This is an instructable where i will show you how to make an almost completely automatic paper recycling machine. It recycles old paper into new paper. It also uses recycled materials such as cardboard and drink bottles. It cannot be completely automatic because different types of paper take longer to process than others, so you just control a bunch of different switches. But it will do all the hard work for you. Please read through the entire instructable before you buy the parts. You might use different parts, and they can vary depending on what you have and need. The other cool thing about it is that you can put sparkles or glitter in the paper before it's done and have creative designs.
I am a middle school student who made this out of discarded and found materials, and I constructed it all on my own in my garage -- so you can do it, too.
I will have more pictures of the paper and possibly a video soon...... I've just been really busy lately but i have a lot more because finals are coming up... :(
I am a middle school student who made this out of discarded and found materials, and I constructed it all on my own in my garage -- so you can do it, too.
I will have more pictures of the paper and possibly a video soon...... I've just been really busy lately but i have a lot more because finals are coming up... :(
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Signing UpStep 1: Get yer parts
You obviously need parts to do anything or make anything. You need circuit boards for a computer, for a car, or anything else. It's the same with this. There are a lot of parts that you need, but luckily most of them are cheap or you can find by dumpster diving. Hopefully you can find all the parts. or you could improvise.
parts
1) Many 1 x 4 planks of wood. You really need a lot as the entire frame is made from these. You can usually find them in the trash, and if they are stuck together in a crate, just pull them apart. That's what I did. If you can't find any in the trash, just buy a lot. They don't have to be that strong. You should get at least two that are slightly more than 5 ft in length, (about 1.5 m) or around there. Along with that, get a flat length of wood. doesn't have to be that thick. but make sure it can carry a bit of weight.
2) Many wood screws. I don't think anyone will be throwing away any of these, so you can just buy a box of 100 for 3 to 5 bucks. You wont quite use 100, but just in case... I used 1 1/2 inch length. (3.81 cm)
3) A paper shredder. If you don't have one, you can buy a cheap one, find one in the trash (you might need to fix it) or rip up the paper yourself.
4) a wooden dowel. Get a pretty long one, about 4 feet. (1.5m) I used 1/2 inch thick. (1.27cm)
5) The parts for the mixer
5a) an old cd that can be cut up
5b) a gatorade bottle (The big kind, or a two-liter coke or sprite bottle)
5c) a powerful motor (a note: make sure you have a way to hook up the motor to the cd, to make the cd spin.)
5d) batteries to power the motor (or if it's plug-in, a power outlet) It's hard to make it water-proof
5f) If you have a blender (the lighter the better) that you can use, use that instead of all that other stuff. It's specifically made for that, so it would be better. You can get one at goodwill or salvation army or whatever for cheap. The basic action it will be doing is stirring up wet paper, and chopping it into mush.
Remember, it has to be able to tip over to empty everything out.
6) a few powerful gearboxes (make sure they turn slow) that will tip over (like pouring) parts of the recycler to empty the paper into the next area. I would get three. One a bit more powerful than the others, one a bit faster, and the other in between.
7) a turkey roaster. big enough and deep enough to hold all the pulp (shredded paper) By turkey roaster I mean the cheap tin ones that you can buy at the supermarket for a buck, not the expensive thick ones.
8) some sort of water tank. I used an old laundry detergent tank that had this little button on it that when you press it, the detergent (or water, whatever is in it, would come out.) Tide detergent bottle, to be exact.
9) cardboard and tape.
10) window screen, with small holes. Get about 8 ft by 1 ft or more (2.5 m by 30.5 cm)
11) three feet (91.44 cm)of 1" diameter (2.54cm) pipe, for the rollers to make the paper smooth.
12) A way to turn the pipe (one gearbox)
13) 2 dpdt switches to switch the motors one way or the other. (center-off)
(you might need more or less, depending on what you have.)
14) 1 on/off switch
(you might need more, depending on what you have.)
15) wire
16) various other parts that i'll explain later
tools
1) Drill with drill bits (make sure you have 1/2 in.) (1.27 cm)
2) a saw to cut the wood.
3) a permanent marker, to mark on things.
4) wire cutter and stripper
5) you also might need an x-acto knife
6) a ruler
7) a hot glue gun or other waterproof glue
8) a hacksaw to cut pipe
9) It might be useful to have a level.
parts
1) Many 1 x 4 planks of wood. You really need a lot as the entire frame is made from these. You can usually find them in the trash, and if they are stuck together in a crate, just pull them apart. That's what I did. If you can't find any in the trash, just buy a lot. They don't have to be that strong. You should get at least two that are slightly more than 5 ft in length, (about 1.5 m) or around there. Along with that, get a flat length of wood. doesn't have to be that thick. but make sure it can carry a bit of weight.
2) Many wood screws. I don't think anyone will be throwing away any of these, so you can just buy a box of 100 for 3 to 5 bucks. You wont quite use 100, but just in case... I used 1 1/2 inch length. (3.81 cm)
3) A paper shredder. If you don't have one, you can buy a cheap one, find one in the trash (you might need to fix it) or rip up the paper yourself.
4) a wooden dowel. Get a pretty long one, about 4 feet. (1.5m) I used 1/2 inch thick. (1.27cm)
5) The parts for the mixer
5a) an old cd that can be cut up
5b) a gatorade bottle (The big kind, or a two-liter coke or sprite bottle)
5c) a powerful motor (a note: make sure you have a way to hook up the motor to the cd, to make the cd spin.)
5d) batteries to power the motor (or if it's plug-in, a power outlet) It's hard to make it water-proof
5f) If you have a blender (the lighter the better) that you can use, use that instead of all that other stuff. It's specifically made for that, so it would be better. You can get one at goodwill or salvation army or whatever for cheap. The basic action it will be doing is stirring up wet paper, and chopping it into mush.
Remember, it has to be able to tip over to empty everything out.
6) a few powerful gearboxes (make sure they turn slow) that will tip over (like pouring) parts of the recycler to empty the paper into the next area. I would get three. One a bit more powerful than the others, one a bit faster, and the other in between.
7) a turkey roaster. big enough and deep enough to hold all the pulp (shredded paper) By turkey roaster I mean the cheap tin ones that you can buy at the supermarket for a buck, not the expensive thick ones.
8) some sort of water tank. I used an old laundry detergent tank that had this little button on it that when you press it, the detergent (or water, whatever is in it, would come out.) Tide detergent bottle, to be exact.
9) cardboard and tape.
10) window screen, with small holes. Get about 8 ft by 1 ft or more (2.5 m by 30.5 cm)
11) three feet (91.44 cm)of 1" diameter (2.54cm) pipe, for the rollers to make the paper smooth.
12) A way to turn the pipe (one gearbox)
13) 2 dpdt switches to switch the motors one way or the other. (center-off)
(you might need more or less, depending on what you have.)
14) 1 on/off switch
(you might need more, depending on what you have.)
15) wire
16) various other parts that i'll explain later
tools
1) Drill with drill bits (make sure you have 1/2 in.) (1.27 cm)
2) a saw to cut the wood.
3) a permanent marker, to mark on things.
4) wire cutter and stripper
5) you also might need an x-acto knife
6) a ruler
7) a hot glue gun or other waterproof glue
8) a hacksaw to cut pipe
9) It might be useful to have a level.
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5
frankenboom (author)
says:
May 17, 2009. 1:57 PMReply
sorry I don't have more pictures or the video- i've had no time. ill start in the next two weeks when school gets out, hopefully earlier
Sara Munoz
says:
Apr 28, 2009. 8:03 AMReply
AWESOME1 I'M VOTING FOR YOU.
Emijalis
says:
Apr 26, 2009. 9:00 PMReply
I had no idea how creative and smart you are. I sure hope you WIN big!!
meviglucci
says:
Apr 26, 2009. 4:55 PMReply
Awesome! You have my vote.
mcviglucci
says:
Apr 26, 2009. 7:29 AMReply
I'm looking forward to seeing some more creative designs and the video. Great work, Frankenboom! I'm voing now.
blopeza
says:
Apr 25, 2009. 7:15 PMReply
This is very promising. It has great potential.
5
frankenboom (author)
says:
Apr 25, 2009. 7:12 PMReply
thanks for all the nice comments!
mviglucci
says:
Apr 25, 2009. 2:10 PMReply
very impressive - i'd like to see more paper samples, like the sawdust with the old look...
5
frankenboom (author)
in reply to Apr 25, 2009. 7:11 PMReply
I'm about to upload the picture....soon....
gluch
says:
Apr 25, 2009. 3:31 PMReply
Great job. Very imaginative, very green. One more vote for Frankenboom.
billoates
says:
Apr 25, 2009. 12:35 PMReply
How impressive! It is wonderful to have such an innovative environmental technologist around here. Things are looking up!
jmassoth
says:
Apr 25, 2009. 11:20 AMReply
Wow! I am so impressed! I'm glad you solved the problem of not having a circular saw or jigsaw.
rayadverb
says:
Apr 25, 2009. 5:36 AMReply
I think Frankenboom should win the Nobel Prize, at least.
kaufsports
says:
Apr 24, 2009. 10:36 AMReply
I saw the paper Frankenboom made with this recycler and it was VERY impressive. Would make beautiful stationary!
lqstgr67
says:
Apr 23, 2009. 5:17 PMReply
iNtReStInG yOu MuSt Be ReAlY SmArT AnD A TeEn AgEr RiGhT????
5
frankenboom (author)
in reply to Apr 23, 2009. 5:28 PMReply
Yeah, I guess so.
hoobert
says:
Apr 23, 2009. 8:49 AMReply
I saw the recycled paper. It works great!
5
frankenboom (author)
in reply to Apr 23, 2009. 3:00 PMReply
thanks a lot! I can make you one if you want.
nclub
says:
Apr 20, 2009. 3:27 PMReply
Great idea! This must be the GREENEST instructable out there!
3
Euphy
says:
Apr 20, 2009. 2:55 PMReply
This is a great idea, but I'd like to see it working!
5
frankenboom (author)
in reply to Apr 20, 2009. 3:02 PMReply
I will soon, as soon as I fix the next part (the paper shredder broke again) So now that means that there have been 4 things that have broken.... It's like all technology is turning against me. The reason that I do not have a video of when it was working is because I finished last-minute and had no time to take a vid. anyways, I can have it running again by the end of the week. P.S. sorry I don't have very much info on any tips or operation, like i said, i was rushed.
5
frankenboom (author)
says:
Apr 20, 2009. 5:09 AMReply
I'm sorry about the fact that I couldn't tell you how to control it or how the paper looks- the project kept breaking which delayed me which means I couldn't type as much before the deadline and the paper was still drying. I'll include details on how to control it as well as tips and troubleshooting as soon as I can.
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