4183 E. 050th Road, Mendota, Illinois 61342
Noticing some interest in past issues of GEM regarding
can crushers, these are pictures of the can crusher I built using
90% wood components– the crank and connecting rod being fashioned
from walnut, the rest of the unit made from pine.
Dowels used to hold the crank/connecting rod and piston were
also of wood. The 3? inch shafts for the pulleys were turned on my
lathe.
The crusher was exhibited for the first time this past year at
the 111th DeKalb County Fair held in Sandwich, Illinois.
The crusher was belted to a New Idea 1? to 2? veri-speed engine.
Approximately 8,000 cans were crushed during the five-day exhibit.
The unit drew much interest and such comments were heard as:
‘This guy must have too much time on his hands’;
‘over-engineered, over-engineered’; and ‘This has to be
a grandpa idea.’ We had a lot of fun with it and plan to
exhibit it again.
