Wonky paper shredder

[electra225]

Do we have any shredder gurus in the audience? We have a CaseMate model WM830XA shredder, your basic $29.95 Walmart special. We have had it for years, always has worked just fine. Lately, it won't shut off after it has shredded whatever. You can turn it off, then back on. Sometimes, it stays off, sometimes it runs again. I am not the best at keeping it emptied. We usually run it until it won't take any more paper. I think there is a hunk of paper stuck somewhere, jamming the switch. I can't see anything. Any ideas as to where to look?

[Firedome]

Your suspicion is probably right, I've taken our similar one apart several times to clean out little pieces jammed in here and there, which causes all kinds of problems, and for cleaning contacts. So far it's been resurrected 3 times, I'm just to cheap to buy a new one.

[TC Chris]

So far it's been resurrected 3 times, I'm just to cheap to buy a new one.

I laugh at myself about being a cheapskate too, but really the issue is not being cheap. It's about not being wasteful, which is another thing altogether. We live in a most wasteful society. Most people have absolutely no concept of how things work or how to use tools. We don't have repair facilities because it's cheaper to buy a new one than to fix an old one. Drive down any street on garbage day and see the results. One of my big goals in life is keeping useful stuff out of the landfill.

And of course some things are not really repairable. When a whole radio is on a chip, there isn't much you can fix beyond the wires to the speaker.

And then there's the issue of durability. A writer/builder named Andy Engel has a piece in the latest Fine Homebuilding magazine about how he wishes tools were more expensive. What?? Yeah, more expensive. He observed that newer tools are less durable. He identified the problem as a merger of the pro tools lines and the home-handyman lines. They were once distinct; the pros bought commercial-grade tools that lasted a long time and then could be fixed, and that cost a lot. The home DIY types bought tools that were less durable but weren't used as much, at a lower price. Now the two markets have merged, thanks (in his analysis) to Home Depot et al. That's why he was pining for expensive tools--expensive but durable and reliable.

It was Andy's last article. The opening pages noted that he had recently died at 60 of a heart attack while mountain biking. Those of us who are past 60 (way past in my case) need to be grateful for extra years health that allows us to follow our interests.

Chris Campbell

[Firedome]

Andy sounds like a thoughtful guy, a shame we more like him. I agree with not creating waste as well. Being required by limited finances to fix or build most of what we have has required me to have extensive tools, both carpentry and mechanical. For wood-work I'm lucky that I had a Dad, Grandad and Great-Grandad who were real craftsman. My Great-Grandad A. emigrated from Sweden bringing the tools and wood case he made himself during his apprentice-ship in order to make piano cases in the "new country" (my builder brother still has them). Grandad A. was a pattern maker who made furniture as his hobby. My Dad learned from him and built several houses in time off from his regular full-time job. I learned (often reluctantly) from them.

I've tended to buy older used tools from about 1970 and earlier. Large Sears Craftsman & Delta floor shop tools (bandsaw, jointer, shaper, drill press), old Stanley hand planes, levels and squares, older hand power tools by Powr-Kraft (Monkey Wards) and Craftsman aluminum case stuff. When needed to buy new, Craftsman Commercial stuff like circular saws bought in the '70s. My Dad's big old '60s Craftsman table saw, all cast iron, was lent to a friend then stolen from him. I was tempted to buy an older Delta Unisaw but need portability between the 2 houses, so bought a new Hitachi. It does OK but with all the aluminum and plastic no way it will last 50 yrs like Dad's did.

Even the quality hand tools from like Channl-lock, Klein, Rigid, Snap-on, SK, Milwaukee, etc may be made under contract in China or elsewhere now. All of these that I have are from the '70s and older and were US made, but how many still are?
a few perhaps, but are they also compromised to keep prices competitive?

[TC Chris]

older hand power tools by Powr-Kraft (Monkey Wards) and Craftsman aluminum case stuff.

I used my Dad's old Craftsman quarter-inch drill motor for everything. Drilling. Sanding. Grinding. It dates from the early 1950s so "speed control" means pulsing the trigger switch. I've replaced that switch 3x so far. In the old days you could look up the Sears part no. in the parts list they gave you, and call in an order to the Sears parts warehouse and they'd ship you the needed part. Even really old parts. It created substantial brand loyalty. That was then. Now, the profit calculation is looking at the next quarter, not the next quarter century. Brand loyalty is interpreted as "cheapest price on Amazon."

Andy Engel's article did note that new tools have some cool features, like lights that show you where the work is happening and battery power, which is a boon in many work settings. But he lamented that the features seemed to be traded off for durability and repairability. My router's light burned out and I was to lazy to replace it for a while. Then the benefits of seeing what I was doing motivated me.

Chris Campbell

[19&41]

When I had a shredder, I kept a roll of wax paper to run a sheet through the unit periodically to lube the mechanism. I got fed up with the short run times and long cool off times. I made a 1' diameter X 2' tall, 1/2 inch hardware cloth basket that I put on 3 stake legs and it burns my papers like a charm. I save my paper bags from sandwiches and prescriptions and put all my receipts in them. I give them a shot of charcoal lighter and drop a match in them.

[electra225]

Open burning is the easiest method, and certainly effective. Around here, with the burn ban currently in place, they would put me UNDER the jail if I was to start an open fire. They don't like people using charcoal grills with the high fire danger. It is really dry here. This is not our rainy season.

[Firedome]

Open burning of pretty much anything is a pretty bad idea imo, too many toxins and bad stuff in the smoke. I use shredded paper as packing material in te bottom of boxes, then peanuts (the degradable starch kind if possible) on top, it's a bit heavier but works well for stuff like glass as it compacts solidly. My wife tends to stuff too much in the shredder and I have to unclog it, but I'm getting pretty good at it now.