# Sheet metal chassis crusher/compacter



## zenophryk (Sep 27, 2011)

So i'm stripping my PC and server chassis in my basement, and I'm starting to run out of room to put the empty chassis. Seems like what I need is a crusher/compactor to flatten them, allong with all the little bits from power supplies and such. 
Has anyone made anything for this general purpose?
I was thinking maybe 2 plates with enough room for a rack mount server chassis in between and maybe an automotive scissor jack on top, hooked to an electric motor (get fancy and add some sort of current cut out switch for when it gets to the bottom of its travel) .

-Zenophryk


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## Photobacterium (Dec 19, 2011)

what are you planning on doing with the chassis ?

i find that most of them are neither re-sellable for computer use, or for my own use.

i get 7 cents a pound for them - sometimes 10 cents a pound, $200 a ton.

do you save them up until you have a larger quantity, to make the trip to the scrap metal dealer more worthwhile ?


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## publius (Dec 19, 2011)

Harbor Freight http://www.harborfreight.com/ should get you all the hydraulics you would need to build a great crusher/baler... :mrgreen:
Edit to remove stoopid spellink eror...


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## Smack (Dec 19, 2011)

Zeno what's your location?


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## zenophryk (Dec 22, 2011)

Photo: The plan is just to make them smaller so they don't take up so much damn space. And it would kinda cool :mrgreen: then I could fit more than 400 pounds in my truck when I go to the scrap yard. I usually get 7 - 10 cents a pound for light iron.

Publius: Harbor Freight is wonderfull, they just opened a few stores near me. I was just wondering if someone had made one before, instead of trying to re-invent so to speak. If I were planning to crush 100 a day I wouldn't mind putting a lot of time into it, but it's more like 20 a month or so. I was thinking maybe a couple scissor jacks hooked to some reductions gears and a motor, then some sort of clutch.

Smack: I'm north of boston.


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## Smack (Dec 22, 2011)

Well you could watch the auctions for a electric over hydraulic pump. Should be 120v and would provide you with the pressure you need, you would just have to buy the hydraulic cylinder/ram and fab up the rest.


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## jimmydolittle (Dec 22, 2011)

Why not use a hydraulic press with a couple sheets of heavy steel plate top and bottom?


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## seawolf (Dec 22, 2011)

What about a harbor freight portapower?
10 Ton Super Heavy Duty Portable Hydraulic Equipment Kit
Item #44900

It will have many other uses also.
Mark


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## silversaddle1 (Dec 22, 2011)

A bobcat on a concrete pad seems to crush that stuff just fine!

Just sayin'!!!


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## slickdogg (Dec 22, 2011)

they have a can crusher, that is used for crushing 5-gallon metal cans. thats what i use to crush my chassis, along with many other things, its pneumatic......real simple design
you can find them pretty cheap, works real good


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## glondor (Dec 22, 2011)

You could modify something like this>>>>> http://www.princessauto.com/pal/product/8142606/Electric/5-Ton-Electric-Log-Splitter or this>>>>>> http://www.canadiantire.ca/AST/browse/2/OutdoorLiving/PowerEquipment/LogsplittersChippersShredders/PRD~0603824P/Yardworks+6+Ton+Electric+Log+Splitter.jsp?locale=en#BVRRWidgetID

I may look into this my self, as I find the carcasses a bit of a pain to transport.


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## Geo (Dec 22, 2011)

i was going to suggest a lift like the kind used in a garage. i worked in a tire store for awhile and know that even the most wimpy lift can push a 1 ton vehicle off the ground. 115v pump with on demand pressure, the only thing you would really have to rig is a return devise. if your crusher was tall enough to fit a standing refrigerator, then maybe two sets of five each hood springs off of junk cars to retract the piston.


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## zenophryk (Dec 23, 2011)

I like the 5 gallon can crusher idea, I'll have to look around for something.

A hydraulic press would be a pain unless it was powered. I don't want to spend 10 minutes crushing the chassis. So I have to find a hydraulic pump somewhere. They have electric log splitter kits, but they's a min of $150 for the parts , then you still have to fab the frame. I bet my friend the farmer has a hydraulic piston kicking around from something, and he has a nice plasma cutter, so I may have to go diving through his scrap pile.


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## ctgresale (Dec 23, 2011)

If you already have an air compressor, you could get a 35.00 air shear from Harbor Freight and just cut along the folds of the cases and just stack the flat sheet. That's how we do it, just stack them in a box and fill it up to 50lbs, close it up and send it to the corner of the warehouse till have enought weight to take to the scrap yard. Here is a link of what I'm talking about at HF 
http://www.harborfreight.com/air-tools/specialty-air-tools.html
Hope that helps


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## zenophryk (Mar 8, 2012)

So I'm going to go ahead and make this crusher. I'm going with 2 plates of 1/2 inch steel, probably 22" x 30" to handle just about any computer chassis I get. the bottom plate will be on a regular hydraulic jack, probably 20 ton. the top plate will be part of the frame. and I'll hook up a small windshield wiper motor to to jack lever to do the pumping for me. I need to come up with some sort of safety limit switch or something.

I'll post pictures as it progresses. budget is $50

-zenophryk


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