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Low tech nutcracker

Jules Silverlock

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Location: Queensland, Australia

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posted 2 years ago

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This was so much fun this weekend! We had a bunch of macadamias to crack and set up a wrench in a vice. One of us put the nut in - the other gently lowered the wrench and it swiftly cracks it! The first person then did a quick quality control and onto the next one! This was actually surprisingly quick once we got into a rhythm (even though you're doing one at a time), fun and super low tech

What kind of low tech innovations do you have for cracking nuts?

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John C Daley

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Location: Bendigo , Australia

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posted 2 years ago

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So you appear to be using the slopiness of the pipe wrech as the crushing action, very clever.

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Jim Brodie

Posts: 7

Location: SW Scotland

posted 2 years ago

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Water pump pliers make the best nut cracker. Easily adjustable to different sized nuts, great ergonomically and practically eliminates the danger of crushing the nut inside the shell.

Phil Stevens

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Location: Ashhurst New Zealand (Cfb - oceanic temperate)

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posted 2 years ago

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This looks quicker than my method, which is a machinist's vise on the kitchen table. However, I plan to hook up the cordless drill to turn the handle, so watch this space. We only have two small trees producing nuts, so only need to crack a couple of dozen at a time.

Gaurī Rasp

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Posts: 176

Location: Near Asheville North Carolina

posted 2 years ago

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Oh how I needed this post for ideas on how to crack black walnuts which don’t budge…even w a heavy hammer! And a vice shatters them & they pop all over the place.
But I don’t quite get your system. Can you show a few more photos to show how the wrench fits in the vice & the exact process? Thanks!!!

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Ara Murray

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Posts: 193

Location: Northern UK

posted 2 years ago

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At home, we used a hammer and the concrete back door step to crack our nuts. Almonds were the hardest so everyone had to stay out of the way or else be in danger of injury from flying shards of shell. In my youth I also used my teeth to crack hazel (filbert, cob) nuts but that's not something I would recommend. Nowadays I'd be more likely to crack my teeth. My dad would crack walnuts by squeezing 2 in his hands but I could never manage that.

Anne Miller

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Location: USDA Zone 8a

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posted 2 years ago

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Ara said, "My dad would crack walnuts by squeezing 2 in his hands

This is how I learned to crack paper-shell pecans. Some strong men can do native pecans and walnuts, though that is not for me.

I think to fully understand how Jules' method works we need to see a video.

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John F Dean

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Location: southern Illinois, USA

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posted 2 years ago

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Hi Jim,

Welcome to Permies.

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John C Daley

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Location: Bendigo , Australia

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posted 2 years ago

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Gauri, those pipe wrenches §a§re sloppy because of the acme thread they have and they dont get blocked with mud etc.
So everything is loose.
By holding the F shaped lower jaw with the thumb nut in the vise horizontally, the handle which is hinged to the nut carrier piece to the and the other jaw will move up and down a bit.
The nut adjusted to open the jaws enough to allow the nut to sit inside.
Then lifting the handle a bit will cause the jaw to close up, cracking the nut.

Jules Silverlock

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Posts: 4667

Location: Queensland, Australia

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posted 2 years ago

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Thanks everyone! I love these comments - there are some crazy nut-cracking processes out there

We will make a video as we have more nuts to crack!

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Dave Bryant

Posts: 2

Location: Australia East Coast

posted 2 years ago

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A hammer and a house brick that has 6-8 holes through it is quick and easy. Holes are smaller than the nut and keep it steady. Works downunder so should work over yonder!

Gaurī Rasp

pollinator

Posts: 176

Location: Near Asheville North Carolina