How to Make Wood Pellets at Home

Wood pellets made at home are used as a type of fuel made from sawdust, firewood or wood chips that have been compacted. As the prices of home heating fuels continue to rise, wood pellets make a good low-cost alternative heating source, and, the best part is, you can make them at home.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Firewood, sawdust or wood chips
• Hammer mill
• Press machine

Making Wood Pellets at Home

1. Sort through the wood chips, firewood or sawdust and match up pieces that are similar in size.

2. Use a dryer to dry the sawdust or wood chip shavings. The dryer must be able to get up to 600 degrees Fahrenheit, because the intense heat will get rid of excess moisture

3. Pass the wood pieces through a hammer mill, which will provide the pieces of wood a paste substance. If you can't find a hammer mill in your area, check Resources for an online source.

4. Run the wood substance through a press machine. This process will produce pellets by squeezing the substance through a mill die that has small holes. Make sure the press machine stays at a high pressure during this process to ensure the wood pellets hold together and the wood softens.

5. Let the wood pellets cool completely. To do this, place the wood pellets into a cooler; making sure the temperature is at 5 degrees Fahrenheit.

6. Throw away broken pellets or loose particles and keep only the wood pellets that are hard and solid in shape.

References

• Wood Pellets
• Wood Working