I was on a trip a few years ago and the group had a can crusher in an ammo can. They called it a "canerator". Anyone know where I can find one? I think someone said it was made in Flagstaff...
Beer can crusher in an ammo can?
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Lucy
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Cannibal does way better than .875. I think the slot that the can has to fall through is 1/2" and you can make it half that with a good smash. A push to get it down to an inch or so and then a good lean on the handle sends her home. Can falls in the box and a new one goes in the slot. When you cant fit the cannibal in the box with the cans, dump them in a rice bag and start over.
I dont have contact info for the cannibal but I'll see if I can dig it up. PRO in flag could probably give you some info on it.
Those hammers with the plate work awesome as well. We had one of those with a heavy steel plate on my first GC trip. Way cheaper than a cannibal but more effort on a bad shoulder. The tarp gives the ants less beer and you can give it a quick rinse in the river.
I dont have contact info for the cannibal but I'll see if I can dig it up. PRO in flag could probably give you some info on it.
Those hammers with the plate work awesome as well. We had one of those with a heavy steel plate on my first GC trip. Way cheaper than a cannibal but more effort on a bad shoulder. The tarp gives the ants less beer and you can give it a quick rinse in the river.
OARS makes crushers out of old burly thick wood oars that break at the blade. They cut the oar about 3 1/2 ft high and attach some kind of junk thick metal plate that weighs about 20 lbs on the bottom and it makes a fine crusher with a nice handle, but you need a big tubed 18 ft boot with a big drop hatch to carry it in. And you carry a 12X12 "flat piece of 1/4 plate steel to place the can onto before crushing. No smashing those rocks on the beach! And watch those toes!
A piece of steel scrap found on local RR tracks with a 1 1/2" handle welded on. Requires just a few test smashes before you figure it out, first smash goes to about 1/2 ", the second takes it to 1/4" for those longer trips. Works best without crinkles in the can. Also levels tables, splits firewood, pounds in sand stakes, anchors in slow water, a true multi-tool.
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Thank you for your post Big Wave. I think you had posted that hammer in another thread several years ago. I was inspired by the picture you posted of that hammer built for you by Randy. We have been using a mallet to pound them flat on a rock. I wanted to make a hammer like yours for a friend. So, I took a 4 pound Estwing sledge I had in my toolbox and welded it (worlds ugliest welding job) to a 5 inch disc, a friend of mine, cut for me with a plasma torch out of ¼” scrap . I had a 12 x 12” ¼” inch plate I paired it with. I ended up painting all the metal with some white Rustoleum to prevent rust.
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I have never seen cans crushed this flat. They are literally as flat is a quarter. My old lever action can crusher could not do better than half-inch because it can’t flatten the dome on the bottom of aluminum cans. The hammer destroys the dome and that’s how you get them so thin.
My friend was super happy with the gift. However, he said that he had to be careful while pounding not to rap his knuckles on the ground. He suggested angling the hammer up a little when welding it to the disc. I also realized 12”x12” ¼” plate is way too big. You don’t need nearly that much steel.
I decided to make one for myself. I went on Amazon to order an 8”x8” ¼” plate and noticed one of the options was stainless steel. It cost only $4 more so I got it, a 5” diameter ¼” stainless disc and a 1.5 kg stainless steel sledge. The stainless steel sledge cost twice what the steel hammer in my first one did. The stainless plates barely cost more than the steel options. I already had the gas to weld stainless steel and stainless wire for my mig welder. I ground an angle on the face of the sledge, welded it up (and did a much better job this time on the welding.) and here is the result.
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it crushes cans just as flat as the first hammer, but it’s a knuckle saver thanks to the slight angle, and I didn’t have to paint it or worry about rust since it’s stainless. Thanks for your post Big Wave and the pictures, I know it wasn’t really what the OP was asking about but it was very helpful for me!
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I have never seen cans crushed this flat. They are literally as flat is a quarter. My old lever action can crusher could not do better than half-inch because it can’t flatten the dome on the bottom of aluminum cans. The hammer destroys the dome and that’s how you get them so thin.
My friend was super happy with the gift. However, he said that he had to be careful while pounding not to rap his knuckles on the ground. He suggested angling the hammer up a little when welding it to the disc. I also realized 12”x12” ¼” plate is way too big. You don’t need nearly that much steel.
I decided to make one for myself. I went on Amazon to order an 8”x8” ¼” plate and noticed one of the options was stainless steel. It cost only $4 more so I got it, a 5” diameter ¼” stainless disc and a 1.5 kg stainless steel sledge. The stainless steel sledge cost twice what the steel hammer in my first one did. The stainless plates barely cost more than the steel options. I already had the gas to weld stainless steel and stainless wire for my mig welder. I ground an angle on the face of the sledge, welded it up (and did a much better job this time on the welding.) and here is the result.
it crushes cans just as flat as the first hammer, but it’s a knuckle saver thanks to the slight angle, and I didn’t have to paint it or worry about rust since it’s stainless. Thanks for your post Big Wave and the pictures, I know it wasn’t really what the OP was asking about but it was very helpful for me!
That's too simple..
Amazon.com: 12oz/16oz Pneumatic Can Crusher, Aluminum Can Crusher for Recycling, Wall Mounted Can Smasher, Automatic Discharge after Crushed, Safe and Efficient Recycling Tools. : Home & Kitchen
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Will it work with a Carlson Pump as the air source?
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Do they make one that's gas-powered? Forget using rocks or doing the morning stomp, I want something I can feed the cans into, that'll rinse the swill out with river water, and spit out cans that are paper thin. For that matter, when's someone gonna come up with a device that'll just poop out little aluminum ingots?
The things I never knew we needed....
The things I never knew we needed....
Funny you should ask, you can of course get the gas powered option
9 gallon 212cc 135 PSI Wheelbarrow Air Compressor EPA
Amazing deals on this 9Gal 212Cc 135Psi Wheelbarrow Compressor at Harbor Freight. Quality tools & low prices.
www.harborfreight.com
You'll be the talk of the waves with this little baby pooping out little aluminum disks.. Runs on nice clean electric car fuel..
Can support a whole trip full of Ft. Lewis college kids for a week on a tank of fuel..
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Funny, I was thinking, how do you get portable air on a rafting trip? Duh, with a Carlson pump. Then I remembered I have this. Runs on 18v batteries.
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Let’s see the solution
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Memphis Belle, pm me the solution, I’ll post it
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These are homemade from the garage, with a cool name on them......... AlumiNaughty......hehehe can't keep up with boater friends wanting one....inflation prices went up. Nice to have an ammo can connect from prior service and a hole saw just doesn't do it. Gotta upgrade to the plasma cutter to really get the job done. Takes a lot longer than 20 minutes, and they last! Feels good solving problems for boater buddies, drain holes in the bottom and everything! Not sure how my information got on here, but grateful that it found it's way to the community of folks who would appreciate it the most. Happy Boating folks!
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Dr. Andy DMV. I missed responding to your can crusher you made. Looks good that handle will never break. I use an aluminum plate to reduce weight. Used to drag around a heavy steel railroad tie plate. The canvas tarp is key to keeping spooge of the beach. Something the Neanderthals that use rocks and foreheads fail to realize is necessary.
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