross. We would then take handfulls of the stuff and roll into balls that she would stack up behind the Raeburn to dry out. Unfortunately, I can not remember exactly how they performed. I think she used them mainly for damping the fire down at night but sometimes I believe, probably if the mix was wrong, she would use them as firelighters (Suspect she may have dipped them in paraffin first!) I wouldn't be surprised if Mike asks about those thingies that compress wet newspaper to make paper bricks for burning on fires/stoves.............. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MtB Posted October 12, 2012 Author Report Share Posted October 12, 2012 I'll take the coal dust off your hands for free. Can you bag it first? Yes, after I've burned it. Excellent idea! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nigeljan Posted October 13, 2012 Report Share Posted October 13, 2012 make a parcel with newspaper,like a chip packet.I do this all the time to burn seacoal Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grace and Favour Posted October 13, 2012 Report Share Posted October 13, 2012 I chuck it down the side.. Tried the towpath, but was told off... Out of sight... After this thread, Sir, you should be able to sell it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Manxcat Posted October 13, 2012 Report Share Posted October 13, 2012 I use the dross when banking up the fire for the night, with a layer out of the ash pan on the top. Sometimes decent little bits of coal/clinker end up in the ash pan, so this way they go back in and get burnt. Learnt to do it this way from my Granny, who had been thro the 30's depression and then the rationing of WW2, so she knew how to get the best heat from her fire! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cheshire~rose Posted October 13, 2012 Report Share Posted October 13, 2012 As others have said - sprinkle it over the coal when you have banked up the fire for the night. If you then sprinkle or spray a mist of water over it tends to set into a hard crust over the top. I was taught to do this by Nan-in-law on an open fire at home and in the morning I would crack the crust with the poker to reveal a glowing fire inside ready to heat up the room again. Nan was married to a Yorkshire miner and had 5 mining sons so coal was never scarce, nor was dust but have you ever met anyone from Yorkshire that was not frugal? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the grinch Posted October 13, 2012 Report Share Posted October 13, 2012 Put it in a thin poly bag, (paper bag if available) When keeping the stove in overnight (i.e. Nov>>March), throw the bag on top of the last loading of coal. It helps damp the fire down, and aids slow burning throughout the night on a similar vein, mixed with some ash and put on the top of a fresh load of coal will keep it in overnight but allow it to slow burn. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grace and Favour Posted October 13, 2012 Report Share Posted October 13, 2012 <<>>>>>> but have you ever met anyone from Yorkshire that was not frugal? Is this a question for folks who have a Yorkshire wife??????? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Manxcat Posted October 16, 2012 Report Share Posted October 16, 2012 BBC News Linky Might be time to stock up on coal a bit Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George94 Posted October 16, 2012 Report Share Posted October 16, 2012 BBC News Linky Might be time to stock up on coal a bit I am not sure why. The company is in trouble because coal prices have fallen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JerryP Posted October 16, 2012 Report Share Posted October 16, 2012 I put the dross into an empty egg box ,then put it onto the hot coals Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Featured Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now