My wife thinks I am the only person on the planet who thinks about these things. Late last night, in a dimly lit corner of my garage, hunched over a desk, designing, fabricating, and assembling a popsicle stick prototype mock-up of my can crushing device, she commented that normal people don't do this. I believe that she has gone utterly insane. Soon, the can crushers will rise up, and the non believers will be made to work un crushing cans, so they can be crushed again! BWA HA HA HA! Thanks for sharing I really like your design and ideas. I already started into a beer and was feeling goofy there.😂🍻
Not sure what the emoji is for "that's an awesome comment that spoke straight to my soul" but you deserve it. I had pondered the design for years so don't worry, you are not weird. Rare perhaps, but not weird. Thanks for sharing!
This is great! With reducing the rpm from 1750 to 52 by gearing down the machine generates enormous power to crush the cans. Thank you very much for sharing this concept.
You are correct. I found this out when I had problems with the belt slipping. I couldn't get the belt tight enough which is why I added a chain for the last step. Thanks for watching!
Hi my name is Carrie Jones from Helena Montana I just wanted to let you know how interesting your video was I have cerebral palsy and used to love Recycling and crushing soda cans I had to stop because it got challenging for me to and use a manual can crusher I just finished watching your video and was very interested in it because I have been trying to look for electric ones and could never seem to find one the one that I found were too expensive so when I saw your video I I thought oh that is so cool
Thank you for sharing Carrie. I was actually just in Helena during October of this year to watch my daughter play basketball. What a coincidence. I'm glad you like the idea, it was fun to make. Take care!
I built one a few years ago and I got sick of seeing all the pneumatic crushers. Mine is electric also and I love using it, only problem is that we rarely drink can drinks... I run it once or twice a year. Yours looks very cool / it is satisfying to watch.
You know, I feel the same way. I actually don't even use it much but it was just something that I always thought about doing. I'm still glad I have it now. It's a novelty. Take care!
You are correct. I had no idea what the calculations where. I just adapted to how things went and didn't stop until it worked in a way that I was satisfied with. Thanks for appreciating!
Man, that is fantastic, a beuatifull machine, I have always wanted ti biuld a can crusher and have seen hunfreds of devices over the years but I do love thiis one. 10/10
You could have used a variable speed motor with a router speed controller and not needed all the pulleys to step the RPM down. I need to make something similar for my foundry. I've thought of different ideas including this one. Yours does work great. Very well made.
I agree. It would be cool to use a gas weed trimmer motor I always thought so it was portable but then it would be a problem use indoors. Thanks for the suggestion!
Thank you. Once I got into it a bit and things started coming together I got the feeling that it could be really great. Thanks for appreciating and commenting. Take care!
That's excellent! I've been looking to build that exact (ish) thing. Came to the conclusion that 1/2 horse was gonna work just fine. Ordered some pillow blocks and a pully or three today then found your vid :-)
Cool setup! I need to convert about 7,500 full cans into crushed cans and am looking for ideas to save some time getting full cans emptied and crushed. I think I could replicate your crush idea with a good crank motor assembly where the gearing and crank are combined into one purchasable piece, and I could fabricate the 'crush piston and crush chute' but I still need to get the cans emptied first! Any good ideas? I was thinking maybe a sending them down a chute with a geared-down motor running a wheel with short, sharp, teeth (a ground down gear wheel) that punctures the can along the side, give it some time to drain in a second chute that could drop it into a crusher mechanism based on your concept. Clear plastic for sides to create spray protection and if we can do 30 cans a minute that would be good. The problem with draining is that the cans should not rotate if the holes are punched along one side with air holes on the opposite side (idler gear with similarly short sharpened teeth). Any better ideas? Cheers.
My suggestion is to keep your mind moving towards a solution and don't be afraid to fail and revise or restart. My eventual model was like the 4th or 5th try at it and the entire process was fun. Good luck!
I'm looking to build a can crusher for my Veterans organization so when can continue on with our can recycling program. Would you kindly provide me with a parts listing that you used? That would be much appreciated. Have you thought about selling plans, because this is by far the best one that I have seen. I, along with others would probably buy parts from you like the double 90 degree crank lever.
Thanks so much for the positive feedback. This was just a one time deal for me. I made the dual shaft out of a straight shaft with a torch and my eyes to see if it looked straight. The blocks, spacing, belts/pullies, and other items where just made from scratch in a way that made them work. Sorry, I don't have plans, a parts list, or any other info other than in this video plus a supplemental video I made. I hope this helps enough and best wishes with your goals. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-DGUw6xYww8M.html
Hi Mark, I used a half horse power 120v motor with a 1/2" shaft and 1,750rpm with a 2" pulley on it to drive a 6" pulley that is mounted to a 5/8" shaft going through standard pillow blocks and bearings. Then the second gear down is another 2" pulley driving an 8" pulley that is on another 5/8" shaft going through pillow blocks and to a chain sprocket. The rest is pretty much custom made and I don't have other info to share other than it took a bunch of trial and error along the way to come up with the end result. Stay patient. The wooden blocks are 6" x 6" of solid hardwood and the base is 20" x 30" x 2" thick. It's a hefty platform so it doesn't bend. Good luck Mark!
So I started with the base. Using hardwood I glued together what I needed and then I started to lay out the motor and the pillow blocks for the gearing down process. Once I had it pretty much where I wanted I fastened down the wooden bases for the pillow blocks and then stained/treated the wood. Next was the shaft. I heated it up with a torch and got it bent the way I wanted and then moved onto the plunger and slide. Then once I got that all mounted the way I thought was right I build the hopper for the can storage, hooked up the electrical switch and cord and called it done. Don't get me wrong, there were several little engineering fails that went into this project no doubt, but then I figured out a better way to do certain things and it eventually worked. I can't describe every process but hope this helped. Good luck!
Pretty much, however, the teacher said that if she wasn't going to be doing most of the work that she had to do a 1,000 word report about how it was constructed, why the materials where chosen, and how things worked in addition to demonstrating the project in front of the class like everyone else. It all worked well. She and I had lots of quality time at my brother's shop making the wood platform, at Fleet Farm buying the hardware, at a motor repair shop looking for a used motor, and I showed her every process used. It was fun.
I'd like to copy your design because it works fantastic!! Its really quite pretty to look at. Can you tell me the diameter of the pullies so I can go buy the ones needed? I realize you spent the time to figure it all out likely through trial and error so if you'd prefer not thats ok. I love the use of wood. It reminds me of when they used oak in pullies as a bearing material years ago.
Hello and thanks for your interest. I just did a quick measurement and the first gear down from the motor is a 2" driving a 6", the next one is a 2" driving an 8", and the chain is 2" or 2 1/2" driving another 6". That takes a me down to 52 rpm from 1,750. I know you get an air conditioner condensing unit fan motor that is at 1075rpm but those are usually smaller HP, like 1/3 or 1/6. Yes it was trial and error for me, the first one was something like 75rpm and I couldn't load the hopper that fast. Even now it's tough at 52. The other thing is that I mention that the rods are 1/2" but that was mistake, they are actually all 5/8". I don't know why 1/2" came out of my mouth when I was filming. ???? Good luck!
Maybe a bicycle pedal would work instead of bending a piece of metal🤔. You've got the gear and could remove some chain links to fit and use the back gear too
You are correct but at the time we were just happy to wire the switch correctly so we wouldn't shock ourselves. If I did it again I'd have updated ideas. Thanks for the tip!
@@danimalshouse The belts, pulleys, sprockets and chain are fantastic, mesmerizing too. 'Steam Punk' as some would say. I'd want a little guard around the plunger though, as that looks like some finger clipping force down there. I wonder about a vibratory hopper-feeder? Nice straight forward video too. Beautiful work like that is sure to inspire others, thank you for sharing.
Thank but I'm actually over this project for now. I have a video on the channel showing some of the measurements that I used since so many others ask about it. There's just too much to review and too many skills needed to provide a study guide. I appreciate all of the questions but I'm on to other projects nowadays. Thanks again for watching! Here is the link to the other video. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-DGUw6xYww8M.html
Would it be possible to add another crusher on the opposite side so you could have a 2nd crusher on the return stroke? More bang for your buck, very cool idea i like the simplicity of it.
I like the imagination! I suppose, yes, but it's all one person can do to keep one hopper/feeder full of cans since it does 52 cans per minute. Thanks for the idea!
Honestly I'm kind of done with this project but I did spend some time thinking about a funneling option like you suggest. For now it goes so fast that I have to load the hopper with both hands and keep it loaded to ensure that the cans don't get sideways inside the hopper when they fall. Thank you for watching!
How much supplies cost? Where do I get parts? Lol. Can I pay you to make/ dis-assemble / ship/ then I put together? I’m handicapped. That would help a lot.
I suppose you could but then you would need much more torque. The rotational inertia of all of the parts help work the plunger through the initial breaking of the can's shape.
Thank for enjoying the demonstration. These parts were put together with a combination of a farm supply store, a home improvement store, and my own pile of items laying in the garage cupboards. I'm sorry but I cannot supply a useful and detailed parts list. I did do a video on the measurements that may be helpful to some. Here is the link and thank you for commenting! ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-S1rUooUhZAo.html
You could increase the size of one of the pulleys to make it go a bit faster but the limiting factor is the speed that the cans will drop down into place. If the plunger hits before the can is ready, it will jam. Plus, it is surprisingly difficult to keep up with loading the hopper with one person. My option is that I wouldn't want it to go any faster.
I did this 100% on the fly without drawings. What you see is the second version including a stronger base mount, chain on the final drive, and a linear slide to hold the plunger straight.
The motor I got from a local electrical company but could have been purchased from Supply House online or really anywhere. It is simply a 120v 1/2hp PSC motor with a base mount. The other gears, belts, pulleys, and chain came from a farm supply supply store in our area named Fleet Farm.
Hey, im an industrial designer student thats developing a prototype like this one and im struggling in founding the maths and the calculations around the rpms decrease, is there any mailing where we could ask for some help and ask you some questions?
Hello, so if you are an industrial designer you'll be way ahead of me when it comes to coming up with official plans for the engineering side of this project. In all ways, I "MADE IT WORK" out of shear will and basic common sense decisions related to mechanics. I guessed on the motor size, I guessed on the belt sizes, and I guessed on the linear slide working correctly. Then after a few trial runs I kept on working on the project until it was complete. For the pully sizes, it's just a simple division problem. A 2" pully driving an 8" pully reduced the speed by 4 times, then a 2" driving a 6" reduced it by another 3 times, and so on. So the motor began at 1,725rpm divided by 4 made it 431rpm, and then divided by 3 made it about 144rpm and then the final change was the chain drive which reduced it by about near 2.75 for a final rpm of near 52. I hope that helps and thank you for watching!
Hello and thank you your questions. The project was several years ago now and I'm not sure what the requirements where. I believe that each student had some flexibility to engineer any project that included calculatable physics that would be demonstrated in whatever it was that they made. Then they had to write a report about how they went about making their invention. Obviously I helped out a ton with the woodworking and other mechanical things. How you can make, I'm sorry, but I can't really help with that. There's too much to explain or review. You'll need woodworking machines and experience, a torch to bend the angles on the shafts, a motor, electrical wiring experience, and the ability to weld some custom fabricated items. I don't think I can help there. If you search the channel you'll find another video that has some of the measurements listed but there's much more to it than that. I appreciate your interest and thank you for watching!
I'm still looking for my 1,000th subscriber so I can see my first penny from RU-vid! I don't know about rich but I guess I'm one step closer with your praise. Thanks and take care!
Sorry, it wouldn't be worth it to repeat this process and I'm not interested in doing it again. I"m onto bringing other wild ideas life! Thanks for enjoying the design enough to want it.
Hi, I appreciate your kind sentiment but I'm out of the can crushing business! It's not for sale and I'm not interested in making another. I would guess it all cost about $300 considering a used motor for $50, the linear slide was $60, and the pulleys where around $10 each average. That plus the belts, chain, wood, shafts, stain, AC cord.........yeah, it was at least $300 I would say. Again, thanks for the interest but this is a display only. Take care!
The name of the motor doesn't matter. What matters is the HP, speed, voltage, shaft size, and mounting type. This motor is a 120v 1/2hp 1,725rpm 1/2" shaft surface mount motor. I hope this helps.
I’m curious, what’s the cost of this assembly? Debating whether or not to buy a $120 pneumatic can crusher, or to make this. I’d prefer an electric one to not have to use an air compressor.
The cost is going to be much more than $120 to make this. This wooden base is 2" thick, the motor would be near $100, the pulleys would be near $50, plus the pillow blocks, shafts, belts, sprockets, chain, switches, and metal. Just the linear slide was $50 alone as well. I'd guess it was over $300 to make plus a bunch of time. I guess I'd suggest choosing if you want something to crush cans for a practical cost or if you want a project with a unique group of challenges. Best wishes!
@@danimalshouse Thank you! My dad already has an air compressor so the $80-$120 premade options are best for me, though I wish a plug-in option was available for that price for portability.
I used basic common sense, trial and error, and a few recommendations from my brother and father. I used zero mathematical engineering calculations. Honestly I just tried it and it worked. I'm sorry I can't sound smarter than that for you.
This cost me about $250-$350 to make 6 years ago. Not sure how much it would be today. It also wasn't something I just bought and put together, several pieces of this project where created/fabricated from scratch.
Hi Nikolay, you have presented a mathematical engineering question to a basic DIY guy with only basic design experience. There are many layers to learn before finding the answer to your question that I just don't have the data for. Speed, angles, weight, leverage, and drag are all unknowns. I'm sorry but I just don't know how to properly answer your question. I'm using a 1/2hp and it works so, there's that. Sincere best wishes for you on your project!
It's an original and the plans are not written down anywhere. I have however received multiple questions related to it's design so I made this video to help as much as I can. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-DGUw6xYww8M.html
Nossa essa máquina parece um sonho pra mim que estou começando a comprar latinhas. Num aguento mais amassar com o pé e com o enxadão. Parabens linda máquina 👏👏👏👏😍 #CarminhaPqTaipasSPBrasil💚💛
I think if I went smaller I'd go down to a 1/3 or 1/4 potentially but not much less than that. There's a decent about of rotational inertia there so it may work. You could even put something heavier on one of the shafts, just to spin fast, to help with the initial punch that you need to get the crush started. Good luck!
Hello and thank for your interest. This was a just a one time build for me. I appreciate your offer but I'm not interested in making another or selling the one I have.
Hello, I do not have exact measurements but can offer this video as a basic reference. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-DGUw6xYww8M.html
She was required to be with me and off of her phone while the project progressed and then she had to write a 3-page report on how and why all of the elements of the machine came together. No questioning the fact that she never got her hands dirty but we got some good quality time together. Thanks for watching!
Sorry, I don't have a parts list. I can tell you that's it's a 1/2hp motor with a 1/2" shaft and that I used a combination of 1.5"/2"/6"/8" pulleys for gearing it down. Also, I think I mention in the video that I used 1/2" shafts but they are actually 5/8" for the pillow block shafts. The motor is 1/2" for sure. The linear slide I got on Amazon and the rest I personally fabricated on my own, twice or three times before I got it right to be perfectly honest! Good luck!
How can I make one one of these do you have schematic I can get somehow. I’m an average guy with no real knowledge about these kinda things and would like to know how I can make one
Sorry, this is the best I can do. I made it all from scratch using trial and error method. I did make this video though if it helps you can get some info from it. Good luck! ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-DGUw6xYww8M.html
@@danimalshouse I LOVE his sculptures & your vid was so "Ganson-esque"! Thank you SO VERY MUCH for sharing what you've spent a lifetime learning. Truly humbling 🧠+🫀!
