Aluminum can crusher

[OzFab]

Pinch the sides of the can in, just enough to break the surface tension & try again...

I can stand on a perfectly straight can but, the slightest imperfection & it easily crushes under my weight; whatever way you build it, you have to load the cans by hand; as you're doing so, lightly squeeze the sides...

 

[Poboy kartman]

Ok....so...I spent a lot of time today making a solid motor mount....then....as it was getting dark....finished the idler..

I actually crushed a couple of cans...but it also failed to crush some too....to thr point where the motor actually locked up...

If this thing doesn't easily crush cans....it's a pointless endeavor....

So the next step is switching to the 3400 rpm motor.....not only is it twice as fast.....it's probably about twice as powerful.....

This is probably going to mean that gravity feed is not going to be an option.....

I was really hoping this thing would work.....and at least make the energy expended on this prototype feel worthwhile crushing cans....and give me the confidence that the next stage would be an assured success.....

And a working prototype would make the magazine feed and ejection devices easier to test at low speed.....

The journey continues......

 

[Badot]

Does it fail to crush completely, or fail to start crushing?

 

[Poboy kartman]

Does it fail to crush completely, or fail to start crushing?

Both....actually....it's just not adequate for the job at present...which...(while that was the whole point of the prototype...to expose flaws).....HAS to be overcome before I move to step two......

EDIT : BTW: The motor locking up is a real game changer....it means that motor is toast....I'm not going to put my time and effort into something unless it's going to succeed without doing it by the skin of my teeth....

 

[Badot]

Throw a good size flywheel on, or just add more gearing?

 

[Poboy kartman]

Throw a good size flywheel on, or just add more gearing?

Thanks....actually....it has both....really...but...they are just at the minimum required for the job....I'm a little bummed...but I'll get it sorted out....

 

[Poboy kartman]

One part of the equation is this....if you put your hand up against someone's face....and give it all you have....you can push him back...but not hurt him...

If....however....you are just a little bit away from his face....and your fist is traveling at great speed.. the same energy is going to put him down....

 

[Badot]

One part of the equation is this....if you put your hand up against someone's face....and give it all you have....you can push him back...but not hurt him...

If....however....you are just a little bit away from his face....and your fist is traveling at great speed.. the same energy is going to put him down....

On that note, your pusher has at least a couple degree angle on it when it hits/bears against the can, right? Much easier to start them if it attacks one side first.

 

[Poboy kartman]

On that note, your pusher has at least a couple degree angle on it when it hits/bears against the can, right? Much easier to start them if it attacks one side first.

No....Tom suggested that way back and that was going to be part of the plan.....depending on how well this prototype worked determined to a great degree how much I put into it.....

If it was able to completely crush the cans to my satisfaction....and that's all it took to get it working...I would do it....but it's apparent now that this motor just lacks the power necessary...

Keep in mind...that I am going to completely rebuild this...just didn't want to spend the time or money and get to this point....

 

[karte_m0lim]

Is it possible that your motor is missinig capacitor and has no power?

 

[Poboy kartman]

OK,.....Well.....haven't really wanted to do this....but knew sooner or later I would.....

Time to start crunching figures.....and see just what the realistic returns are on these cans......

Now....the can crusher will help with the time involved with crushing cans....but hand crushing....(which I can do pretty fast)....yeilds $12 per hour.....so obviously...the slower .....more tedious tasks of collecting and cleaning the cans...is going to yeild a much lower return....so....I'm. guesstimating.....about $5-$6 per hour.....

So.....like I said .....I'm not going to get rich.....but it pays a whole **** of a lot better than SPENDING money.....sitting on your butt....or play video games.....or even posting here.....

 

[Poboy kartman]

Ok....So.....first off....the idler.....worked well......

The new motor......WOW....Much faster than I was hoping....I can barely shove cans in there fast enough.....And more powerful....crushes cans just fine until it broke......But I will have to come up with power feed and ejection....too fast for gravity now.....

The jackshaft pulley broke where I rigged it up....when I take it apart I'll find out why and show what was going on with it.....

So....now I know I will have a working machine....so....on to the upgrades...but it may take awhile.....I have the ejection figured out...but not the feed.....at present....this has an 11" stroke....and the cans are about 8" long....and crush to 1 1/2".....so....not a lot of time to feed cans....I may work it out to be a two cycle set-up....where the crushed can is ejected on one stroke....and the can feeds on the next.....giving me 3" of space.....or maybe...I won't need to....gonna take a little expermentation....and head scratching......

 

[2SlickNick]

Sweet!!Can't wait to see it crush sh!t, I mean cans..... or your enemies hands. :Opps: I meant cans again.

 

[Poboy kartman]

Sweet!!Can't wait to see it crush sh!t, I mean cans..... or your enemies hands. :Opps: I meant cans again.

Well.....Unfortunately...it's probably going to be a while....the pulley was an easy enough fix....sorta.....

The screws just started slipping.....so I clamped the pullies directly together and went after them with the welder.....I didn't really think that pot metal pulley was going to stick....but I figured the tack welds would work as locators....what isn't in the pics is the backside....a steel pulley welded to the larger pulley.....then I drilled and tapped holes through the whole mess....tightened it down then spot welded both ends of the (3) 1/4-20 bolts....so....it's bullet proof.....

Put it back together....wanting to shot some video....now....got a slight problem with the idler.....and the piston/flywheel assembly is jamming again.....

So....I am tired of rigging this POS to limp along for another day....it's served it's purpose.....time to.move on....just sorry you guys didn't get to see it running and crushing cans....

This is not a necessary tool for me....but...I think the end product will be too cool.....

 

[Poboy kartman]

So.....I am starting a new thread.....any related issues to this prototype will be addressed here....but basically.....this is done.....the journey continues......thanks for looking......

I slapped together a prototype....that barely worked...and served it's purpose well....#2 should go together like a well oiled machine......

 

[machinist@large]

Doug, I can so feel your frustration; I've been in the cross hair's way more time's than I really want to remember trying to sort out a prototype......

 

[Poboy kartman]

Doug, I can so feel your frustration; I've been in the cross hair's way more time's than I really want to remember trying to sort out a prototype......

Actually....I can't really say I'm frustrated Pat.....the whole idea was to build a prototype that actually worked.....with the minimum standards necessary to do so....to expose all the flaws....so the next one would be one step up.....I would say that the experiment was extremely successful......I'm only sorry that I didn't get video of it working successfully.....but....you ought to know me well enough now....that....I wouldn't lie about that......WHY????? I get a good giggle out of playin the fool...........ummmmm....a video is probably coming......lol.....

 

[Poboy kartman]

Ok....so....I just couldn't stand it....so I took a few minutes to tweak this monster....and make a video.....the first can I dropped got crushed no problem.....the second just kept bouncing out......but....at any rate....it does show the cycle rate.....which should make it clear that I don't think gravity is going to get the job done.....(probably why can #2 kept jumping out).....couldn't get low enough in the channel.....

Anyway....trying hard to hold back on #2....for bearings....but may go ahead with bushings.....

Anyway.....I'm asking for some help from my DIY buddies...to post a link to my video on YouTube......"Poboy crusher update"

Thanks guys.....Merry Christmas All....

 

[protegenoob17]

Here ya go Doug.
Poboy crusher update: http://youtu.be/0XEVwuwIf3g

 

[OzFab]

Even better, here's the vid:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0XEVwuwIf3g&feature=youtu.be

Personally I think the speed is a little high, which is probably why the second can kept "bouncing out"; it's not that it's bouncing out, it's more like it never hits the bottom of the channel, it's catching on the piston which it throwing it back out...