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A paper shredder does not make a good wire stripper... Tried it on various size wires and either was chopped up into captain crunch bits, or splits up the stranded to make a sort of palm tree affect.
Just thought I'd share, incase anyone else had this thought.
Innovative idea.
YMMM, oh sorry, I got sidetracked. We are drawing up plans on our first prototype and will copy this one only in wood to start.Quote:
captain crunch bits,
http://i1135.photobucket.com/albums/...1304972360.jpg
We found the cutter wheels cheap(google them) and the rest is standard hardware items. We're not building it to last years yet, we're building it to work first.
wow, Mec688...that's fantastic...can't wait ! way to go !!
They make 3 basic styles of paper shredders, the simple slice the paper in narrow strips; crosscut shredders, and lastly is the granulators. Might be able to cabbage the cutting wheel out of one of the simple straight cut shredders and adapt it to an adjustable framework and use a small belt V pulley for the bottom pulley. Can buy them(V) at Big R or Tractor Supply cheap. Fastenol carries the top cutting wheels also.Quote:
either was chopped up into captain crunch bits, or splits up the stranded to make a sort of palm tree affect.
:D Now I never thought of that but now I know it doesn't work! the ''palm tree'' description had me rolling!
I have the straight narrow strip one.. pretty old, I'd say 10+ years.. I tried multiple ways, lining it up on the cutters, sides, mashing it in...nothing was really effective... tried small wire, flat cords, vacuum cords, both solid and stranded..Quote:
Originally Posted by Mechanic688
I'm seeing a poor mans wire granulator!
does the insulation of a wire float?
edit: does copper float?
Be mighty hard on the fingers.Quote:
now I know it doesn't work! the ''palm tree'' description had me rolling!
Cabbage one of the cutters out of there along with the motor and your half way there. Build/weld up a framework and some adjustment and a bottom v pulley and I think your all set for cheap,,,Quote:
I have the straight narrow strip one.
Just tested this.Quote:
Originally Posted by thrsxs
I shaved insulation off of serveral different types of wires, including; coax, christmas light, vacuum cord, computer wire...
Glass bowl with luke warm water.. Insulation sank immediately if it hit the water forcefully or was a large piece.. otherwise it floated.
couldn't get a large piece off the christmas light wire, but the small pieces all floated, even if I threw it as hard as you can throw an object that is lighter than a feather, at the water.
If your shredder separates the metal from the plastic well enough you could make kind of a ridged trough shaped sluice and a bit of water will carry the lighter material over and into a sieve/screen in a bucket or barrel with a small pump below to reuse the water.
;?)
What re-cycler said. or if it floats skim it off the top
A can opener by itself doesn't work. If you can mount it to a piece of flat metal, so the wire isn't slipping all over the place, you could probably jury rig it to work. (hand crank opener)
Also...
A potato peeler worked pretty decently... an alternative to the ol razor slicing trick.. Except I think I like the peeler more, easier on the hands. Less cramping.
Went out and bought a cross cut paper shredder, just out of curiousity... works better than the narrow strip, but still not effective enough for me to consider doing it with higher volume of wires.
Take the old straight cut shredder apart and see if it has at least one of those tapered cutting wheels. For the bottom wheel I was thinking about a small pulley out of a vcr