Newspaper Logs for the Wood Stove

Some of you will consider this to be going beyond frugal survival, crossing the line with the likes of Kurt Saxon and his 3.3 cent breakfast or those who use the same butt wipe for two weeks in hopes of saving a dime. But survival is about using and saving every available resource and not being wasteful with what we have. Anyway it seemed like a waste to throw all those old newspapers in the trash after reading, so I decided to put them to better use.

If you can get permission, or get in and out without being caught, a nearly endless supply of discarded newspaper can be found free for the taking in dumpsters behind most outlets that deal with such publications, I have also found many good books this way and even made some extra cash selling them at local swap meets, but that’s another story.

I soak the papers in water overnight then roll them up as tightly as possible forming a solid mass and leave to dry. I bind the rolls with string or fishing line at the ends to hold them tightly together while drying. The logs burn for about ten to twenty minutes and are most useful when starting a new fire, not as a stand along heat source.

I read somewhere about soaking the newspapers in old motor oil, I have never done this myself, so I can’t say for sure, but I would think this would cause the logs to stink and let off clouds of black smoke when burnt. I plan on trying this soon to be sure, if I don’t become side tracked first, by other projects.

Don’t think for a moment that you can heat your home for the winter with only rolled logs made of newspaper, rolling enough to feed the flame all winter would take more time then the project would be worth. I can cut a truck load of oak or hickory firewood in about three hours, which is enough to keep my little wood stove burning for a month or more, rolling an equal amount of paper logs would take days of work and energy.