Can you recycle old newspapers into firelogs without pulping them or using water?

Sounds like a great invention. Race ya to the patent office!

Potential big problem with just burning rolled up paper logs is they will not burn hot enough….hence the fancy schmancy contraption for pulping and compressing the paper. Burning just paper won’t get hot enough and will just kick out smoke and creosote which will create problems…potentially big problems for your chimney. This Guy suggests just recycling your old news paper as in the end is a greener solution and safer.

It seems to me my dad had some kind of contraption when I was little (the ‘60’s) that rolled them up into tight logs. I was a little girl so I don’t remember much about it.

@Judi….That’s what I thought…I thought there was something that did that. Hmmm.

@Cruiser,...Yes I was wondering about the creosote.

@Real….I know….or we could work together…I’m sure that’s what Mr Rogers would say to us.

Thanks for answering….lurve on the way.

Hmm. What occurs to me is it would be pretty easy to adapt something like these Library newspaper sticks.
Attach a handle to the closed end and thread it through holes in a wooden base (like a paper towel holder, but larger)

Thread in as many papers as you want, then clamp the open end of the stick, roll ‘em up tight, bind the roll and release the clamp to pull the stick out.

Are you looking for this gadget? Someone invented an attachment for an electric drill that works the same way.

When we had a fireplace, I would twist a couple pages together, fold, and twist again to stand in for light kindling.

I remember my grandfather showing me how to roll up a newspaper so it could be tied in a knot to start a coal fire. There is also at least one patent on making briquettes from waste paper.

I have burned rolled newspapers. They make a lot of ash – I estimate about double that of wood. Also the flame is not as nice. If you mix them with wood you will be ok. The BTUs per pound of paper and wood are virtually identical. The problem is ash and aesthetics. I do not know about emissions.
Don’t burn the shiny paper. It does not burn well and leaves way more ash than it’s worth.

I heat with wood and have a high efficiency, high temp, reburner type woodburner.

It would probably require the water still, but couldn’t you press logs down into a PVC pipe using a large dowel that fit loosely into it?

They used to advertise newspaper-into-logs rolling machines all the time, in places like Parade Magazine and SkyMall. I guess I didn’t notice if they stopped advertising. I never tried such a machine but I agree with @worriedguy that it generates much ash. Burning shiny color pages generates heavy metal residue, i.e., environmental toxins.