Enabling a garden bonfire
 

A neighbour has recently had a lot of shrubs and laurel cut down. The
intention is to burn it.

Not wishing to buy a dustbin incinerator for what would be a kind of one off
job, does anyone have any ideas on how to make a simple kind
incinerator/grill (the basic idea i suppose is to get the air in underneath)
thing to make the bonfire burn better.

He has some spare concrete paving bricks as a starter. Any suggestions?

Enabling a garden bonfire
 

On 12/10/2010 21:57, john hamilton wrote:
A neighbour has recently had a lot of shrubs and laurel cut down. The
intention is to burn it.

Define "a lot". It is usually sufficient to leave it for a few weeks in
the sunshine and then wait for a nice sunny day and torch it towards the
end of the afternoon. First checking no-one has washing still out!

Assembling it just before lighting so you don't roast any hedgehogs.

Big stuff cut into logs and after a couple of years can be burnt as fuel.

Not wishing to buy a dustbin incinerator for what would be a kind of one off
job, does anyone have any ideas on how to make a simple kind
incinerator/grill (the basic idea i suppose is to get the air in underneath)
thing to make the bonfire burn better.

So long as you don't crush stuff down too much and have some initially
tinder dry material to start with there really isn't much problem with
bonfires. You only get smoke if the stuff isn't dry enough. The trick is
to start small and make sure plenty of air can get into the base of the
fire.

Have a bucket of water and a spade to hand in case things get too
vigorous and work out a plan of escape. Don't have the bulk material too
close to the bonfire or you may have a nasty surprise.

He has some spare concrete paving bricks as a starter. Any suggestions?

Anywhere that is at least 12 feet from other wooden structures and
without overhanging trees you are fond of will do.

Regards,
Martin Brown

Enabling a garden bonfire
 

"john hamilton" wrote in message
...
A neighbour has recently had a lot of shrubs and laurel cut down. The
intention is to burn it.

Not wishing to buy a dustbin incinerator for what would be a kind of one
off job, does anyone have any ideas on how to make a simple kind
incinerator/grill (the basic idea i suppose is to get the air in
underneath) thing to make the bonfire burn better.

He has some spare concrete paving bricks as a starter. Any suggestions?

Concrete explodes* spectacularly if you get it hot enough. Put the bin on
bricks instead.

*("spalls" technically speaking, but plenty of shrapnel flying around to
take eyes out etc.)

Tom

Enabling a garden bonfire
 

On Tue, 12 Oct 2010 21:57:21 +0100, john hamilton wrote:

Not wishing to buy a dustbin incinerator for what would be a kind of one
off job, does anyone have any ideas on how to make a simple kind
incinerator/grill (the basic idea i suppose is to get the air in
underneath) thing to make the bonfire burn better.

Good grief don't people know how to build a fire these days? Martin
has covered the main points, start small and dry, not to close to
anything and keep an eye on it.

--
Cheers
Dave.

Enabling a garden bonfire
 

On Tue, 12 Oct 2010 21:57:21 +0100, "john hamilton"
wrote:

A neighbour has recently had a lot of shrubs and laurel cut down. The
intention is to burn it.

Not wishing to buy a dustbin incinerator for what would be a kind of one off
job, does anyone have any ideas on how to make a simple kind
incinerator/grill (the basic idea i suppose is to get the air in underneath)
thing to make the bonfire burn better.

He has some spare concrete paving bricks as a starter. Any suggestions?


Don't breathe the smoke from the laurel, it's poisonous.

Enabling a garden bonfire
 

In article ,
Fuschia wrote:

Don't breathe the smoke from the laurel, it's poisonous.

Negligibly more than any other smoke. Be more careful of sumachs,
in case they have the same characteristics as Toxicodendron to
a much lesser degree.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

Enabling a garden bonfire
 

On 13/10/2010 11:02, wrote:
In ,
wrote:

Don't breathe the smoke from the laurel, it's poisonous.

Negligibly more than any other smoke. Be more careful of sumachs,
in case they have the same characteristics as Toxicodendron to
a much lesser degree.

I think you probably need to be a bit wary of the smoke when burning yew
for much the same reason. A few UK plants do contain potent chemical
weapons or their precursors - luckily in the UK there is nothing quite
in the poison ivy league. Some of the euphorbias might be quite nasty
when burned if the sap is vapourised in the smoke.

Regards,
Martin Brown

Enabling a garden bonfire
 

In message , john hamilton
writes
A neighbour has recently had a lot of shrubs and laurel cut down. The
intention is to burn it.

Not wishing to buy a dustbin incinerator for what would be a kind of one off
job, does anyone have any ideas on how to make a simple kind
incinerator/grill (the basic idea i suppose is to get the air in underneath)
thing to make the bonfire burn better.

He has some spare concrete paving bricks as a starter. Any suggestions?


Depends how many other neighbours you have. Personally if I lived nearby
I would be very grateful if you took it to the local tip and put it in
the "green waste " skip from whence it could be recycled as compost.

Of course if you insist on burning then first you will need a risk
assessment, then you will need to check your household insurance for
public liability and also in case you burn your own house down. You
should also check with your local council for any by-laws or planning
restrictions and check your deeds to make sure you are entitled to have
bonfires on your land.
(Takes tongue out of cheek and dons waterproof coat).
--
hugh
"No Smokin allowed here. If we see you smoking we will assume you are on fire
and take appropriate action"

Enabling a garden bonfire
 

"john hamilton" wrote in message
...
A neighbour has recently had a lot of shrubs and laurel cut down. The
intention is to burn it.

Not wishing to buy a dustbin incinerator for what would be a kind of one
off job, does anyone have any ideas on how to make a simple kind
incinerator/grill (the basic idea i suppose is to get the air in
underneath) thing to make the bonfire burn better.

He has some spare concrete paving bricks as a starter. Any suggestions?


Probably best to leave it a month or more then light it when there hasn't
been rain for 2 or 3 days. If you do it too soon the leaves flare off and
that's about it. I tunnel into the bonfire heap a little, place a heap of
scrunched up newspaper and then on that, as much as I can round up small
timber pieces, chipboard etc.

mark

Enabling a garden bonfire
 

In message o.uk, Dave
Liquorice writes
On Tue, 12 Oct 2010 21:57:21 +0100, john hamilton wrote:

Not wishing to buy a dustbin incinerator for what would be a kind of one
off job, does anyone have any ideas on how to make a simple kind
incinerator/grill (the basic idea i suppose is to get the air in
underneath) thing to make the bonfire burn better.

Good grief don't people know how to build a fire these days? Martin
has covered the main points, start small and dry, not to close to
anything and keep an eye on it.

And make sure the TV camera isn't filming when you use the petrol and
matches.
--
Not Ray Mears

Enabling a garden bonfire
 

In message , Martin Brown
writes
On 13/10/2010 11:02, wrote:
In ,
wrote:

Don't breathe the smoke from the laurel, it's poisonous.

Negligibly more than any other smoke. Be more careful of sumachs,
in case they have the same characteristics as Toxicodendron to
a much lesser degree.

I think you probably need to be a bit wary of the smoke when burning
yew for much the same reason. A few UK plants do contain potent
chemical weapons or their precursors - luckily in the UK there is
nothing quite in the poison ivy league. Some of the euphorbias might be
quite nasty when burned if the sap is vapourised in the smoke.

Regards,
Martin Brown

Clearly a proper risk assessment is required here.
Send for the Quango!
--
Gordon H
Remove "invalid" to reply

Enabling a garden bonfire
 

On 13 Oct, 12:55, Gordon H
wrote:
In message , Martin Brown
writes





On 13/10/2010 11:02, wrote:
In ,
*wrote:

Don't breathe the smoke from the laurel, it's poisonous.

Negligibly more than any other smoke. *Be more careful of sumachs,
in case they have the same characteristics as Toxicodendron to
a much lesser degree.

I think you probably need to be a bit wary of the smoke when burning
yew for much the same reason. A few UK plants do contain potent
chemical weapons or their precursors - luckily in the UK there is
nothing quite in the poison ivy league. Some of the euphorbias might be
quite nasty when burned if the sap is vapourised in the smoke.

Regards,
Martin Brown

Clearly a proper risk assessment is required *here.
Send for the Quango!
--
Gordon H
Remove "invalid" to reply- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

You can always save it till 5th November, no one will notice a bit
more smoke that evening.

Enabling a garden bonfire
 

On 12 Oct, 21:57, "john hamilton" wrote:
A neighbour has recently had a lot of shrubs and laurel cut down. The
intention is to burn it.

Not wishing to buy a dustbin incinerator for what would be a kind of one off
job, does anyone have any ideas on how to make a simple kind
incinerator/grill (the basic idea i suppose is to get the air in underneath)
thing to make the bonfire burn better.

He has some spare concrete paving bricks as a starter. *Any suggestions?

Far too valuable to burn. What you need is a decent shredder. The
dhipped branches and leaves make a wonderful compost or anti-weed
mulch.

I have completely given up on bonfires. The people round here like a
challenge, they light their bonfires in the rain, or even better, the
snow.

If you must burn it. Start the fire adjacent to your woodpile and move
the stuff over on to the fire That way any hibernating animals don't
get incinerated.

Enabling a garden bonfire
 

On Wed, 13 Oct 2010 12:54:21 +0100, Gordon H wrote:

And make sure the TV camera isn't filming when you use the petrol and
matches.

He he, BTDTGTTS! When I was a lad. I'd previously used parafin to
start fires and knew that petrol wasn't a "good idea" so only put
about a table spoon on the paper and twigs, made sure the can was
well away and sealed. The struck match and threw it at the fire, the
whole thing lifted 6" off the ground with a decided WHUMPF! Got the
fire going mind and taught me to respect petrol. B-)

--
Cheers
Dave.

Enabling a garden bonfire
 

On 13 Oct, 16:53, Janet wrote:
In article o.uk,
says...



On Tue, 12 Oct 2010 21:57:21 +0100, john hamilton wrote:

Not wishing to buy a dustbin incinerator for what would be a kind of one
off job, does anyone have any ideas on how to make a simple kind
incinerator/grill (the basic idea i suppose is to get the air in
underneath) thing to make the bonfire burn better.

Good grief don't people know how to build a fire these days?

* Not unless they have a degree in Bonfire Enabling. Course fees are
£10,000. Applicants should have *matriculated with a high grade in A
level Match-striking and at least a pass paper in Crumpling.

* *Janet