That looks really good! Just need to figure out a hopper setup to feed more constantly. I think if it already works as a wooden model there’s no need to improve.
So it works by use of the eccentric rod spun by the drill? I’ve never operated a rock crusher so I don’t know how they work.
Martin, this crusher type style is very compact and with the fine screen at the bottom to remove the fine charcoal dust, is the best I have seen. It will out due my big bulky crusher tromel that is 5 times the size. With a added hopper above it you will be able to make a full 5 gallon buck every time. Have you got any brands in it that will not crushs or go through yet?
Bob
I didn’t see a lot of dust compared to my peg crusher but my eyes are getting older. How do you adjust the distance between the jaws at the lower end or do you?
I like it.
Cody, I never have operated one either, but I saw videos on their use and was impressed by the action. My only concern with the wood is wear on the “teeth” which remarkably appear unworn even though they are pine. I would also have to do something with the bearing surfaces as they are only 3mm wide and will eventually wear grooves into the rods.
There is an eccentric rod spun by the drill. I just ran a pipe through another larger pipe and welded them together at the ends, the smaller pipe resting on the wall of the larger. This would never do for a rock crusher, but for soft charcoal it is fine.
Bob, I haven’t had any brands go through it yet - I may just throw one in to see what happens. My guess is that it may just stop the shaft and cause the drill to spin on it. Ok now, but not good when I put in a dedicated motor on a belt drive. Of course then, maybe the belt would just slip. Now I’m curious. Eventually that is a possibility so I will have to check it out.
Tom, there isn’t much dust, but I don’t really have anything in my experience to compare to. It seems to create less dust than I got when I crushed charcoal manually and then screened it. This perhaps due to the fact that anything small just falls through the gap but when crushing manually, everything got crushed regardless of size and more fines are created.
The distance at the bottom is controlled by two bars (one on either side of the moving jaw. They are connected to the jaw and then to the sides of the bin. It is crude, the bars swing on these attachment points and to adjust I would have to unscrew the screws into the bin and relocated them. Since I am looking for a fixed crush size I didn’t feel an easy adjustment was necessary (unlike a rock crusher where you might want gravel one day and sand the next).
It would be easy enough to make adjustable. Probably the easiest would be to drill a series of holes in the bars in say 1/4" increments and just choose the hole that gave the charcoal size you like on a fixed pivot point.
Well, here is an update on the crusher. A video of it is at:
https://player.vimeo.com/video/785301235?h=88c26fdc5a
The first part gives an idea of the throughput. The second part shows a brand in the jaws.
I added a motor to the crusher to replace the drill. It is still in debugging mode - I have wooden pulleys as I didn’t have any metal ones the right size.
What I learned:
I can crush a third of a 55 gal drum of charcoal in about 11 minutes. It is actually a little too fast as the dust doesn’t have time to vibrate down to the screen. I will have to increase the length of screen and/or agitate it beyond what shaking the machine provides. Or just slow down on the feeding.
There was a bunch of dust produced this time. Partly because I wasn’t catching it in anything below, but also because of the high rate of feeding. Also the video shows operation from near the bottom of the barrel and there was a bunch of ash.
I definitely need better pulleys. 
The speed seems to be slightly slower than with the drill and I like it better. But there is too much slippage on big chunky loads.
I have a 130 watt motor driving it now. I think it would be much better at 1/3 or 1/2 hp. Big pieces choke the motor.
I also need some sort of hopper above to funnel the charcoal in better. I have to be careful to not spill all over the place.
I threw a brand in and for the most part it just jumps around although it did cause some belt slippage. I hope good pulleys will alleviate this problem.
I am starting to plan ver 2.0. It will be metal with bearings. The rod in the current version is going to get ruined quickly with belt tension on it now.
I like it, good job. Looking forward to seeing all metal one
Hi Marty,
I like your machine. I’m a mechanical engineer but I don’t think you are going to be able to improve it very much. Nothing wrong with wooden pulleys. I would add an idler pulley that would increase the wrap angle on the motor pulley. and I would use a flat pulley on the crusher end. This will allow the belt to slip around on the big pulley, when the machine jams, so you don’t get a burned spot on the belt.
Rindert
Thanks Rindert, good ideas. I was forced into this configuration with the limited materials I had on hand. The only belt I had was really small so the wrap on the small pulley was not ideal with no real room to put an idler in. I live in rural Chile, so it is sometimes difficult to source things. Plus, my usual source of materials (stuff people throw out) is miniscule compared to the States! 
I got the motor and belt out of a small junked washing machine. I’ve been looking for a larger washer with a bigger motor for ages. But I’m going to a regional city today to get some supplies and I hope to get some bearings, pulleys and a belt.
Martin,
Yes, we are blessed with junk here. I think your “Rock Crusher” design is great, by the way. I would not be surprised if, limited to charcoal, the wooden version lasts as long as the metal one! Old auto and truck parts come to mind, agricultural equipment, or just keep innovating by making your own. Need some more graphite lube in the bearings, maybe make the driven pulley heavier for some flywheel action… 
I have made lots of things using old door hinges, roller skate wheels, skateboard wheel bearings, the kind of rollers found on some box conveyors, etc.
A comrade in minimalism:
His little lathe:
And then there is the legendary Matthias Wandel:
Mr. Wandell is very good. But here is an older way to make round shapes out of wood that will stay round for a very long time.
I got bearings, pulleys and a longer belt and installed them on the crusher. I am still trying out things so still keeping with wood for the moment. The old drive shaft end was starting to wear a groove as expected, the eccentric wear surface was ok. So I put bearings only on the shaft ends. The difference was very apparent. The shaft spins much easier and the motor labors less. I didn’t get a motor stoppage at all while crushing another 1/2 barrel, unlike before. I still think though that a 1/3 hp motor would be best, although I could live with the 1/6 I have now.
I also attached a spring from the lower part of the moving jaw to the screen. This shakes the screen and lets more of the dust fall through. I still have to work on the angle of the screen so that the charcoal leaves the screen on its own. This will further help dust removal as a thick layer of charcoal builds up and hinders dust from falling through… Progress though. 
Video:
I couldn’t help but notice you don’t have a bottom support on the moving plate. I was looking at rock crushers like this and saw they had a little connecting rod at the base.
Do you have the moving plate supported via rails or does it just float freely?
Do those metal bars at the bottom prevent the plate from kicking back too far?
The metal bars on the sides at the bottom are fastened to the plate on its sides. The fasteners are not tight, the bars can rotate at both ends. When the eccentric on the top pulls the plate upwards, the bottom moves upward, swinging on an arc determined by the distance between the two attachment points on the bars. This arc constrains the bottom of the plate to move towards the stationary plate while moving upwards. I know this explanation might be hard to visualize. If so, let me know and I can provide a diagram.
The connecting rod you mentioned on other crushers is part of the design to allow the bottom plate to be moved closer or further away from the stationary plate. This changes the output size of the aggregate. Because I was not interested in anything but engine size charcoal, my design is much simpler. I can’t change the size of the output on the fly like more complex designs, but I can make adjustments by moving the screws holding the bars to another location on the wall. But no need to do that as I am happy with the size of the charcoal.
Martin,
I’d like to see a diagram. Some dimensions would be nice, too.
Sure. Will take a day or two to get the measurements and draw it up.
Nice work Marty if your charcoal is made from softwoods like pine ect then your crusher is doing a excellent job in reducing the size down , i use a rotary hammer mill turning at around 80 rpm and that does make a mess when reducing softwoods , but is great on hardwood charcoal , i also have a loose fitting drive belt so in the event of anything like a brand goes down it just jams without damage , i just turn rotor by hand and take out and away it goes again , always good to see people thinking outside of the box well done indeed .
Dave
Thanks Dave for the kind words. When back in the States I had on my land softwoods like pine and hemlock. However I only burned hardwoods in the stove; mostly oak, maple, hickory and some birch. In Chile there is some pine (I think non-native), but not on my property. Most of the trees I have would be considered hardwood, but nothing like oak. Many are like poplar (I would consider a softwood) and mid-range of pine to oak. There is a tree with really dense wood, but fairly rare and also a pain to split as it is stringy like elm and very gnarly. I do wish I had some maple down here, I miss maple syrup immensely.
Martin, does walnut grow down there?
You can make syrup from walnut sap.
I have read that some native americans would make syrup from birch sap.
I know a few Canadians that make birch sap syrup as well
