Kit Turns Wood Splitter Into Multiple Can Compacter

2005 - Volume #29, Issue #1, Page #25

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Crushing aluminum cans is quick and easy for Joe Parnell of Rocky Point, North Carolina, who made a can compacting attachment for his wood splitter that makes the job easy.
  What makes his crusher unique is that it has a hopper that crushes a bunch of cans at once, rather than one at a time.
  "Aluminum prices fluctuate, but if you keep checking the internet, and then sell when prices are high, there's money to be made. I've sold cans for as high as 50 cents per pound," says Parnell.
  "It lets you make better use of the investment you have in your wood splitter, which would otherwise sit unused for a good part of the year.
  "When I have 25 to 30 cans stored up, I batch feed them into the hopper above the compaction chamber," he explains. "Once they're compacted, I shut it off and wait until the next time I have that many cans. The compaction chamber will hold 250 cans before it's full and the ram won't be able to move. The compressed cans come out in a nice, uniform stack that's 12-in. tall by 12-in. diameter."
  Parnell knew that the recycling depot would not take his stacks if they were compressed so tightly that they were molecularly bonded. They needed to come apart so staff could check for foreign material. So he puts the stacks into nylon net backs, where they break apart but still take up very little room.
  Parnell, who's a mechanical designer by trade, builds and sells the wood splitter conversion kits and has also built a prototype of a more home-friendly electric, self-contained unit for people who may not own a wood splitter.
  "I made back my investment within the first year on each unit by spending only a few minutes per week. My neighbors now drop off their cans at my house," he says.
  Parnell sells the wood splitter conversion kits for between $700 and $1,200 (plus shipping), depending on which wood splitter model they fit.
  A complete electric compactor unit will be available by February or March at a price of $2,500, plus shipping.
  Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Joe Parnell, 285 Sandy Bend Rd., Rocky Point, N.C. 28457 (ph 910 371-5588, ext. 244 or 910 620-4878 (cell); email: jparnell @victaulic.com).

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Kit Turns Wood Splitter Into Multiple Can Compacter WOODLOT EQUIPMENT Wood Splitters 29-1-25 Crushing aluminum cans is quick and easy for Joe Parnell of Rocky Point, North Carolina, who made a can compacting attachment for his wood splitter that makes the job easy. What makes his crusher unique is that it has a hopper that crushes a bunch of cans at once, rather than one at a time. "Aluminum prices fluctuate, but if you keep checking the internet, and then sell when prices are high, there's money to be made. I've sold cans for as high as 50 cents per pound," says Parnell. "It lets you make better use of the investment you have in your wood splitter, which would otherwise sit unused for a good part of the year. "When I have 25 to 30 cans stored up, I batch feed them into the hopper above the compaction chamber," he explains. "Once they're compacted, I shut it off and wait until the next time I have that many cans. The compaction chamber will hold 250 cans before it's full and the ram won't be able to move. The compressed cans come out in a nice, uniform stack that's 12-in. tall by 12-in. diameter." Parnell knew that the recycling depot would not take his stacks if they were compressed so tightly that they were molecularly bonded. They needed to come apart so staff could check for foreign material. So he puts the stacks into nylon net backs, where they break apart but still take up very little room. Parnell, who's a mechanical designer by trade, builds and sells the wood splitter conversion kits and has also built a prototype of a more home-friendly electric, self-contained unit for people who may not own a wood splitter. "I made back my investment within the first year on each unit by spending only a few minutes per week. My neighbors now drop off their cans at my house," he says. Parnell sells the wood splitter conversion kits for between $700 and $1,200 (plus shipping), depending on which wood splitter model they fit. A complete electric compactor unit will be available by February or March at a price of $2,500, plus shipping. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Joe Parnell, 285 Sandy Bend Rd., Rocky Point, N.C. 28457 (ph 910 371-5588, ext. 244 or 910 620-4878 (cell); email: jparnell @victaulic.com).

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