On Sun, 27 Dec 2020 22:38:59 +0000, PeterC
wrote:

On Mon, 28 Dec 2020 01:14:44 +1100, Fred wrote:

It would be amusing to design one using a PIC or somesuch and a small
electric motor with a worm drive so that you minotred a 'delta peak' in
current drain and when he nut cracked and the current fell, it backed out
of it all.

But just cracking the shell isnt enough with some nuts like walnuts.

Walnuts are easy - 2 in the hand, squeeze, one will crack and can be turned
to do another bit.

If they are 'tough' ones I do that but mostly I can crack them with
just my hand(s). I hold the nut across its joint between my right
thumb and the side of my bent index finger and then grab all that with
my left hand to additional power and control.

The last walnut is more difficult.

If it won't go using the above it is. ;-)

Even for almonds I've always used the old 'calssic' crackers and put fingers
3 & 4 between the handles to act as a buffer. Don't know if I still could -
20-odd yeras and all that.

With the almonds I have left here and using the middle 'opening' (of
3, they don't open wide enough to get them in the smallest opening
near the hinge), on the bigger crackers, I can feel the steel handle
flexing as I squeeze and believe the next thing to break will be one
of the handles (as that's happened twice previously).

Cheers, T i m