I love the idea of using this and have also thought about employing this idea towards recycling scrap circuit boards or small portions of insulated copper. I noticed towards the end of running the last remnants of the cans that there was a dust produced. This dust is micronized aluminum particles accompanied by aluminum oxide. Both of which aren’t safe to inhale into your lungs. With that being said, DEFINITELY put on a respirator that’s rated for particulates to protect your lungs from any accumulation of there small dust particles. Thanks for sharing your idea and experience with this cool solution to a common problem scrappers face (no room for anymore metal shit to be laying around as yard art)
Aluminum dust is probably why this isn't commonly done. A 20 sheet paper shredder from the goodwill, would keep up with family supply of cans. And if you got a cement mixer and a torch, a bunch of the plastic can be burnt off, lessening dross in the crucible later on.
The fact that you ran it totally out of gas before storing it for the winter is probably why it started again so easy. If you store it with ethanol gas it will destroy itself from the inside eventually.
😢 Remember kids always unplugged the Spark plug sometimes the machine will accidentally start if you unjamming stuck pieces it from the woods chipper.. Safety 101 OHSA training ahhhhhhhhhhh
I was pretty surprised how well this actually worked for what the machine was designed for, for $100 I would say that is pretty effective. I want to make something that is low rpm and high torque that can work basically like a cross cut paper shredder putting out very small chips. Certainly would end up spending more than $100 in designing such a setup though.
But where's the fun in that? I got the idea from professional scrappers they run all aluminum cans thru a shredder which shoots the pieces into a dry van semi trailer. Putting smashed cans thru a small opening in a foundry is more difficult than pouring small bits down a slide into the crucible. Just picking up the cans after driving over them would have taken just as long if not longer. Anyway I just wanted to see if it would work. And thought it would be a fun video. Thanks for the comment though.
I would say if the hdpe were in the form of a rod about 1 inch dia. It may work in the chute for limbs. But as cut up pieces say from milk jugs into the leaf chute. It would just clog up. On the leaf chute side it's pretty much a small lawnmower blade and some beater bars. What would work for thin hdpe say from milk jugs. First you'd have to process each jug with scissors and then you could run the pieces thru a crosscut paper shreader. If you wanted to remelt pieces like a cutting board you have to use something more like an electric planer. From experience this has to be done by taking very thin cuts. Or it will heat the knives and begin melting to them.
