Papercreters: [papercreters] Re: PC+Woodchips+sawdust = OK?

Monday, July 28, 2008

[papercreters] Re: PC+Woodchips+sawdust = OK?

Alan Stankevitz of daycreek.com tried something like that and didn't
like the results as much as just using paper only.

I think either James Juczak or Paul Reavis worked hard on developing
a sawdust recipe and ended up switching to papercrete. I'm not
certain if I'm remembering things correctly or not. Both of them
eventually converted over to using mostly paper in their mixes.

I've only tried 2 little batches with sawdust. I dumped the dust
collection bag from my belt sander into a batch. It was a mixture of
soft and hardwood sawdust.

My results were very weak blocks. They were crumbly compared to
paper only. Needless to say I wasn't impressed and haven't tried it
again.

With more experimentation perhaps it can be improved. I do not know.

I suspect that wood chips will make it even more crumbly, but I've
never tried it.

I have had the idea in the back of my mind of trying to include cedar
sawdust into a papercrete mix to create a kind of aromatic mix.
Cedar is also naturally pest resistant. I have no idea if it would
work. Too many ideas to try and not enough time, energy, or money to
try everything my demented mind comes up with.

I strongly recommend that you TEST what you want to try before
comitting to it. Make sure it will work as you expect.

When you do try it, please be certain to post about your efforts and
maybe even post a few pictures. Whether it works as you hoped or
not. We'll all learn from your efforts either way.

--- In papercreters@yahoogroups.com, "Paul S. Hetrick"
<homesteadpaul@...> wrote:
>
> Has anybody ever combined papercrete with woodchips and sawdust?
What
> I'm thinking about doing is using woodchips with enough sawdust
added
> to fill in the larger gaps between the chips and then enough
papercrete
> to bind it all together. This would be for in-fill in a
timberframe
> house. The walls will be about 7" thick.
>
> The wood chips will be from the local recycling center, mostly
ground
> up shipping pallets. They shred pallets that are beyond repair and
> sell it as mulch. The sawdust will be course green stuff from
local
> sawmills, mostly oak, but I won't have a choice for what I get.
>
> I'm hoping to get a small shed (probably 10x12') built this fall
before
> freezing weather sets in. If it goes well, I'll cut logs and get
> started on the frame for the main house this winter and do the in-
fill
> in the spring.
>
> Thanks
>