Homemade Small Scale Rock Crusher

Homemade Small Scale Rock Crusher ROCK PICKERS Rock Pickers 31-1-41 Back a few years ago I made this small scale rock crusher. My goal was to crush 3/4-in. dia. granite rocks into dust that would enrich the soil in my garden; and to use rock dust as a homeopathic medicine. The rock crusher mounts on a metal frame and is powered by a 2 hp electric motor. The motor chain-drives a shaft that in turn drives a belt that loops around the rock-crushing drum, causing it to rotate at about 60 rpm's. The drum consists of a 1-ft. length of 21-in. dia. steel pipe, with both ends welded shut with 3/8-in. thick steel plate. The drum rests on four small caster wheels, which allow it to rotate. Two larger wheels, one on each side, keep it from shifting from side to side. Rocks are loaded into a 5-in. dia. hole on one side of the drum. I welded four 1/2-in. studs next to the hole to bolt on a dust-proof door. Rocks are crushed by a series of steel shafts. I cut several pieces of 2-in. dia. shaft into 9-in. lengths and mounted them inside the drum to produce the grinding action. The drum holds about 25 lbs. of 3/4-in. dia. rocks. After the rocks are crushed I open the door and remove the shafts, then scoop the rock dust out by hand. I use mostly granite rocks for my garden. Various colors of granite contain produce different mineral elements. It takes about two hours to grind the rocks into dust. The rocks make a lot of noise as they're being ground up. (Harry Scott, P.O. Box 1265, Walsenburg, Colo. 81089 ph 719 738-3847; rockworm 80@msn.com)

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