In my appliance collection have two paper shredders-one that I bought(Fellowes) and a Royal that someone gave me.The Royal has eaten its share of paper-'fraid it ate itself to death.the unit has a small universal motor connected to a gearbox-then the gear box turns two large gears(both plastic and stripped)the large gears turn the blade shafts-intermeshing blades-that shred the paper.The one I have now (Fellowes)has an induction motor-it even self reverses if too much is fed into it at a time.I sort of look at them like --disposals for the office-and more "red bag" waste in the home-they are becoming popular.Staples and Office Depot-have them to "adopt"
anyone into paper shredders?
- Thread starter tolivac
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I can't say I'm "into" shredders, but I did repair my Fellows DM-2 straight cut shredder. I fed it one to many unwanted credit cards, or something. Anyway, I pried apart the casing and found the problem - a bent gear axle pin. Plus a tooth missing on one of the plasticgears. The missing tooth doesn't seem to matter much, and after I straightened the pin, I drilled four holes and used machine screws and nuts to hold the separated case back together. Crude, but effective. And it saved me the cost of buying a new shredder.
Some may claim that those who own direct action Whirlpool and Kenmore top loaders also are into shredders, but that would be oh so wrong ;-)
Some may claim that those who own direct action Whirlpool and Kenmore top loaders also are into shredders, but that would be oh so wrong ;-)
Oops, typo, it's a Fellowes DM-3.
Good that you fixed your shredder-The Royal it would involve replacing the drive gears.These are pressed onto the blade shafts.In looking on the model-it was one of those $50 units-a "disposable" machine.And half of the teeth are stripped off the gears.
I used to have a KN DD washer-it did "shred" a few of my clothes-traded it away for a BD WP Imperial 90-much better-washing instead of shredding.
the paper shredder here at work is a Whittacker Brothers-an expensive unit-$3000.Since its a Gov't place-they can afford it.Mine that I bought was less then one tenth that.I am sure the Whittacker unit has a highest quality motor,gearbox,and blades.
I used to have a KN DD washer-it did "shred" a few of my clothes-traded it away for a BD WP Imperial 90-much better-washing instead of shredding.
the paper shredder here at work is a Whittacker Brothers-an expensive unit-$3000.Since its a Gov't place-they can afford it.Mine that I bought was less then one tenth that.I am sure the Whittacker unit has a highest quality motor,gearbox,and blades.
jasonl
New member
I like the industrial business office shredders. That's ones that actually use an AC motor instead of the cheap whiny DC powered ones. Where I used to work there was one (don't know the brand or model) that sound like Pac-man. It would go "CHOMPA CHOMPA CHOMPA CHOMPA". And what came out what finely cut confetti. We have a Fellowes el-cheapo that does a decent job of eating credit cards and paper. We also have the top loading Kenmore Elite washer.
If it has a plug!
I have two. A really small one, from some brand I don't remember, and a large, old Royal. I need to empty the Royal.
I guess they are essential today, or nearly so.
I miss routine burning of household trash.
Lawrence/Maytagbear
I have two. A really small one, from some brand I don't remember, and a large, old Royal. I need to empty the Royal.
I guess they are essential today, or nearly so.
I miss routine burning of household trash.
Lawrence/Maytagbear
Designgeek
Well-known member
- Joined
- Dec 12, 2004
- Messages
- 865
I have an inexpensive Royal cross-cut that makes fairly small fragments. I feed one sheet at a time most of the time, but it'll take two or three without complaining much. An earlier unit of the same type broke a gear tooth when I tried stuffing too much through it at once.
Why everyone needs a shredder:
Those people who pick through your trash every week for aluminum cans etc.: they may be getting paid "rewards" by identity-theft rings for bringing in things such as your utility bills and credit card bills and so on. You don't want to find out the hard way.
Why cross-cut:
Because strip-cut shredders aren't secure enough, the strips can be re-assembled to read the information.
What's the best shredder available:
Anything that has "NSA/CSS" certification. Yes, the National Security Agency certifies shredders that are suitable for destroying classified material. These machines make very small particles indeed, like the size of the squares that came out of the old computer punch cards. Very nice, but expensive.
Most of us will have to make do with the best office-grade cross cut shredder we can find. Best = smallest particle size. Some of the cheaper machines such as the Royal have the smallest particle sizes for a reasonable price; the tradeoff is they take fewer sheets at a time. That's an acceptable tradeoff since you're usually not shredding a whole bunch of stuff at once.
If you have to dispose of expired credit cards, feed those through one at a time, or get a machine designed to take them. Just cutting them up with scissors isn't enough. There are small inexpensive credit card shredders that take one at a time and are strip cut; what to do with those is take the strips and run them through the other direction so they get cut into squares. And mix thoroughly with the rest of your household refuse.
What else to do, to discourage identity theft trash-pickers:
Make a thick mix of flour and water, or cornstarch and water, or an egg that's past it's prime, and pour it over the refuse in your bin. It doesn't take much to do the job adequately, and it shouldn't be enough that it pools up in the bottom of your bin. This will make a sticky icky coating that will tend to make trash pickers stop digging any further. What I'd really like to see is something that consists of a motion detector and a water spray nozzle, with a timer. While your bin is sitting at the curb, if someone gets near it, they get a good soaking to chase them away. The timer would click off early in the morning so when the sanitation crew comes along they can empty the bin without getting soaked.
Why everyone needs a shredder:
Those people who pick through your trash every week for aluminum cans etc.: they may be getting paid "rewards" by identity-theft rings for bringing in things such as your utility bills and credit card bills and so on. You don't want to find out the hard way.
Why cross-cut:
Because strip-cut shredders aren't secure enough, the strips can be re-assembled to read the information.
What's the best shredder available:
Anything that has "NSA/CSS" certification. Yes, the National Security Agency certifies shredders that are suitable for destroying classified material. These machines make very small particles indeed, like the size of the squares that came out of the old computer punch cards. Very nice, but expensive.
Most of us will have to make do with the best office-grade cross cut shredder we can find. Best = smallest particle size. Some of the cheaper machines such as the Royal have the smallest particle sizes for a reasonable price; the tradeoff is they take fewer sheets at a time. That's an acceptable tradeoff since you're usually not shredding a whole bunch of stuff at once.
If you have to dispose of expired credit cards, feed those through one at a time, or get a machine designed to take them. Just cutting them up with scissors isn't enough. There are small inexpensive credit card shredders that take one at a time and are strip cut; what to do with those is take the strips and run them through the other direction so they get cut into squares. And mix thoroughly with the rest of your household refuse.
What else to do, to discourage identity theft trash-pickers:
Make a thick mix of flour and water, or cornstarch and water, or an egg that's past it's prime, and pour it over the refuse in your bin. It doesn't take much to do the job adequately, and it shouldn't be enough that it pools up in the bottom of your bin. This will make a sticky icky coating that will tend to make trash pickers stop digging any further. What I'd really like to see is something that consists of a motion detector and a water spray nozzle, with a timer. While your bin is sitting at the curb, if someone gets near it, they get a good soaking to chase them away. The timer would click off early in the morning so when the sanitation crew comes along they can empty the bin without getting soaked.
We broke down and got a cross cut shredder last year. I think it is a Fellows. The model we bought has the ability to shred credit cards, floppy disks and CD's. I thought that was a good idea because I back up my PC to cd's and my Quicken to floppies all the time. That data would be just as useful to a trash picker also.
I do hope everyone here backs up thier computer files, One hard drive crash of your PC and you have lost everything, Also that you have a good firewall and virus scan. Have your High speed DSL or cable wireless modems set so your neighbors sre not sharing your bandwidth or other are hacking into your computer. Your trash can is not the only place these pickers try to get in.
MikeO
I do hope everyone here backs up thier computer files, One hard drive crash of your PC and you have lost everything, Also that you have a good firewall and virus scan. Have your High speed DSL or cable wireless modems set so your neighbors sre not sharing your bandwidth or other are hacking into your computer. Your trash can is not the only place these pickers try to get in.
MikeO
I also like the industrial office and "recyclers" paper shredders.I have a catalog here at work that lists ones that can take whole computers,bins of paper--including the bin,and all types of medias.The unit has a 200hp motor!!Actually the best types of shredders are those like what a gardener uses to shred garden waste-the machine cuts it RANDOMLY-so its impossible to reconstruct the documents.Even with crosscut shredders some individuals have "reconstructed" documents.The machine here at work is a NSA/CSS machine-the paper is cut into peices less than 1/4 in in any dimension.We used to have an incinerator out here(Morse and Bolger)but pollution laws now prevented it from being used any more-now they have the shredder and local garbage pickup-the shreds go into the garbage dumpster.My father burns his office waste in his woodstove-works well.Gives heat besides-but pollutes.And can't bed used in the summer-too hot.The shredder I have will take credit cards-I have run them thru a garden waste shredder-or even run them over with my mulching lawnmower.That really does it.The Fellowes machine is cleaner and easier.Like the idea of "contaminating" your trash with an unpleasent substence.Also credit cards with the magnetic stripe-demagging that wouldn't be a bad idea as well-any strong magnetic feild should do it.The Fellowes machine I have is fairly expensive-the most expensive of the "home" or light office duty units.It does have an induction motor.The motor doesn't have a cooling fan so you can only run it for no more than 20 min in an hour.Well a shredder is pretty much like your disposal-you don't run that very long either.If its efficient for either machine you won't need to.Another thing for the shredders that "kills" them-if the gears in its transmission are exposed-the paper clippings and dust wear than out or break their teeth.that was another thing for the old Royal someone gave me-too bad.
Now THIS is a paper shredder-you can even use it for your own business of shredding documents for your friends and other businesses!!They can even watch their items get ground into mulch with the trucks built in video monioring camera that shows the shredding compartment.Saw this on the web and thought would add it here-Since medical documents have to be destroyed before disposal-saw one of these trucks at the complex where my doctors office is-saw it at work-was interesting.
jasonl
New member
Now that's a MAN's shredder.
It occurs to me that shredded paper might bring back that time-honored childhood pastime of making things out of papier mache.
Who know? Maybe one could make a laundry detergent/fabric softener caddy...
Who know? Maybe one could make a laundry detergent/fabric softener caddy...
Or-- could the paper shredders serve as the start for people making their OWN paper-the first step before the pulper.Would think paper shredder paper clippings would be ideal for feeding the pulper at paper mills that make recycled paper.I beleive the operators of some of those "shredder trucks" take their load of shredded paper to the paper recycling plant.there is a Weyerhauser paper mill out near here-wonder if some of that shredded paer goes there?i suppose with that trucks 12,000 pound paper capacity-that would make a LOT of paper mache.The truck has a two stage processer-first the crosscut shredder-than an auger compactor-would think that paper would be pretty ground at that point.the auger would give further grinding-shredding action.
I have 2
Both still run after 3 yrs of occasional use. I take some things to the office, where they have one of those large $1K Fellows shredders from Boise Cascade/OfficeMax.
I also "salt & pepper" my shreddings with various "seasonings". One particular favorite; used cooking oil and emptying out the kitty litter box". LOL
Shrimp heads and tails, and an uncooked egg work wonders in the Texas heat. I am a little "paranoid" about people going through my trash, so it gets spiked quite a bit.
I save some clean shreddings for using as a starter for my chiminea. Works great on getting that wood going outside~
Happy Shredding,
MaytagMom
Both still run after 3 yrs of occasional use. I take some things to the office, where they have one of those large $1K Fellows shredders from Boise Cascade/OfficeMax.
I also "salt & pepper" my shreddings with various "seasonings". One particular favorite; used cooking oil and emptying out the kitty litter box". LOL
Shrimp heads and tails, and an uncooked egg work wonders in the Texas heat. I am a little "paranoid" about people going through my trash, so it gets spiked quite a bit.
I save some clean shreddings for using as a starter for my chiminea. Works great on getting that wood going outside~
Happy Shredding,
MaytagMom
jasonl
New member
No one wants to dig through cat 5417 to get your credit card #. Ours doesn't do cross cut 
but it will make very small strips. mix it with kitty litter and food trash. Yeah, I don't think people will want to dig in there.
but it will make very small strips. mix it with kitty litter and food trash. Yeah, I don't think people will want to dig in there.jasonl
New member
Is there such a thing as a "vintage" paper shredder. When did they first come out?
Vintage paper shredders-Don't know when they first became popular-but the Gov't building I used to work in in Wash DC had a VERY old paper baler-was even built into the building.the place was built in 1939.Instead of shredders they used the baler.The baler had an opening one floor beneath the power unit for it.paper was loaded into it-then the unit started.Instead of hydraulics-had a cable winch system on a gear motor.The platen lifted the paper from the bottom-then crushed it at the top of the unit.the bale was tied and removed from the unit-Would have loved to see it work-looked like it haden't been used in years.The DC building did have a "red bag" disposal room-they had shredders in there that resembled garden waste shredders-you would dump bag and all into it.After it was ground an auger conveyer brought the remains to the Marathon compactor.Used that compactor quite a lot. had a 15Hp pump on it-crushed anything you put in it.
One can also add shredded paper to a back yard compost pile.
