Coalpail.com Forum

Does anyone have an idea how to make use of left over fines and dust?
I hate to waste any of this wonderful stuff.

A fine sculpture?

You can burn it by adding small clumps of it to a firebed as if it was a big piece of coal. Don't spread over the firebed, or do it alot, it will build up too much ash in the firebed and smother a lot of it. But if you do it each time you get to the bottom of a coal bucket or bag, that's about often enough that it doesn't cause a problem. After all, why waste it - it's heat you paid for.

And don't toss, or drop it into the stove. That might cause it to ignite quickly and flash back. Just place it directly onto the firebed with a small coal/ash shovel and it won't flair up.

I tried making coal bricketts by mixing the fines with baking flour in cupcake tins and letting then dry. Took a lot of time, plus the added cost of an equal volume of flour, so I went back to just occasionally adding to the firebed.

And, adding fines and small bits is a good way to slow a hot fire when it's really cold outside and the draft is very strong.

I guess the old timers didn't mind wasting the fines. My house belonged to a secession of local coal dealers. When I tore up the wood floor in the carriage barn, the ground under it was covered a foot deep with all coal fines over an area 24 x 36. A lot of wheel barrel loads to get it out of there to insulate and pour a radiant heat concrete slab for my shop.

Too bad I didn't have a coal stove at the time, that was a lot of BTUs that went to just being filler in my stone driveway.

Paul

Just to add to what Paul said, I use fines and small stuff to blanket the fire during warm spells. With a blanket of fines on top the coal bed I'm able to achieve low slow burns thru warm day time. The blanket helps insulate the coal bed by forcing hot gases within it to find longer passages thru. This keeps the coal bed healthy and happy and helps prevent it from forming dead spots during an idle period.

Some of the fines burn, some fall thru while clearing ash but at least they have a purpose. Also by using this blanket technique I save coal by not overheating the house just to maintain a fire during warm days.

I have a home made "sorting facility" and save my fines and small pieces for warmer weather.

T, what brand coal are you burning to be having so much fines? The little I get with my bulk BLASCHAK goes right into the HITZER = HEAT.

I throw my fines out on the ground,scattered around...

I keep reading that good clean,sanitary drinking water is scarce....

Coal is used for carbon filters....

So... i am dumping my fines to run the rain water & snow melt,dog & cat pee, thru the big carbon filter i am creating by scattering my fines.

I am using those troublesome fines to create more clean water for humanity...

I consider it a BIG win-win...

If I had so many I was forced to sift them they would go on my driveway, but that wouldnt work for a paved driveway. I might even use the whole works, good sized and fines, for landscaping if it was that bad. Shiny black rocks would look ok for that.

Mine just go in the fire with the rest of it. I sifted some soft coal once and never again. That is not a fun job.

Don't laugh about following .Mix one part Portland cement an 4 parts fines add water keep stiff .I use 4inch by 4 inch margarine plastic containersan also one pound empty coffee cans for my forms .Note your fireboxmust be able to handle this size Coal Cookie .Burns just like Stove Coal .Patent Pending . jack

Greg (LsFarm) used to just roll them up tight in a newspaper and throw them on the fire as I recall.

windyhill4.2 wrote: ↑

Wed. Jan. 10, 2018 9:47 am

Coal is used for carbon filters....
So... i am dumping my fines to run the rain water & snow melt,dog & cat pee, thru the big carbon filter i am creating by scattering my fines.
I am using those troublesome fines to create more clean water for humanity...

I’m not as public spirited as Windy. Mine get dumped into the top of the hopper along with the nut coal. They don't come out the bottom into the ash pan, so I'm assuming they go up the chimney as CO2.

they used coal fines in the concrete for my house foundation.

freetown fred wrote: ↑

Wed. Jan. 10, 2018 9:39 am

T, what brand coal are you burning to be having so much fines? The little I get with my bulk BLASCHAK goes right into the HITZER = HEAT.

Tractor Supply Kimmels nut. What they had couple years ago. Every size in the bag. Otherwise I have to drive 120 miles each way for Blaschak, which I love.

freetown fred wrote: ↑

Wed. Jan. 10, 2018 9:39 am

T, what brand coal are you burning to be having so much fines? The little I get with my bulk BLASCHAK goes right into the HITZER = HEAT.

Same here, Blaschak bulk and right into the hopper. Fines filter down thru the big lumps slowly and infrequently I will find trace amounts of fines on top of a fresh shake. Fines cant be avoided in coal that has been handled a few times from the mine to dealer to you. Just part of burning coal.

I also save my fines and throw a shovel or so on the fire to slow it down. Going from below zero last week to almost 70* today I used up the last of them and ended up dumping a few cups of rice coal in the magazine this morning. I gave it a light shake this morning to lower the bed but left a good layer of ash on the grates and closed the primary completely.

Tonights lows are in the high teens and tomorrows back into the single digits. I will shake it down before I head up to the crib, open the primary up a bit, and top the magazine off with a mix of stove and nut. OAT currently 48* and stove temp down to 230* By morning it should be up to 400* - 450* and I'll just open it up a little at a time as the temperature drops.

Burned up every bit of fines we ever accumulated over the past 50 years with no problems.

Paulie

To slow my stove down this am, i did not shake the grate or poke them or slice them.... i did nothing to encourage the ash to fall. I filled with coal,nut coal... stove ran at 250* all day. Tonite i shook the ashes down,poked a few dark spots & filled with nut coal.

My stove & my boiler both contribute their fines to my outdoor carbon filter.