Scary Prototype Shredder Design pt 2; A Cheap Alternative to the Precious Plastics Design: 037

[@jdgower1]

I've been in the plastics industry for over 20 years (off and on), and shredding and grinding scrap is a BIG deal, so I've dealt with that a fair bit... Have you considered a screen under the cutting chamber? Basically, the screen openings would be sized to allow the size of plastic granules that you are shooting for to fall through in your collection bin. But, it is spaced close enough to the blade tips so that anything that doesn't fall though gets thrown back up and goes through the cutting cycle again until it is small enough to fall through. Your design is a good start to what you want to do, and, even as the former safety director to more than a couple companies, I really don't have a problem with the inherent risk involved in operating if because you KNOW the risks, and are not putting some green-thumbed new hire operating it. I build machines, and sometimes build stuff for 'proof or concept' that scares the hell out of me - but that's how you get to the final safe machine. Not sure what general grind size you are looking for, but what ever it is, find a piece of perforated metal with roughly that size hole and form it around the blades so that the gap between the blades and the metal is slightly smaller than the desired size, and enclose the cutting chamber - because there will be a LOT of stuff flying around in there. Also, just to let you know, when grinding plastics, the RPM of a typical industrial grinder is usually set at about 700 - 800 RPM. That said, the fly knives are usually cutting at anywhere from six to 10 inches away from the center of their driven shaft. The reason for this is, in a grinder that recirculates its over-sized, "needs to be chopped again" stuff, a much higher RPM tends to heat the plastic enough to plasticize it to a point of being semi-liquid, which clogs all your stuff and shuts the whole thing down. With your design, though, if you go with a screen, I think you MIGHT need to slow it down a bit, but not as much as what I said above. If you do need to slow it for sheer heat considerations and you find it bogging down, a flywheel will eliminate that issue since the load you place on the blades is momentary, and the flywheel is in a constant state of inertial recovery.

[@Jeremy_Fielding]

Once I have my plunger worked out, I think I will try this. My first design followed after Dave's shredder of precious plastics. It has the screen and I was looking for significant speed reduction as well. After many, many contraptions to get the speed down (seen in my shredder playlist) I am trying the other direction for a while. I do have commercial grade gear boxes and motors which would allow me to make a more traditional shredder... but I want to design something that can be easily copied for a very low cost... and of course is safe to use. Ideally it would only need about 1/2 horse power.

[@mortarriding3913]

Hi @@Jeremy_Fielding . How have you gone with this experiment to make a low cost, high RPM shredder? I don't see any subsequent videos on it. Am I missing them?

[@kelna2]

Yeah, I'd love to see where this ended up too :)

[@simoncameron4355]

Reading the comments on the last video, was far and away the best thing I will read this week

[@11wertyh]

Exactly what I had in mind, I'm using another set of blades in between turning in the opposite direction and feed right in between the rotating blades; I like the way your prototype look, absolutely solid, thanks for video. NICE.

[@papasteve215]

What a great poster. You do an amazing job on every project I've seen you do. This is what I've been trying to figure out for weeks now. Thank you so much.

[@truechaos877]

It's sweet and obviously a work in progress. It's almost exactly what I've been wanting to try. I would be doing the exact trial and error process. Try rubber gaskets in between the blades and gaskets if you have problems with slippage. I saw it in another video where someone made a dato with regular blades. Maybe use the blades and push some wood or aluminum into the gaps in a safe way to close up the gaps. Take the lexan off and put a temporary cover on it and slowly push the material into the blades. That way you'll have less space for stuff to sit and melt. Add your hopper and you'll be good to go. I can't wait until I can do the stuff you do again. It's so much fun. I'm just living vicariously through you right now.

[@scottwebster7613]

After I've made something, I've ground down the left overs by shaving down pieces carefully on my table saw. I used a vacuum to collect the tiny pieces as I went along. I ended up with large amounts in trash bags. When I went to remelt for something else, they seemed to want to hold air. I had to press down occasionally to squeeze air out. When I finished melting, I let it cool in a press. No voids, but it was a lot longer melt time with all the "fluffiness".

[@1pcfred]

Yeah HDPE fluff acts like insulation. I melt the swarf I get off my mill and it kind of sucks. Here funny picture i.imgur.com/Mqsy43E.jpg That's after I pulled a box of swarf off the machine.

[@tommyvielkanowitz8364]

Jeremy, as you and others have said, this is a scary, scary machine. I work for an office equipment company and have worked some on some of the larger centralized office shredders, like the Destroyit 4002 and some of its smaller cousins. These shredders use counter-rotating blades that run at a relatively low rpm, perhaps 200-300, maybe even a little less. They generate their torque by having gear reductions. Now the gears are made of some sort of plastic or nylon, but they are quite stout 3/4 of an inch to 1 inch wide bearing surfaces. Even at the low rpms that these shredders run, its still quite scary to listen to them operate as they chew the hell out of paper, credit cards, cds, whatever. And as someone else mentioned, they do have an interlock that prevents the machine from operating if too much thickness has been fed into its throat, and it has a reverse button for clearing any jams. If I get a chance this week, I'll 'borrow' the one from accounting and take the cover off and snap some pics or a video or something so you can see how a larger office shredder operates and perhaps give you some ideas for improving your plastics shredder. I've enjoyed watching your videos and your creativity, please don't have to rename this to the stumpy channel.

[@mohsins.3851]

so did you get the chance yet?

[@mohsins.3851]

interested in seeing your office shredder.

[@stormtaker63]

Man, I like the way you come up with stuff and think things thru. You have a sharp mind and a fantastic attitude. Keep the prototypes coming, love your videos

[@Jeremy_Fielding]

Thank you!

[@plm2ajm]

I say just keep experimenting with the machine!! You're a smart guy, you know not to stick your hand in there. The one thing I would consider trying to do, is use gravity or a push block mechanism to feed the plastic. I love your diy mentality.

[@Jeremy_Fielding]

+Patrick thanks!

[@forsakengold]

love the longer videos that go through thought process and troubbleshooting.

[@Jeremy_Fielding]

+forsakengold thank you. This is helpful to know how many want more details

[@isaacclark6749]

I love your videos. You, "this old Tony" and "Ave", make the most interesting videos to watch.

[@Jeremy_Fielding]

Thank you

[@TheRebelmanone]

Yes they are good, i love Jeremy because he is interactive engineer. There is many others very good too, in their fields. For electronics, try Mr. Carlsons lab, and Electronics and more. Matthias Wandel is really fun for wood working. he builds machines out of wood and more.

[@johnfithian-franks8276]

Hi, I was lucky enough to get an industrial shredder at an auction I went to, no one else wanted it so I got it for £0:20p (UK). I did not go with the intention of buying that but it came up and I decided to get it as no-one was biding for it. It is a cross shredder and makes very small squares about 5mm in size. I use it for cutting bills and change the bin when using it to cut my plastic. You told everyone that it was a prototype and I accepted that and did not comment on the first video because I did not think that it was finished and accepted that you will make it safe when you have finished testing things. Good luck with your ideas.

[@Falney]

When I was younger I heard the one piece of safety information every one needs to know. It is also the only one every one needs to know "Everything in the shop is dangerous. Even the door. Treat everything like it wants to take your hand off and you will keep more fingers."

[@AndrewBrowner]

"everyone should be responsible for their own safety".. words made of gold, take it one step further and tell them that youre responsible for your own safety and dont need them to tell you that putting your hand near spinning blades is dangerous.. everythings dangerous but the most dangerous tools tend to have the least injuries as everyones cautious around them

[@joeestes8114]

Wow! Since you posted this video there has been a big response to recycle plastic so thanks!

[@videolabguy]

Great job! Great narration. Well focused. Excellent projects. Your channel is a KZbin treasure. One of my favorites.

[@Jeremy_Fielding]

Thank you!

[@killcrashkill]

Good thinking. 2 nuts only and locktite everything. Add wood wedges to push plastic toward the center.

[@Jeremy_Fielding]

+Randy .Thomas wood wedges. That is great thanks

[@ChiTownTino]

Yes this is awesome.....its truly how problems get solved and people learn together

[@smartassist9700]

“If” you added more blades, less side space, HOWEVER, you could drill holes in the nut and counter sync Allen screw into nut to lock that single large nut to shaft. That eliminates two screw for locking in place. (HAHA, YOU CAME UP WITH THIS BY NOW ….. 4+ YRS AFTER THIS VIDEO). ANY WHOO. GODBLESS!

[@jimf2525]

I love what you’re doing and hope your subscriber numbers explode! Ideas: the front screw in the lexan seems too close to the edge and the stress concentrations caused by the hole may make it fail over time. 2) weight the rotating part to increase the rotational moment of inertia to help prevent stalling and allow you to feed two or even 3 layers of plastic or better: add more blades so that it can accept a crushed milk jug w/o preprocessing. 3) grind down the sides of blade’s cutting edges to ‘bite’ less plastic, which would take less power and create less plastic dust. Just don’t narrow the cutting edges so much that the plastic starts binding on the rest of the blade. James Foit :)

[@boomblooka]

Here's an idea to counter the material getting pulled in. What if you do a preliminary melt prior to shredding. Something like two electric griddles that you could get cheap at a thrift store, to heat and flatten the milk jug. Then it will be a bit thicker and less flexible. Then maybe you can lower the speed and not get powder. Also, the spacers for shearing could be vertical plates instead of fingers on the thin horizontal plate. That would prevent those breaking off.

[@Jeremy_Fielding]

I think you are right... pre-melting could allow me to make thicker layers which would not get sucked in... I am not sure I want to add another step though. I might be easier to just keep cutting at the bandsaw. I am not so sure "powder" is bad yet. I might be that you have to mix it while it is baking... With the current setup the fingers don't break.

[@CampMoreBarkLess]

Every time you touched the blades my hair stood up.. I know its unplugged but still. I know this is a few years old, need to watch more of your vids.

[@jeremystiltner6781]

It's awesome iv saw this. I been gathering stuff up up to build one close to this. I got a long piece of eight inch square tubing that I was going to mount blades in the same configuration in. Was planning on dropping them into top and letting them go down and drop out the bottom of the tubing. It makes sense what you say about the debris blowing back out. I kept wondering why nobody else had came up with the idea of saw blades and try it glad you did

[@Jeremy_Fielding]

I am excited about where it is going. I look forward to getting it finished.

[@DillysADV]

Yea, after watching your explanation, I still am intrigued by the idea of adding a smaller blade ( at least 1" lesser radius), maybe using something horizontally for the shear plate between the larger blades to enable better feeding.

[@ForwardGuidance]

Great stuff. I watched this one right after the other and thought yeah man that thing is freaking even the maker out so I knew there had to be more to come. Good to know about the neighbor thing, first I've heard such a term for viewers, but definitely nice way to think about us. That thing will be awesome soon.

[@froezz]

It's because you are honest and a real person.

[@mechy1266]

Thank you so much for this update. I am so much more interested I the design choices than the end result. These videos come at a good time; I'm very close to starting to build my own plastic shredder. Keep it up!!

[@edgeeffect]

At this stage... that looks almost perfect. It was the manufacture of the blades that's been holding me back... and the speed reduction that's been giving you headaches... looks like you've got a fix for both here... I'll watch the rest and see what happens though.

[@Realism91]

Maybe try making the front shield slope down on a right angle triangle and make the wall facing you double thick to support a piece of plumbing pipe a little bigger than a 2L bottle, the angle on the feed pipe will help the bottle self feed and if it's plumbing pipe you could get a plug that fits it and sand it so it goes in effortlessly as a pusher for bottles that don't want to feed and make a stop so your push plug doesn't touch the blades.

[@Jeremy_Fielding]

It would have to be really large. Most of my source material is milk jugs. Most of the soda bottles are pete plastic. I am focused on HDPE right now. I do plan to try the others soon though... once I have a way to melt them outside.

[@1pcfred]

That white jug you ground up isn't a milk jug where you're at is it? Because it is made out of injection impact HDPE not real blow mold HDPE. Blow mold HDPE is the translucent jugs that you can almost see through. Water has to come in blow mold HDPE by you. Like the gallon jugs of water.

[@Realism91]

Jeremy Fielding I didn't even think about the 4L bottles, I drink water or juice 95% of the time and I'm allergic to milk so the 4L bottles just skipped my mind, in that case maybe try putting a slight slope on the whole shredder by raising the input side from the base, you could stick some scrap wood or books or anything under it that is stable to see if it might help keep any debris from escaping during use.

[@PlanePreacher]

Another idea, but ...grind the two outside washers at an angle, so they are wedge shaped, the inside holes may need side ground also depending on the play on the allthread, so the cut of the blades would be moving side to side as the shaft turns. The cutting edge of the blades would just be a blur! Btw, love all the videos, Thanks!

[@Jeremy_Fielding]

That reminds me of the wobble dado blade. That would certainly cut way all the plastic, but I still have the issue of the plastic being pulled out of my hand because there would be no shear plate in between the blades. It would all be cut away. I think moving the platform above the center line of the blades might eliminate this issue. I do plan to try changing the cutting height so I may come back to this idea.

[@PlanePreacher]

Jeremy Fielding I was thinking the wobble 'might' naturally cut and sheer the plastic at the front plate. As it goes back and forth. I think the bobble would have to be greater than the blade gap to cut the strip off. Yes I have an adjustable wobble dado blade that I bought about 25 years ago, and that is where I got the idea, I just did not remember what it was called!

[@_P0tat07_]

Ideally you would want to use a blade like in a wood chipper. A blade that cuts axialy as opposed to radially, like a saw blade. However, I know you don't own a metal lathe and Cnc so that would be difficult to make. And I know sawblades are already easily accessible. My thoughts would be use smaller blades. Maybe something like you would find in a biscuit jointer. Or at least a blade with less teeth. The more teeth, the finer the shavings. The less teeth, the more coarse. I have no experience melting hdpe but as you said in the video, your subscriber had said he had problems trying to melt fine material. Going back to the wood chipper, you definitley want a funnel. Maybe 45° downward, tangential to the blade. One more thing to try, what if you tried rolling up the plastic sheet into a burrito and feeding it in? Just for shits and giggles.

[@Jeremy_Fielding]

+P0tat07 rolling it sounds like a great idea. I could angle the feeder slightly. This is just the most convenient design. This was the lowest tooth count I could buy for $6 each (24 teeth) . I really want 12 tooth blades. That is an optimization that will come in the futures

[@_P0tat07_]

I'm thinking the denser the material you feed in the less it wants to pull due to the fact that it can't shred all the material being fed into it at once.

[@braxtonec]

+Jeremy Fielding by angling the feed, do you also mean changing the point of contact? Looks like the blades are cutting near centerline. Would raising the axle and tilting the feed table down in give you a better pull? Or would you consider sinking the bladeset into the table like a tablesaw, with a rip fence whose fingers go between the blades instead of yours? A sled box you fill and slide over blade set repeatedly without opening it.

[@isekaiexpress9450]

How about mounting a chipped blade on a radial flywheel in a wood chipper?

[@jjonsolomon]

With that melt problem, I believe industrially, they are fed through heated augers to help consolidate the material as it gets molded.

[@Jeremy_Fielding]

I have tried stirring it while heating it... that does help a lot... but the heat and texture make it very difficult to stir.

[@1pcfred]

I smash my melts down as I go with a metal rod, actually the back of a large metal punch while I recharge the melt. To compact and consolidate things for me. But stir it? You're melting injection HDPE if you're stirring it. I want to see you try to stir a batch of molten blow molded HDPE. That's the crinkley translucent jugs like milk, and water come in. You'd have to have forearms like Popeye to stir that stuff. Why melt blow mold HDPE if it is so hard to work with? Because for sliding mechanics blow mold works better. Solid blow mold is harder and much slicker than injection. They're both HDPE but they're different. This is made out of blow blend HDPE i.imgur.com/lSsNyBG.jpg It worked good until the wood moved on me. Then I had to scrap it.

[@Jeremy_Fielding]

The water jugs (semi-clear) definitely don't work well with the milk jugs. They (water jugs) are stickier as well. I didn't say it was easy to stir. I use a 3/4" steel rod and have to clamp the container while I push and prod it. Stirring is maybe an overstatement. But it does help a lot.

[@jjonsolomon]

Depending on the task, I might evacuate a heat resistant container that seals and then melt in that, or weights on top. Again, task dependent.

[@1pcfred]

Yeah I smash the melt down as I go. If you want slick HDPE you have to melt the translucent jugs. But sometimes the blown HDPE is too slick. I tried to make a pistol drill bench stand out of some, and the drill just slips out of the clamp. One secret to oven melting HDPE is to use a convection oven. It makes a big difference. So if you can convection it is worth it. It stops the plastic from burning on top so you can melt at a higher temperature. I melt at 385°F I could probably go a little higher, but that is hot enough for me. You can melt plastic in a non-convection oven, but it is not the best. That's how I started out. Then I upgraded.

[@nathanrogers8713]

You can make this design gravity fed by simply turning your entire box on end. Where your shear plate is would be vertical so you would still have the shear. It could effect the particle collection but that should be easy enough to change. You could then partially close in the feed slot which would help safety. I could tell you were wary of it just by how you were feeding it :)

[@zachchristensen1104]

I made the exact same thing trying to make a log debarker and yeah scary phototype it works though everybody doubted me . They believed it was the most dangerous thing they'd seen and it probably is but it still worked

[@nikolasm3300]

1. You should design like a drawer that you put the plastic in, and it pushes into the blades. 2. You should flip it on it's slide so the shear plate is parallel to the Y axis so you can grav feed with a hopper.

[@vaiari]

please keep it up,what an excellent channel you have. I am a big fan!

[@Jeremy_Fielding]

+zombikafa thank you

[@Rodbuilder109]

I was watching one of your other videos you talked about to change to a table saw formation. I really do like that idea. Then you can cut the longer stands into smaller pieces.

[@jeffhallford5284]

As for having vibration issues with the dado blades, you could use a fly wheel on the shaft to dampen the vibration.

[@randallivie1724]

You could make plywood gears to assemble as planetary gears and stack the inputs and outputs. Locking various elements changes behavior as speed and direction. This concept is used in military tracked vehicle power transmission. They are compact and efficient

[@Jeremy_Fielding]

+Randall Ivie you would have to make the teeth of the gears really thick to withstand the high loads they would get. That makes for a very large planetary gear. It would also require multiple stages. It would be very compact in steel but not wood. One final thought...It would be difficult to make it perfect enough. I have made several planetary gears and it is quite the challenge to make. I want people to be able to copy my design when it is done.

[@saberboi1526]

Man youre an awesome dude. Keep it up, you actually inspired me to start scraping some stuff so they dont go to waste. I recently took apart an old vacuum cleaner for the motor to possibly make a lathe.

[@Jeremy_Fielding]

That is awesome.

[@BTW...]

Vacuum motor (2 pole Universal motor) spins too fast and will over-temp quickly. Look for a 4 pole synchronous motor that is better suited to the application.

[@clidelivingston]

put a long rod with some sort of rubber sleeve around it right in front if the blades, the attatch that rod to a power source so it spins, also make it spring loaded so it is constantly pushing down. that way you it will feed the plastic into the blades for you, keeping your fingers at a safer distance.

[@Jeremy_Fielding]

a power feeder is in interesting idea

[@brianjohnson2059]

Mount it from the bottom like a table saw, adjust the depth to best angle for purpose. Add an inclined bed to feed it at about 40 deg. Just a thought.

[@Jeremy_Fielding]

+Brian Johnson that is almost exactly the plan. I mentioned it the last video on plastic. Titled “HDPE how much processing is required”

[@MrArcher0]

Magic Pixies always make me nervous, but Magic Pixies with BIG SHARP METAL TEETH! THUMP! ( passed out cold) I showed the last one to my safety/OSHA compliance officer at work. OMG! He went white as a sheet and had to sit down after watching it. I can’t include ANY of his rather colorful commentary on your device other than “ Darwinism culls the herd...” Love your videos. Great instructional content. Ave should take some notes...😜. Please don’t stop!

[@truechaos877]

Oh yea. Try a cell phone as a camera. A cheapish prepaid phone with a good camera and a homemade mount works great. That's what I've done and the video is great. Sound wasn't bad either.

[@northcanuck4631]

Wow, now I know what you're up to. Checked out some of your other videos especially your reference to "Precious Plastics". This is very powerful stuff. Dave Hakkens is going to change the way people view recycling!

[@watahyahknow]

one thing you might try if making the spacers bigger so only the teeth are still open , that should prevent the material turning intoo ribbons as it cannot get in betwee the sawblades and prolly gets regrabbed and pushed though the slits in the scraper

[@darcymunro8930]

You are an inspiration to me because you are having a go doing so much with so little,while others just turn good food into shit is there only achievements in life and are critical of Other doing things.KEEP on keeping on.

[@zweg1321]

Thank you for trying out the saw blades they were my thought but now I think I'll need to think of something different

[@johnwhitson8015]

I've just recently discovered your videos by way of the precious plastics videos and I'm trying to do something similar, a plastic grinder with either off the shelf, salvaged, or homemade components. I'm not sure if you've seen KZbinr thang101046, he has diagrams for counter rotating designs that would use a single power source. As for blades have you considered a smaller diameter blade with just a few teeth like a 4" joiner saw replacement blade with 6 teeth? They can be picked up at harbor freight. Keep up the good work. You are an inspiration to the DIY community.

[@RayMAKES]

Awesome Jeremy!!! i do not like making suggestions.... i prefer to see what you come up with on your own... AND you dont Disappoint!!! keep up the good work. im actually getting the parts together for a homemade extruder... the shredder will be next on my list!

[@Jeremy_Fielding]

cool

[@dougvanallen2212]

J H I don't think the number of teeth on the blades will make a difference at that speed. Man I wish you were my neighbor I have a small machine shop with we could go wild building contraptions. Great channel !

[@Jeremy_Fielding]

LOL Thank you! As far as I am concerned you are my neighbor!

[@fdgaming]

any sony mirrorless camera will do you good demolition rance use one and so do i it produces good quality video and interchangeable lens can really help you out

[@selador11]

When you feed the plastic, try feeding it back and forth, back and forth, very quickly. Or try to figure out some sort of side, or angle feed.

[@ricknarveson4675]

I saw your comment about reducing the 24 tooth blades to 12 tooth for larger chips. Seems like a good idea to me. Have you considered raising your shear plate to slightly, slightly above the center of rotation? I'm thinking that would reduce the tendency to pull the plastic and your hand in. Looking forward to further developments in search of a cheaper better shredder for plastic hobbyists and small scale recyclers.

[@Jeremy_Fielding]

Yes... I just haven't made the change to test it out. With the spacing I have now... That problem doesn't exist any more... but I do believe the feed height relative to the blade makes a difference. This height is just convenient for the pillow block bearings. But I could elevate the table in front of the mount and position it more like a table saw. Then the blade is pushing the plastic back towards me.

[@left4sale892]

Why not try having the spacers that are angled downhill? Like at 45/135°? Gravity and the hopper will draw it foraward, and the wind should flow from the back. Have the spacers between the blades have clearance with the blade, and the exit shoot below. Could even add crosscut by having the material being cut flow across the blade beside by having the spacers turn 90° to the cutter.

[@builtrodewreckedit]

What would you think of making every other blade wobble like side to side to cut the little fingers of plastic. Would it throw off the balance? I suspect it would just clear out a wider path.... Maybe steel pipe cut into wedge shaped washers?

[@Katzbynite]

Looking forward to seeing the mods. Thanks for the Q & A.

[@brassdunes]

Hi Jeremy, You said that you don't want to have it gravity fed because there is no place for a shear plate. I'm curious if you have thought about having the current setup on an incline (say, between 20 and 45 degrees) though I am sure you have. I think that in combination with the plunger would allow you to more efficiently feed the system. Dropping directly on top of the saw transfers the force horizontally and with the absence of the shear plate the plastic would start to spin out of the hopper. If you feed the plastic in on an incline, the force parallel to the shear plate will guided the plastic into the blades but the force perpendicular will keep the plastic from spinning out of the hopper. My other thought was shifting the entire plunger+hopper assembly to the left and right while feeding might let you cut the plastic into smaller pieces instead of into strips. You could set the plunger up on a continuous S shaped groove while having the hopper free to move left and right. That way when you push the plunger the hopper will follow, shifting the plastic left and right as you push. Obviously this is not the most elegant solution but just some food for thought :-) I am not sure how else to overcome the issue of ending up with long strips of plastic.

[@Jeremy_Fielding]

Well, I actually think long strings is OK after considering some of the other comments. But I like the idea of a frontal incline. 30-40 degrees is definitely doable, but fully upright makes it very difficult to support the shear plate in between the blades. Pushing from an angle is also interesting. Very good food for thought. The swivel is a bit too difficult I think. Not for a one time build, I just mean I want the design to be easy to copy by others. I want to make free plans and I need the parts and plans to be simple.

[@brassdunes]

You are right, swiveling would make it over complicated. Pushing from the side could definitely work. You could potentially have some sort of collar to move back and forth just before the blades to achieve the same results. Like a section of hopper that can move freely back and forth with some ridges to help push and pull the plastic around. Again this may be too complicated if the long strands work jut as well. I appreciate that you take the time to reply to the comments. Too many channels on youtube are unable to respond at all. Love the channel and all your great work. I've already got 3 motors waiting to be made into machines once I can find the time. Have to get my aluminum casting setup ready to make some pulleys. Your videos inspire me to keep working at it. The fact that you are putting plans out for free is very respectable. Keep it up!

[@onyxfabrications5183]

I picked up a Fellowes PowerShred 480 for $40. I am currently modifying it to shred PE plastics as well. Hopefully I will have a video up within a couple months.

[@benediktbeck8480]

Hey there! How is the project going? I just looked PowerShred up and it looks like a great way of making an plastic shredder

[@sonicrocks2007]

Great video. Love your channel

[@j.sawyer4946]

Have you looked at the homemade jigs that let you turn plastic bottles to cord/strand? That could make an interesting and unique automation for mass processing.

[@Jeremy_Fielding]

interesting.

[@eltoncarvalho9456]

Great job, how do you think a u shape shear plate would work? Like a half pipe shear plate, I think it's be safer and easier to feed. Then you could probably cover everything but an entrance

[@gr8dvd]

Or sharpened 1/2 pipe behind saw blades to cut plastic "ribbons" into squares. Doing so may allow slightly wider gap on saw blades thereby generating less plastic dust.

[@scottt1620]

Great video. Reminds me of Indiana Jones.... Temple of Doom...I thought of trying a 30 degree feed chute to gravity feed the plastic, have it coming in from a side angle instead of straight on. That may prevent the long strips running up between each blade. Hope this makes sense....

[@BernhardHofmann]

I still prefer the slow shredders. I know there's some crazy gearing to get the power up and speed down, but it's so much more satisfying to watch, and the chips are bigger too. And yes, my eyes were like saucers watching the previous video. 😲

[@1pcfred]

That is one awesome gang saw that Jeremy made.

[@selador11]

You also don't need all of that exposed blade. Make a throat plate that you just push into the blades, and cut the slots into it. Like putting a zero clearance plate in a tablesaw and raising the blade up into it. You could do this, and end up with a sort of "Vee" with the blades at the bottom of the vee. Now that you have your vee... Figure out how to feed it at an angle as I suggested previously. You'll end up with shorter 'lengths', if any at all. Those lengths come from what rides between the blades. If the plastic is at an angle, the 'length' gets cut by the next blade.

[@Jeremy_Fielding]

I have decided to go back to the dado stack arrangement but with regular blades. I think changing the feed height and opening with the dado stack will give me the results I want. It is difficult to fully detail in the comment section but there will be a video when it is done

[@selador11]

Looking forward to it. :)

[@noliveapeterson415]

.Jeremy, Please forgive me, if you have already, tested, the following. Try adding, a size grading SCREEN/MESH, to prevent larger cut BITS/PIECES, of from being fed into the collection bid. This would require you, to add a second shearing plate, to the inside...err, below the input surface. No shredded plastic could enter, the collection bin, without being sized. Just a lite going ON, moment, for me. Brightest of Blessings, OLIVEA

[@Jeremy_Fielding]

Thank you for the suggestion. This is one that is incorporated in Dave's original Design (shown in the first video). I probably wont add this feature until the very end. But I am considering this a important addition.

[@ye11oman]

Thanks for the update

[@anthonysharp9136]

Trying to think about what tools make larger sawdust, have you considered using a router or joiner blade? If I was at my dad's shop I'd see how his affected HDPE for ya. Maybe another viewer could test them for us. If a joiner made adequate size pieces that could be simple to fashion a hopper for.

[@Jeremy_Fielding]

+Anthony Sharp now that is creative... I am just starting to think about other tools and how they cut. This is an interesting idea

[@1pcfred]

My mill makes hella HDPE chips. But I have to feed it blocks of HDPE for it to do its thing. Oh and the chips melt like crap. Because I do melt them down. i.imgur.com/Mqsy43E.jpg

[@doveoo5]

Wouldn't this defeat the "affordable" part of Jeremy's plan?

[@johngreco7171]

Maybe (potential) melting problems with the finely shredded plastic could be mitigated with pressure? A heated screw, injection molding style, might have enough heat/pressure/shearing to recombine all the plastic dust.

[@Jeremy_Fielding]

Stirring the plastic occasionally while heating I think will mitigate that problem. But I haven't Tried yet.

[@kevindobbins-callahan4995]

Safety Third Jerms. I wish I could pitch in my two cents for this prototype and not state the obvious or what someone else might have mentioned. Maybe if you just cut up strategically sized sections of the hdpe and feed them into the chipper so you can get somewhat consistent sizes to melt. I usually cut up milk bottles so I have 4 flat-ish sides to easily cut into strips

[@Jeremy_Fielding]

+Kevin Dobbins-Callahan yes that is really what I do now. What you saw was just a demonstration of its current state

[@ElderlyIron]

Find an old (or new) manual push mower. I'd like to see that! In fact, I just got one for free. Makes me want to power it! They are 20-24 inches wide, but that can be modified, can't it? If not, the design of the spiral blade against a shear plate should work nicely, which leads my brain in the direction of a meat grinder. An auger feeding material to the blade and shear plate Disclaimers are always a good idea... Don't do this at home. Do it at your neighbors house!

[@Jeremy_Fielding]

Ok... I might add that one lol

[@nathanmunro4042]

Awesome, thanks for the reply. Regarding your viewers preferring more detailed videos, i think that's only normal for people who are interested engineering. We want to hear your thoughts on the process. The why's, when's, what's and how's are important to tinkerers, and you sir, are the who.

[@Jeremy_Fielding]

Thank you. I agree I do get the best responses to the detailed videos... I am torn. I do have several professional engineers and electricians in my group here as well.They watch the longer ones... They usually email me though. they don't comment as much. lol

[@mikedarcy711]

Hi Jeremy I am very interested to know what type of face shield you use when testing all your prototypes. Thanks Mike.

[@Jeremy_Fielding]

I only wear safety glasses. I don’t do anything in the shop without them.

[@robertevans6481]

I was thinking about finer tooth blades. But not sure if that would help. I know they make a fine cut in wood, just my 2 cents. Yes it look dangerous,but i know as well as most of the people here know you have a good head, and would ( NOT ) do anything you are not comfortable with. Thanks for sharing this video and your channel is one of my top three channels on youtube...

[@Jeremy_Fielding]

+Robert Evans I am not sure which way to go with the tooth count. If fine dust doesn't work we might want fewer teeth more like 12. It will require some melt testing

[@1pcfred]

You take the gallon jug and with a sharp knife you cut the bottom off. Put the bottom aside. Now take the rest of the jug with the cut side down on a cutting board and put a slice from the spout down each corner of the jug, then two slices around the handle. OK now with some shears you cut all them dangly pieces you got flapping off the jug at the top bend line. You do this into a box to catch the pieces as they fall away. Now you got this funny handle piece, the top of the jug, and the bottom of it too. Again with shears you cut all the little pieces off the top part, so now it is just the spout. You cut them pieces into another box. The handle is a pain in the ass. What I do is cut up it with shears into a strip a side, then cut all them strips away crosswise. These random bits go into yet another box. All the bigger pieces you cut you're going to sort like piece with like piece for each jug you cut up and make stacks of all the same kinds of pieces. You melt the stacks of pieces together. I process while I watch videos. I batch it out. I cut the bottoms off, then slice down the jugs and set all that aside. Then once I've cut all the jugs I'm going to do I pick it up at the next step. Until I've broken everything down, and sorted it all out.

[@robpridgen3791]

If you added a pipe to each side that was large enough to press against the blades you could move the nuts outside of the box and fill the space with more blades.

[@Jeremy_Fielding]

Yes... That sounds great.. A spacer would be good. I would have to move make the assembly a little wider... but that is doable. I think I will work out the hopper first, then I can go back and redesign the cover and corresponding space in between.

[@mariotibbrine1]

Nice talk great ideas keep up the work on it.

[@criticallook1352]

*_I like what you have done,_* and it has solved the nagging question as to how to perform rapid cuts. Cutting milk jugs into tiny pieces, is one big time consuming pain in the ass, and increases the risk of getting carpal tunnel. I'm surprised to see what is virtually *_powder,_* which should result in faster melts, and more consistent flow of material when using an extruder, or injector. No need to create pellets. *_Right now_* you have seven saw blades, all the same diameter, spaced equidistantly, resulting in a cut of long strands of polyethylene. Replace all the spaces between each blade, with six smaller diameter blades, then add two addtional smaller blades, one to each end of the stack, _alternating small-large-small,_ which will result in cutting each strand into tiny pieces. Add edge guards, to each side of the blade set, to guide the end cuts from straying off. The size, _or length,_ of the tiny pieces, is determined by the diameter of the smaller blades. The smaller the diameter of the small blades, will result in longer pieces being chopped off and dropping into the collection tray. Unfortunantely, those smaller diameter blades will most likely have to be custom built. If you increase the width of your cutter to be wider than a one gallon jug, then the only precutting required will be to slice out that pesky paper label from the jug, using a utilty knife, scissors, or a custom cutter. Your method also solves the problem of shredding large chunks of HDPE, such as milk crates, buckets, and scrap pieces of plastic left over after machining your parts. *_Try this experiment._* The probable reason the paper shredder jams, is most likely due to its low speed. Assuming the shredder you have does cross-cuts, then you might be able to abandon the saw blade cutter project. Remove the gearing from the shredder, then drive the shredder cutting blades at high speed. *_Thanks for this video._* You've just thrusted my brain into overdrive!! : - edit - Clarified my remark by adding the word *_one_* to the following statement: _...add two addtional smaller blades,_ *_one_* _to each end of the stack..._ :

[@Jeremy_Fielding]

If you have blades in between that brings back the problem I discussed in the video. The shear plate is needed to cut the plastic, but blades in between remove the shear plate... or make it too thin to withstand the force of cutting. If the bladed don't go through the shear plate they will score the plastic but not cut it. I don't think that will work. The paper shredder will not work. I tried high speed. kzbin.info/www/bejne/eaWVpZynedCnnas . Those blades are not strong enough to handle real HDPE at volume. It begin to jam and fail. It can occasionally cut a credit card and that is it. Unless you get an industrial shredder. But that cost too much.

[@criticallook1352]

+Jeremy Fielding Support the shear plate like this guy does for his shredder. v=W91tidmqh_k :

[@Jeremy_Fielding]

That is certainly an interesting idea. But it is not what I am looking for... I haven't given you the whole picture. I want it to be low cost, easy to copy, and no welding. This is for wood workers with mostly woodworking tools. It might not be possible, but that is the target. I talk about this more specifically in the "more Power" shredder video. I could just make Dave's shredder if that was the only goal. I have the tools, the steel, the motor and gear box. I am hoping to do something bigger than make a shredder just for my shop. Please watch this video. kzbin.info/www/bejne/jKO9hqOaZruaiJYm48s it should start about where I explain the plan.

[@criticallook1352]

+Jeremy Fielding The only reason that I directed you to that video was so you could see how he implemented the support structure. If you do it right, you can get away with using epoxy, instead of welding. If you use supports, then you can use the smaller blades I spoke of, to get powder, or finer chips, than you would when using the crosscut method. I like the concept he used to do crosscuts, but his shear plate leaves much to be desired, being it is a sloppy fit, and resulting cuts are too big and scraggly. :

[@TheMeigsr]

Hey Jeremy, I recall using a machine that peeled potatoes. It was basically a cylinder with water and an angle grinder type wheel that spun around in the bottom. Have you thought about the use of angle grinders to shave the plastic instead of cut it. Harbor freight always has deals on them. Just a thought.

[@Jeremy_Fielding]

interesting idea. I don't know

[@chuckjackson9393]

Is there a video of the finished project? I find this a VERY interesting project!!

[@ronyerke9250]

A hand-cranked machine might be nice. ;-). You might be able to put blades closer together if the flat part (shear plate?) was thicker, but is it really necessary? Changing the position or angle of the shear plate might help some too. You're basically making a motorized scissors, so why not inspect​ the geometry of those?

[@VeekramBhowaniah]

Dear Jeremy, I have been in the recycling field at least theoretically for the past few years. I would suggest you to try a punching system - like paper punch - by incorporating a motor , the washing machine motor itself. The low speed high torque system will be safe and will give you continuous operation. The main characteristics for better performance would be the cylindrical /cubical blades and plates - number of them placed either on a straight line or rather alternately - placing it on a roller or flat surface - and the continuous fed mechanism. If you want I can explain my design to you - just send me a reply with your e-mail ad. I am a hell far from you - the Indian Ocean - Island of Mauritius. I will keep up with your videos and provide any improvements possible. I am also doing the same stuff as you - that is re-using scrap electrical appliances for parts and re-engineering into new equipment. Keep the story going.. Goodluck.

[@Jeremy_Fielding]

You should delete your email from above. You can edit your message so you don’t get spam email. I sent you a message.

[@VeekramBhowaniah]

ok thank you.

[@ConstructIcon]

I'm very interested in seeing how this turns out. I've made several things with HDPE & cutting it by hand is a drag. I've tried cutting it with a wood chipper, but the results weren't that good. Keep up the good work!

[@Jeremy_Fielding]

That is good to know. Thanks for sharing. Several people have recommended something like a wood chipper. I have not gone that direction.

[@ConstructIcon]

Jeremy Fielding In all fairness the blades on the electric wood chipper may need to be sharpened, but I suspect that the blade configuration & feeding method wouldn't be as efficient as the one you have created to shred plastic without some augmentations. Once I figure out to sharpen the blades I will be sure to share the results tho'

[@railspony]

I think the concern a lot of people have about safety isn't of the "don't try this at home" variety, but based on the fact that not everybody who watches is actually a tinkerer. Also, even on the old TV programs there was always an implicit, "... unless you actually know what you're doing." Obviously, the people who watch lots of your videos are going to be people who also experiment with things. The main concern is just some random person who doesn't know better trying something they saw on a video. Normally that is a legit concern, but in this case, they're not going to casually build a machine like that. In general I think people just want a mild warning, an acknowledgment of risk, not anything where you tell people not to do it. Like you talk about a neighborhood meeting, what if a really Special neighborhood kid walked into the meeting and started showing interest in the most dangerous equipment? That is the situation on youtube with every video. ;) Don't be discouraged by the low speed attempts having been dangerous, it might be that low speed is still the way to go but some other sort of changes have to be made for safety? Maybe the infeed needs more engineering in order to make the best speed work? Maybe if you try all the different combinations of sheer plate position and angle, and how deep the blades penetrate past the start of the plate, at a low speed to see what sort of difference it makes it in how it grabs it and pulls it in? I would try everything possible to get it working at a slower speed, because the fancy machines all seem to end up at low speed for whatever basket of reasons.

[@Jeremy_Fielding]

Thank you... we are on the same page...The original video was carefully designed to display the danger. I was trying to maintain the format of very little talking but making it clear that this thing could take your hand off. I think the response "this thing is dangerous" from over 50 different people proves I did a good job of that. I am not completely opposed to a disclaimer, but it really feels cheap to me to say "don't do it". However I agree with you that something more along the lines of "hey this is dangerous" be cautious with this" etc maybe is appropriate. I am revisiting the various speeds, as well as the height of the table relative to the blade. Even though I think the current spacing is working quite well, I think a position higher up (more like a table saw) would push the work back towards me instead of pulling it away. Even with the hopper that would make the cutting action safer. Thank you for the feedback. The fancy machines have a much higher torque, and that is one of the issues I am trying to overcome. Low speed and low torque means you don't cut the plastic. Low speed and High torque (at least so far) has turned out to be very expensive. You need a powerful motor and gear box. I can do it, but that is not really what I want. I want to design a low cost shredder that people can safely copy for free. If I just wanted a working shredder I have the parts (gear boxes etc) to make a traditional shredder with very high torque and low speed. I am on a mission that is bigger than me. At least I hope it is.

[@AI_ShortCuts]

Good video. Great approach to making people responsible for their own actions and safety. If there was no risk then it wouldn't be worth it. I think the hopper and plunger is the right way to go. Wonder how it copes with thicker or bulkier pieces like bottle tops or lids etc.

[@Jeremy_Fielding]

+Tactical Dad I am just testing it for the first time but I think guiding it into the blade is the main hurdle. They seem to cut very well with the shear plate.

[@Plumbingstabilizer]

Nice going real good job.

[@empiredoors]

I think if you feed the plastic in at a 45' angle from the side,you might get rid of the problem with the stringy pieces.

[@Jeremy_Fielding]

I haven't tried that. You might be on to something. Perhaps it would grab a little and cut pulling it sideways

[@TheRustAdmin]

witha dual axle, you could gravity feed it because it would pull the plastic into itself :)

[@elfpimp1]

Something I haven't seen asked, or perhaps I missed you saying it. But, what is the end goal for the plastics? For instance, I'm trying to design a plastic grinder/shredder to recycle failed prints, left over wipe towers and brim and support plastic to make filament. Be it abs or pla.

[@philthy5690]

Did you try spacing the main sawblades with a couple smaller saw blades? Would really like to see if you've made any more progress on this!

[@JeffKnoxAZ]

Jeremy, while I enjoy the process... What's the point? You're the king of recycle and re-purpose, but there's no need to re-invent the wheel. There are plenty of dead, fairly skookum, cross-cut paper shredders in the dump, but they don't have the power needed to make them effective on plastic, so rather than starting from scratch, why not use the blades from those shredders, and just build a stronger housing and put a beefier motor/gear-train behind them? If the objective is chopped plastic, that would seem to be the most practical solution.

[@Jeremy_Fielding]

I have not come across a shredder in my recycling/re purposing efforts. Also the very cheap ones are not strong enough. I tried to beef up one shredder as I mentioned in the video... it could not handle the power. The parts begin to fail, and the plastic would still jam. I gave up on that idea. Here is a short chip of that. It is less than a minute. kzbin.info/www/bejne/eaWVpZynedCnnas ... I think only an industrial shredder would handle being pushed by a large motor. I have not seen one. I am certainly looking.

[@edgeeffect]

I'd have like to have seen Fred's pictures... like if we were all gathered in your garage at you neighbourhood meeting. :)

[@reedvending2384]

I prefer long videos well long well-constructed videos

[@Jeremy_Fielding]

+reed vending I am trying to find the balance between how much to explain/show and how much to edit out. 10 -11 minutes is about the limit it seems right now. But maybe that will change as the number of subscribers grows. You all know my content and are more willing to click a long video.

[@1pcfred]

Movie tickets are available in the theater lobby. This is KZbin!

[@robertevans6481]

I watch short or long videos, as long as i or we are interested in the video we will watch it, now with that said, the very long videos that some KZbinrs list have to be something of very important interest to watch, like 30 plus mins..like now one person i subscribe to has a 3 hr plus video, but i am interested in it, i will watch it, but not all at one time....okay sorry rant over....lol

[@Jeremy_Fielding]

That is what I want to know... I agree the more interested you are in that topic the greater the time commitment you are willing to make. I am the same way. Right now I have a small sample size. I think I will try more long (15-25) and short (under 9) minutes to have more to compare. I need to make sure it's not just the topic. Perhaps the shredder was not all the interesting to some. And I understand that. The only other video that I have to goes past the 15 minute mark is the DC wiring video... I think. That one is very specific and would be interesting to a limited number of people. I will experiment some more.

[@jeffroberts930]

One of the things that I like in an instructional type video is when the narration is kept on point. There are so many videos out there where the first couple minutes is just talking. Jeremy's videos contain a lot of dialog, but it's to the point and stays on topic. It's one of the reasons I like his videos. The other thing I like is that he shows the stuff that doesn't work, too. You get to see the whole process of his projects.

[@Philhoppermiller]

Good job.

[@MatteBlackSilhouette]

Lol you answered my suggestion from the other video

[@viscache1]

You still have your fingers...therefore...you were not reckless...not dangerous! ‘Z’ design dado blades are finely balanced and very sharp. In fact they are very close in design to the custom blades CNC cut for professional units.

[@kellygraham4451]

Needs a shield over most of the front and a safer way to feed this beast. 😮😮😮

[@iansmith9390]

I just love your videos, I have already learned a lot of practical things just watching them. I saw a chainsaw chain in Aldi today and immediately thought of wrapping it round a shaft and use the teeth as a plastic shredder. Unfortunately I do not have any electric motors other than my electric drill, and no gearboxes. I would appreciate if anybody has any suggestions of how to do this, or even better, do it and show it on here how to do it. I was also thinking of just melting the whole milk bottle in the oven first. This way it will be firmer when pushing it into the shredder. Thanks

[@MarkATrombley]

Your table is plywood and aluminum. What if you made the table out of 1" wide steel or aluminum bar stock set on edge and stacked together? You could buy the bar stock slightly thicker than your saw blade cuts to provide clearance. This would let you set the saw blades a lot closer together. It would cost a lot more than your current table of course, but you could buy a small amount of stock to test first.

[@Jeremy_Fielding]

+Mark Trombley I think the strength of that setup would be extraordinary. I already have some 1/4 by 6 flat bar I bought for the other shredder. I am concerned cutting the steel bars on edge might damage the blades more then I want. I could could them then replace the blades... that would run the cost up even more. But you only do it once. I am just thinking as I type but maybe I could create wood spacers and use that to set the position of the bars like figure joints. I don't know just yet

[@MarkATrombley]

Hmmm. Not sure we are talking the same thing. If your blade cuts a 1/8" slice buy some 3/16" thick by 1" wide bar stock. Cut half the stock 6" long and the other half 6 1/4" long. Stack them up, alternating lengths. Drill 2 holes thru the stack so that you can bolt them into one mass. This is now your table. The blades will fit between the alternating fingers if you space them right. Hope that makes sense, I can't draw.

[@Jeremy_Fielding]

+Mark Trombley I got it.... But the gap is 3/16 now. I would need some 1/8" or so to make much of a difference. Each blade is thinner than that. I would have to make custom spacers to get it right over the whole span... and buy the steel. I could just cut the aluminum into strips. Turn it on end and it would be many times stronger it is 1/8" thick. I might try this.

[@kilgoar]

another more accessible alternative would be some cheapo hardwood like maple. in fact after milling up the 1/8" or 1/4" stock it can be used for the spacers as well, like in your original prototype. you could even very easily thread the wood too lol

[@TheSuperwrenchGarage]

Man Great discussion!

[@Jeremy_Fielding]

👍

[@ricknarveson4675]

That is a VERY scary shredder. But if you still have 10 fingers and 2 eyes then your safety precautions are adequate so far. I'm very interested to know how the melt goes with the powdered plastic. I've had a couple go ok and a couple not so good, but the not so good I blamed on dirty plastic. What material and thickness are you using for your shear plate? I've been thinking about trying a 6 inch drum with 2 windows and replaceable blades (either utility knife blades or the single edge utility razor blades). I thought high speed rotation and very sharp blades might make plastic shavings. You're a great thinker and pretty good videographer. I enjoy your videos and like your style.

[@Jeremy_Fielding]

The shear plate is 1/8" thick aluminum and 1/2" thick plywood underneath. This allows it to be soft enough to cut with the blades and not damage them. I cut the wood first, then after that was installed, pushed the AL into place.