Pault17 Posted November 19, 2008 Share Posted November 19, 2008 My in-laws' place has billions of pecans all over the place. I have discovered that the only good way to shell a pecan is to crack them from the ends. I cobbled this together tonite. Ugly but works fine made from one inch, outside of 3/4 inch, with a half inch pipe ram and anvil. The handle is bent such that when the handle is all the way down, it does not crush the nut into paste :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted November 19, 2008 Share Posted November 19, 2008 Well, that's pretty darned cool. Pecans goooood. mmmmmmm. Frosty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ironrosefarms Posted November 19, 2008 Share Posted November 19, 2008 I like it, how about a couple more picture of it open and fully closed? If'n I had one of those, maybe I could get's me a PeaCon Pie... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arbalist Posted November 19, 2008 Share Posted November 19, 2008 I like Pecans as well but whats wrong with using your teeth? - only joking although I do shell Cobb nuts with my teeth when they're in season around October time :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnW Posted November 19, 2008 Share Posted November 19, 2008 Wow + [minimum length padding to get at least 10 characters] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HWooldridge Posted November 19, 2008 Share Posted November 19, 2008 Google on Inertia Nut Cracker (rubber band model) and you'll see a good design that produces a completely fractured shell without damaging the meat. We had a pecan orchard when I was growing up so I spent every fall cracking pecans by the thousands - if I never see another one, it will be too soon... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pault17 Posted November 19, 2008 Author Share Posted November 19, 2008 I just posted the other two pictures I took in the gallery opened and closed The body consists of two pieces of 3/4" black pipe, each about 2 inches long, pressed into each end of a piece of 1" pipe about 7 or 8 inches long. The piece that is fixed, or the anvil, is drawn down to a small cone or cup to hold one end of the pecan. The other piece has the little seam/ridge filed down to allow the ram to slide freely. A section is cut out of the middle for access to put the nut in for cracking. The ram is a piece of 1/2" pipe, again necked down to a cone or cup, and sanded smooth to slide through the press. The handle was forged to resemble a poz tong (I almost used one for the handle, but decided to make one) because the angles and leverage worked real good when dry-tested. I notched and drilled the block to act as a pivot and to keep wobbliness down, then forged a linkage. drilled and riveted all three connections and gave her what-for. If i were to do over, I would make the anvil and ram more solid to prevent them from filling with fragments, and figure the angles a little more precisely as mine binds a little now and then. Oh, yeah, I also bent the end of the handle in such a way as to prevent full closure of the ram, thereby stopping from making pecan/shell mush Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeaverDamForge Posted November 19, 2008 Share Posted November 19, 2008 Google on Inertia Nut Cracker (rubber band model) and you'll see a good design that produces a completely fractured shell without damaging the meat. We had a pecan orchard when I was growing up so I spent every fall cracking pecans by the thousands - if I never see another one, it will be too soon...We had one of those when I was a kid, but I can usually do as good with a handheld nutcracker. Break the shell around the middle and the ends come off without too much trouble. Good Luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
orgtwister Posted November 19, 2008 Share Posted November 19, 2008 i like it wonder if it would work with hickory nuts consider the idea stolen i gota try it on hickory nuts Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted November 19, 2008 Share Posted November 19, 2008 Stolen here as well; I may put in an adjustable stop for the handhold so as to be able to deal with different sizes; sort by eye and change the height as needed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ironrosefarms Posted November 19, 2008 Share Posted November 19, 2008 That is what I was thinking Thomas, I think an adjustable anvil would be the ticket to allow hickory and chestnuts... but first things first, bribe wife into making the pie if I make the nut cracker... :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam Thompson Posted November 19, 2008 Share Posted November 19, 2008 Does it work best with steady pressure or a quick tap? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pault17 Posted November 19, 2008 Author Share Posted November 19, 2008 Sam, I have had success with both slow steady pressure and quick sharp. My linkage is a little off kilter so it occasionally binds a bit, making the quick sharp sometimes difficult. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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