a3holerman
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A Hatchling Earthworm
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Paper Shredders - 2009/04/05 09:03
Hi,
I am a newbe here and just started my first bin. Its a 18 gal plastic tub with many screen covered holes. Mixed hand torn newspaper with peat and added a small amount (about 200-500) reds. I ordered 2000 reds from Jims worm farm and received a bag that weighed 13 Oz. on the local post office scale. Called them and they were VERY apolgetic and am sending me a full 2k Monday. Back to the question....I am in the market for a shredder and am wondering if the crosscut type making small pieces is better than the long strips commonly seen. There seems to be several sales in the paper today on crosscut shredders $50-$80 with 10-12 page capeability. It seems that the smalles pieces would dreakdown a bit quicker and be easier to much on.
Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.
Tom
Cape Cod
Post edited by: a3holerman, at: 2009/04/05 10:43
Tom
Cape Cod |
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wellsworms
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A Protected Species Earthworm
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Re:Paper Shredders - 2009/04/05 09:18
a3holerman wrote:
Hi,
I am a newbe here and just started my first bin. Its a 18 gal plastic tub with many screen covered holes. Mixed hand torn newspaper with peat and added a small amount (about 200-500) reds. I ordered 2000 reds from Jims worm farm and received a bag that weighed 13 Oz. on the local post office scale. Called them and they were VERY apolgetic and am sending me a full 2k Monday. Back to the question....I am in the market for a shredder and am wondering if the crosscut type making small pieces is better than the long strips commonly seen. There seems to be several sales in the paper today on crosscut shredders $50-$80 with 10-12 page capeability. It seems that the smalles pieces would breakdown a bit quicker and be easier to much on.
Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.
Tom
Cape Cod
Unless you mix the x cut shreds with your other bedding. It will all pack together[ actually strips will also pack together] I was just given two bags of x cut shredded paper from a local school office. I have done just that, mixed it with existing bedding and some added vegetable mater[ you guessed it pumpkin puree]. It is soaking up the excess moisture from the food stuffs
Post edited by: wellsworms, at: 2009/04/05 09:22
FEED IT TO THE WORMS
WELLS,vermont
jerry walker 2008 |
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mikel
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A Juvenile Earthworm
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Re:Paper Shredders - 2009/04/05 21:57
With the amount of worms you are going to have I would just hand tear the newspaper or have a kid do it.
I have put in a sheet of newsprint full size in my bin and in less than a month it was gone. Newsprint is thin and the fibers of the paper will breakdown faster due to moisture. The fibers of other papers that are thicker will break down slower.
Common sense tells me that a small piece of paper is going to have a smaller surface area, therefore the moisture will speed up the fiber decomposition versus a larger piece of paper. Now how much faster, I have no idea.
I wouldn't buy a shredder unless you get alot more worms or just need a shredder.
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Larry C
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A Mature Breeder Earthworm
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Re:Paper Shredders - 2009/04/06 01:40
Tom,
Sounds like you had better luck with uncle Jim's than I did. I was looking to buy 60lbs. and ordered a test sample from them of 1,000 worms. This was my first experience with worms and didn't know what to expect as far as weight since they sell by count. My bag, peat and worms (mostly all small) weighed 13 ounces total. I e mailed them to find out how they go about weighing and packaging and what 1,000 worms normally should weigh, but never heard back from them. Later talking to the postmaster, he said they found worms on the floor and in their tote bin later. Upon examining the cotton sack they shipped them to me in, I could see fine holes around the stitching. I promised the postmaster when I'm ready to start selling and shipping, I won't let mine escape
Larry
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a3holerman
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A Hatchling Earthworm
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Re:Paper Shredders - 2009/04/06 07:10
Thank you for the reply on the shredder. Being new I wasn't sure how long it tok for the paper to break down. I noticed, to my suprise that ordinary newspaper, will tear very straight making it somewhat easy to tear fairly thin strips.
My original shipment arrived at 13oz. with no apparent loss of worms, certainly not 2lbs as had been ordered and paid for. Jims, is sending out a new order today of 2 lbs they told me.
They were,however, very dehydrated and almost dead it seemed. They didn't move hardly at all when introduced to the bin. Now several days later they seem very well adjusted and have fattened up quite a bit.
As for Jims service. I called on the phone on a non shipping day and talked to a son,I believe,and he couldn'r have been nicer.
"We are Worm Resistance is Futile"
I talked to my 24 year old son who lives in Los Angeles the other day and told him of that saying here on the forum by one of the posters....we laughed for over 2 minutes without stopping.
Now if there were bumper stickers....
Thanks again for all the advice.
Tom
Cape Cod
Tom
Cape Cod |
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wellsworms
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Re:Paper Shredders - 2009/04/06 08:07
Did you know that there is a very nice old lady running a venture called cape cod worm farm I went to her home one day many years ago ad chatted with her for an hour or so. I think she is still selling worms?
FEED IT TO THE WORMS
WELLS,vermont
jerry walker 2008 |
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a3holerman
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A Hatchling Earthworm
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Re:Paper Shredders - 2009/04/06 11:38
Jerry,
Actually, to my suprise, I saw her listed in a website that was only worm people. Her website is not up but I did email her yesterday and am awaiting hearing from her.
Thanks,
Tom
Tom
Cape Cod |
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WistarWorms
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A Protected Species Earthworm
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Re:Paper Shredders - 2009/04/07 15:40
a3holerman wrote:
"We are Worm Resistance is Futile"
I talked to my 24 year old son who lives in Los Angeles the other day and told him of that saying here on the forum by one of the posters....we laughed for over 2 minutes without stopping.
Now if there were bumper stickers....
So glad to see that the Brain Washing Serum we have added to the earthlings water supply has begun to take effect.
We Are WORM - Resistance Is Futile!
Buddy
Richmond, VA |
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ArkieGold
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A Juvenile Earthworm
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Re:Paper Shredders - 2009/04/08 20:55
Kill two birds with one stone if you have a grass catcher on your lawn mower. Toss a bunch of crumpled newpapers out in the yard before the next mowing and mow the heck out of em with the grass. Compost it past the heat cycle and there you have some great bedding 
Arkie's Vermiculture |
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a3holerman
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Re:Paper Shredders - 2009/04/09 12:25
Thats a good idea. Mowing won't take place for a month or so here in the NE. I do think when I get home from this business trip I will pick up a shredder. One problem is that most all of the shredders I have seen now are the crosscut type and I want a strip type. Someone else noted here that their shredder said not to use newspaper.....anybody know a reason why newspaper should not be used in a shredder?
Tom
Tom
Cape Cod |
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ArkieGold
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A Juvenile Earthworm
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Re:Paper Shredders - 2009/04/09 19:05
It might be the newspaper isn't ridged enough to make the mechanism work properly.
Arkie's Vermiculture |
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mikel
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A Juvenile Earthworm
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Re:Paper Shredders - 2009/04/09 19:52
It might be because newsprint is thin and could clog up the cutters of the shredder causing it to overheat.
Post edited by: mikel, at: 2009/04/09 19:55
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wildcatt88
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A Juvenile Earthworm
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Re:Paper Shredders - 2009/04/09 21:09
Every time I shred my newspaper, it clogs up the wheels. It sorta has that moisture to it, that "paper" doesn't... That's partly to do with the fact that it's recycled paper.
Anyway, it's quite annoying, but I have a process of shredding, unclog, shredding, unclog, etc...
John
Frankfort, KY
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BigTexWorms
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A Juvenile Earthworm
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Re:Paper Shredders - 2009/04/09 23:36
Newspaper cloggs my shredder too. Too thin, just jams up.I just hand shred, kinda relaxing to tear it up!
Also, someone suggesting having a professional document shredding company shred a carload of newpaper for you at a time but I have not looked into that yet. I am looking into buying a tree chipper to shred cardboard/newspaper myself.
Liz aka BigTexWorms
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ArkieGold
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A Juvenile Earthworm
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Re:Paper Shredders - 2009/04/10 06:33
Here's a video of the shredder I have to play with at work. Have recently got approval to do a pilot project of reducing our city wastewater sludge and was wondering what would be a good way to do lots of cardboard for a bedding additive since we get lots of it at our recycle yard. Looking out in the yard I was just staring at this machine and it hit me so I fot a cardboard box and fed it into the thing with the wastewater stream. Perfect!
YouTube Video Muffin Monster Shredder
Arkie's Vermiculture |
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jlance
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A Protected Species Earthworm
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Re:Paper Shredders - 2009/04/10 09:13
whoa! what that thing cost wonder if theres a small one for us little folks
heal the earth with worm farming.
John Lance Indain Valley,virginia |
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a3holerman
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A Hatchling Earthworm
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Re:Paper Shredders - 2009/04/10 14:54
Post edited by: a3holerman, at: 2009/04/10 14:55
Tom
Cape Cod |
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wellsworms
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Re:Paper Shredders - 2009/04/11 07:19
staples still sells strip type shreaders
FEED IT TO THE WORMS
WELLS,vermont
jerry walker 2008 |
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jlance
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Re:Paper Shredders - 2009/04/11 08:05
card board lots of it paper shredders want touch it
Post edited by: jlance, at: 2009/04/12 09:12
heal the earth with worm farming.
John Lance Indain Valley,virginia |
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jasdip
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Re:Paper Shredders - 2009/04/11 14:28
Wow, this is the first I heard that newspapers clogs shredders.I have both a strip and a cross-cut shredder, and they both handle newspaper very well.
Believe me, they are not expensive shredders either.
I don't particularly care for cross-cut as a shredder, because none of the paper ever gets cleared from the "knives" and so it won't turn off automatically. Has done this right in the beginning, when shredding documents, so it's not a newspaper thing.
Anyway, if you've got a FreeCycle in your community, throw out a request for a Wanted: Strip-cut shredder.
Freecyce is terrific for all kinds of things worm-related.....shredders, 5-gallon pails and pumpkins after Hallowe'en! I've used it for all the above.
Southwestern Ont.
Canada |
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Paratrooper
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A Mature Breeder Earthworm
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Re:Paper Shredders - 2009/04/12 15:27
If you don't mind spending a few bucks you could get one of those "paper trimmers" . Kinda like a slot machine in reverse . If you print something like a sheet of coupons you can cut them so as to separate them .They will handle cardboard easily . They seem to sharpen themselves as they cut . A small one is about $20 IIRC . Remember that the edges are the area that seem to attract all the attention so more edges = more bacteria on which the little guys feast .
Tom
Kingman Arizona |
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jasdip
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A Juvenile Earthworm
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Re:Paper Shredders - 2009/04/12 20:45
If you don't mind spending a few bucks you could get one of those "paper trimmers" . Kinda like a slot machine in reverse
You mean those guillotine (sp) paper cutters? I use one on my cardboard sometimes, and I tear by hand sometimes. I'm not taking the chance of putting any kind of cardboard thru my shredder.
Southwestern Ont.
Canada |
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wildcatt88
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A Juvenile Earthworm
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Re:Paper Shredders - 2009/04/12 22:29
That shredding machine in the vid is awesome! I want one!
John
Frankfort, KY
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