No, not the trolls, nut crackers of some sort that can actually crack
say an almond shell without risk of:

You breaking the crackers (done that twice now so it's not down to the
effort you can (or can't) apply).

Crushing the entire nut.

Firing the nut across the room.

Taking ages.

Daughter dropped off a Tofurkey and some other bits yesterday along
with a bag of mixed nuts-in-shells (as she knows I like them) and a
pair of 'conventional' crackers (bless her, we did already have some)
but neither feel like they will do the remaining nuts without breaking
themselves. I did all the walnuts in my bare hands and either
nut-cracker will do the hazelnuts.

So, whilst it's a bit late for today, can anyone recommend some nut
-crackers that will do all nuts nicely please?

Cheers, T i m

On Friday, 25 December 2020 at 13:43:29 UTC, T i m wrote:
No, not the trolls, nut crackers of some sort that can actually crack
say an almond shell without risk of:

You breaking the crackers (done that twice now so it's not down to the
effort you can (or can't) apply).

Crushing the entire nut.

Firing the nut across the room.

Taking ages.

Daughter dropped off a Tofurkey and some other bits yesterday along
with a bag of mixed nuts-in-shells (as she knows I like them) and a
pair of 'conventional' crackers (bless her, we did already have some)
but neither feel like they will do the remaining nuts without breaking
themselves. I did all the walnuts in my bare hands and either
nut-cracker will do the hazelnuts.

So, whilst it's a bit late for today, can anyone recommend some nut
-crackers that will do all nuts nicely please?

Cheers, T i m
The results from nut crackers that work on leverage are very hit or miss as wether the nut survives whole, due to the pressure you put on it followed by the sudden lack of resistance as the shell succumbs. There are types available that work on a screw thread which I imagine would allow greater control at the expense of taking longer to operate.

Richard

On Fri, 25 Dec 2020 13:43:27 +0000, T i m wrote:

No, not the trolls, nut crackers of some sort that can actually crack
say an almond shell without risk of:

You breaking the crackers (done that twice now so it's not down to the
effort you can (or can't) apply).

Crushing the entire nut.

Firing the nut across the room.

Taking ages.

Daughter dropped off a Tofurkey and some other bits yesterday along
with a bag of mixed nuts-in-shells (as she knows I like them) and a
pair of 'conventional' crackers (bless her, we did already have some)
but neither feel like they will do the remaining nuts without breaking
themselves. I did all the walnuts in my bare hands and either
nut-cracker will do the hazelnuts.

So, whilst it's a bit late for today, can anyone recommend some nut
-crackers that will do all nuts nicely please?

Cheers, T i m

Mole grip works perfectly.

Ron

On 25/12/2020 14:38, Owain Lastname wrote:
On Friday, 25 December 2020 at 13:43:29 UTC, T i m wrote:
So, whilst it's a bit late for today, can anyone recommend some nut
-crackers that will do all nuts nicely please?





https://www.sealantsandtoolsdirect.c..._ P28303.html
Even works with damaged nuts......

pop one of your nuts into the hole ring

simply use a spanner on the bolt and the anvil will then split your nut
open.

Due to the closed circle there is no way your nut is going to fly or
break into a million pieces.

the set of four caters all the way from tiny pea sized nuts all the way
to walnut sized nuts.....

On Fri, 25 Dec 2020 06:38:07 -0800 (PST), Owain Lastname
wrote:

On Friday, 25 December 2020 at 13:43:29 UTC, T i m wrote:
So, whilst it's a bit late for today, can anyone recommend some nut
-crackers that will do all nuts nicely please?

Some form of adjustable spanner from Screwfix?


Ah, I see what you did/// snipped there and it really was funny (on
the sherry already)? ;-)

Cheers, T i m

On Fri, 25 Dec 2020 15:17:32 +0000, No Name
wrote:

On 25/12/2020 14:38, Owain Lastname wrote:
On Friday, 25 December 2020 at 13:43:29 UTC, T i m wrote:
So, whilst it's a bit late for today, can anyone recommend some nut
-crackers that will do all nuts nicely please?





https://www.sealantsandtoolsdirect.c..._ P28303.html
Even works with damaged nuts......

pop one of your nuts into the hole ring

simply use a spanner on the bolt and the anvil will then split your nut
open.

Due to the closed circle there is no way your nut is going to fly or
break into a million pieces.

the set of four caters all the way from tiny pea sized nuts all the way
to walnut sized nuts.....

Now that is a bit of lateral thinking, especially if it was driven
electrically (for speed / effort)?

If it was electrically motor driven with a current / load sensor you
could probably drive the motor forwards till you monitored the
nut-shell yield point then back the drive off etc? ;-)

Cheers, T i m

On Fri, 25 Dec 2020 06:38:55 -0800 (PST), Tricky Dicky
wrote:

snip

So, whilst it's a bit late for today, can anyone recommend some nut
-crackers that will do all nuts nicely please?

The results from nut crackers that work on leverage are very hit or miss as wether the nut survives whole, due to the pressure you put on it followed by the sudden lack of resistance as the shell succumbs.

I was wondering if there was something with a compound (or ratchet)
mech that would allow you to apply the load but in a more controlled
way?

There are types available that work on a screw thread which I imagine would allow greater control at the expense of taking longer to operate.

That's what I was thinking (and getting the nut in / out etc).

It needs to be something like an engineers quick vice where it gets to
the nut (size) quickly (spring tension?) and then allows you to
provide the required force quickly but controllably (and easily).

The longer pair of conventional nut crackers I have here (170mm) only
open to 90mm at the end of the handle. It has three 'openings' and
whilst *I* could probably still get say an almond in the first 'jaw'
(near the hinge) and still be able to encompass the end of the handle
(large hands), I can't because the opening is restricted (and it's not
easy to adjust)?

The shorter pair (150mm) can be opened to any angle, only has two jaw
spaces but are lighter built and seem to be on the edge of breaking
when I grip them hard.

If they worked more like a pair of pliers but with longer handles that
limited the 'close' (without pinching) to the smallest likely for a
nut kernel and with a fast closing 'jaw' that coped with any sized nut
you are likely to find (excluding coconuts etc). ;-)

Cheers, T i m

On Fri, 25 Dec 2020 15:04:36 +0000, R Souls wrote:

snip

So, whilst it's a bit late for today, can anyone recommend some nut
-crackers that will do all nuts nicely please?


Mole grip works perfectly.

But how much 'adjustment' do you need to go from a Brazil not to a
hazelnut?

I haven't looked but something like that had sufficient crushing force
of some large Mole grips but with a fast electric 'pre-load'
(solenoid) feature (and release)?

Cheers, T i m

On 25/12/2020 13:43, T i m wrote:
No, not the trolls, nut crackers of some sort that can actually crack
say an almond shell without risk of:

You breaking the crackers (done that twice now so it's not down to the
effort you can (or can't) apply).

Crushing the entire nut.

Firing the nut across the room.

Taking ages.

Daughter dropped off a Tofurkey and some other bits yesterday along
with a bag of mixed nuts-in-shells (as she knows I like them) and a
pair of 'conventional' crackers (bless her, we did already have some)
but neither feel like they will do the remaining nuts without breaking
themselves. I did all the walnuts in my bare hands and either
nut-cracker will do the hazelnuts.

So, whilst it's a bit late for today, can anyone recommend some nut
-crackers that will do all nuts nicely please?

Cheers, T i m

I bought a pair of these some years ago.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/203208654976

--
Michael Chare

On 25/12/2020 16:18, Michael Chare wrote:
On 25/12/2020 13:43, T i m wrote:
No, not the trolls, nut crackers of some sort that can actually crack
say an almond shell without risk of:

You breaking the crackers (done that twice now so it's not down to the
effort you can (or can't) apply).

Crushing the entire nut.

Firing the nut across the room.

Taking ages.

Daughter dropped off a Tofurkey and some other bits yesterday along
with a bag of mixed nuts-in-shells (as she knows I like them) and a
pair of 'conventional' crackers (bless her, we did already have some)
but neither feel like they will do the remaining nuts without breaking
themselves. I did all the walnuts in my bare hands and either
nut-cracker will do the hazelnuts.

So, whilst it's a bit late for today, can anyone recommend some nut
-crackers that will do all nuts nicely please?

Cheers, T i m

I bought a pair of these some years ago.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/203208654976

Brand name is Crackerjack, and Made in England.

On Fri, 25 Dec 2020 16:05:23 +0000, Chris Hogg wrote:

snip

So, whilst it's a bit late for today, can anyone recommend some nut
-crackers that will do all nuts nicely please?


Ratchet types work pretty well, like these
https://tinyurl.com/yayqfkvh .

That's sorta what I was working up to in my head.

Turns out they have been about for a while: ;-)

https://ehive.com/collections/3894/o...ck-nutcrackers

If you could restrict the amount they open between actions (so you
don't have to ratchet them back from a walnut to the hazelnut you are
about to crack), even only if only with your fingers etc, that would
be cool (like daughters hydraulic log splitter when you release the
valve but can stop it re-opening fully by closing the valve).

Or you could probably close them manually first (for speed), then
finish off with the ratchet handle?

Cheers, T i m

On Fri, 25 Dec 2020 16:20:46 +0000, Michael Chare
wrote:

On 25/12/2020 16:18, Michael Chare wrote:
On 25/12/2020 13:43, T i m wrote:
No, not the trolls, nut crackers of some sort that can actually crack
say an almond shell without risk of:

You breaking the crackers (done that twice now so it's not down to the
effort you can (or can't) apply).

Crushing the entire nut.

Firing the nut across the room.

Taking ages.

Daughter dropped off a Tofurkey and some other bits yesterday along
with a bag of mixed nuts-in-shells (as she knows I like them) and a
pair of 'conventional' crackers (bless her, we did already have some)
but neither feel like they will do the remaining nuts without breaking
themselves. I did all the walnuts in my bare hands and either
nut-cracker will do the hazelnuts.

So, whilst it's a bit late for today, can anyone recommend some nut
-crackers that will do all nuts nicely please?

Cheers, T i m

I bought a pair of these some years ago.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/203208654976

Brand name is Crackerjack, and Made in England.

Or 'were', I wonder why they stopped?

I'm assuming you can close the jaws manually (against the spring) to
save having the ratchet the jaws closed onto a smaller nut ... and
only allow the jaws to open sufficiently for the next nut (after
releasing the remains of the last nut)?

eg. If you were only doing walnuts you could probably do one and then
just release the jaw fully and then not be to far away for the next
walnut but if you were doing a batch of hazelnuts ... ?

Cheers, T i m

On 25/12/2020 21:14, T i m wrote:
On Fri, 25 Dec 2020 16:20:46 +0000, Michael Chare
wrote:

On 25/12/2020 16:18, Michael Chare wrote:
On 25/12/2020 13:43, T i m wrote:
No, not the trolls, nut crackers of some sort that can actually crack
say an almond shell without risk of:

You breaking the crackers (done that twice now so it's not down to the
effort you can (or can't) apply).

Crushing the entire nut.

Firing the nut across the room.

Taking ages.

Daughter dropped off a Tofurkey and some other bits yesterday along
with a bag of mixed nuts-in-shells (as she knows I like them) and a
pair of 'conventional' crackers (bless her, we did already have some)
but neither feel like they will do the remaining nuts without breaking
themselves. I did all the walnuts in my bare hands and either
nut-cracker will do the hazelnuts.

So, whilst it's a bit late for today, can anyone recommend some nut
-crackers that will do all nuts nicely please?

Cheers, T i m

I bought a pair of these some years ago.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/203208654976

Brand name is Crackerjack, and Made in England.

Or 'were', I wonder why they stopped?

I'm assuming you can close the jaws manually (against the spring) to
save having the ratchet the jaws closed onto a smaller nut ... and
only allow the jaws to open sufficiently for the next nut (after
releasing the remains of the last nut)?

eg. If you were only doing walnuts you could probably do one and then
just release the jaw fully and then not be to far away for the next
walnut but if you were doing a batch of hazelnuts ... ?

Cheers, T i m

There is no spring on the jaws. The jaw that moves is stiff enough to
move so that it does not drop dowm. Your 2nd paragraph is correct.

The lever that moves does have a light spring that tries to keep the
lever in the open position.

--
Michael Chare

On Fri, 25 Dec 2020 15:04:36 +0000, R Souls wrote:

On Fri, 25 Dec 2020 13:43:27 +0000, T i m wrote:

No, not the trolls, nut crackers of some sort that can actually crack
say an almond shell without risk of:

You breaking the crackers (done that twice now so it's not down to the
effort you can (or can't) apply).

Crushing the entire nut.

Firing the nut across the room.

Taking ages.

Daughter dropped off a Tofurkey and some other bits yesterday along with
a bag of mixed nuts-in-shells (as she knows I like them) and a pair of
'conventional' crackers (bless her, we did already have some) but
neither feel like they will do the remaining nuts without breaking
themselves. I did all the walnuts in my bare hands and either
nut-cracker will do the hazelnuts.

So, whilst it's a bit late for today, can anyone recommend some nut
-crackers that will do all nuts nicely please?

Cheers, T i m

Mole grip works perfectly.

Ron

THat was going to be my suggestion. Adjustable for size of nut, too.



--
My posts are my copyright and if @diy_forums or Home Owners' Hub
wish to copy them they can pay me £1 a message.
Use the BIG mirror service in the UK: http://www.mirrorservice.org
*lightning surge protection* - a w_tom conductor

On 25/12/2020 13:43, T i m wrote:
No, not the trolls, nut crackers of some sort that can actually crack
say an almond shell without risk of:

You breaking the crackers (done that twice now so it's not down to the
effort you can (or can't) apply).

Crushing the entire nut.

Firing the nut across the room.

Taking ages.

Daughter dropped off a Tofurkey and some other bits yesterday along
with a bag of mixed nuts-in-shells (as she knows I like them) and a
pair of 'conventional' crackers (bless her, we did already have some)
but neither feel like they will do the remaining nuts without breaking
themselves. I did all the walnuts in my bare hands and either
nut-cracker will do the hazelnuts.

So, whilst it's a bit late for today, can anyone recommend some nut
-crackers that will do all nuts nicely please?

I've used some Cricco ratchet nutcrackers for years, but they seem
difficult to get now. See
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Cricco-Ratchet-Nutcracker-Crustacean-Tongs/dp/B078WVPCYP.
They are very strong, but even they won't crack thick-shelled almonds.
For those I use a 4 or 5" G-cramp.

Many years ago I had a walnut in a packet which I could not break with
nutcrackers or even a G-cramp. I decided to saw through it to see why it
was so difficult to break. That took longer than I expected with a
hacksaw, but when the two halves separated I found the shell was 8mm
thick and incredibly hard! The kernel was edible, but there wasn't much
of it.

--

Jeff

Yes mole grips inside a plastic bag?
Brian

--

This newsgroup posting comes to you directly from...
The Sofa of Brian Gaff...

Blind user, so no pictures please
Note this Signature is meaningless.!
"Owain Lastname" wrote in message
...
On Friday, 25 December 2020 at 13:43:29 UTC, T i m wrote:
So, whilst it's a bit late for today, can anyone recommend some nut
-crackers that will do all nuts nicely please?

Some form of adjustable spanner from Screwfix?

Owain

On Sat, 26 Dec 2020 08:30:01 -0000, "Brian Gaff \(Sofa\)"
wrote:

Yes mole grips inside a plastic bag?

That would restrain the flying nuts Brian but I'm not sure Mole grips
(well standard ones anyway) would have enough cracking power if left
at an opening that would allow the insertion of all sizes of nut?

I have some round jawed Mole grips so can give them a try.

Cheers, T i m

T i m wrote:
No, not the trolls, nut crackers of some sort that can actually crack
say an almond shell without risk of:

You breaking the crackers (done that twice now so it's not down to the
effort you can (or can't) apply).

Crushing the entire nut.

Firing the nut across the room.

Taking ages.

Daughter dropped off a Tofurkey and some other bits yesterday along
with a bag of mixed nuts-in-shells (as she knows I like them) and a
pair of 'conventional' crackers (bless her, we did already have some)
but neither feel like they will do the remaining nuts without breaking
themselves. I did all the walnuts in my bare hands and either
nut-cracker will do the hazelnuts.

So, whilst it's a bit late for today, can anyone recommend some nut
-crackers that will do all nuts nicely please?

Cheers, T i m



These are the best type Ive come across. Easy to control the amount of
crush and to reduce flying shrapnel.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B077DZY4...g=UTF8& psc=1

Tim

--
Please don't feed the trolls

On Fri, 25 Dec 2020 21:47:13 +0000, Michael Chare
wrote:

snip
I'm assuming you can close the jaws manually (against the spring) to
save having the ratchet the jaws closed onto a smaller nut ... and
only allow the jaws to open sufficiently for the next nut (after
releasing the remains of the last nut)?

eg. If you were only doing walnuts you could probably do one and then
just release the jaw fully and then not be to far away for the next
walnut but if you were doing a batch of hazelnuts ... ?


There is no spring on the jaws.

Ah.

The jaw that moves is stiff enough to
move so that it does not drop dowm. Your 2nd paragraph is correct.

So how do you release the jaw to be able to open it up then?

The lever that moves does have a light spring that tries to keep the
lever in the open position.

OK, I get that, it give you something to lever against (or you would
have to pull it open between strokes) so maybe it would be better for
you to describe how you would use it ITRW?

eg, I was assuming the 'ratchet' was part of a way of gaining
mechanical advantage, eg you worked the lever till it made contact
with the nut (like a manual hydraulic press) and then you might have
another two or three strokes to go from 'contact' to 'cracked open',
or is the ratchet mech simply a way of suiting the crackers to all
sizes of nut and then you only get one 'go' with the lever to crack /
open the nut?

Or is the jaw held from re-opening by the ratchet and a (releasable)
pawl on the body and the main lever also able to use the ratchet for
building up the load?

Cheers, T i m

On 25/12/2020 13:43, T i m wrote:
No, not the trolls, nut crackers of some sort that can actually crack
say an almond shell without risk of:

You breaking the crackers (done that twice now so it's not down to the
effort you can (or can't) apply).

Crushing the entire nut.

Firing the nut across the room.

Taking ages.

Daughter dropped off a Tofurkey and some other bits yesterday along
with a bag of mixed nuts-in-shells (as she knows I like them) and a
pair of 'conventional' crackers (bless her, we did already have some)
but neither feel like they will do the remaining nuts without breaking
themselves. I did all the walnuts in my bare hands and either
nut-cracker will do the hazelnuts.

So, whilst it's a bit late for today, can anyone recommend some nut
-crackers that will do all nuts nicely please?


Interesting. /Any/ manufactured device you buy will come with a carbon
footprint (from extraction of raw materials through to delivery to your
door). Given you have a wider range of tools and the physical strength
to use them I suggest all you need - and the better course - is to use
one or more of them. The site below has some ideas (but not my recourse
to lump hammer on the back step when faced with Brazil nuts).

https://www.familyhandyman.com/artic...th-hand-tools/


--
Robin
reply-to address is (intended to be) valid

After serious thinking Brian Gaff (Sofa) wrote :
Yes mole grips inside a plastic bag?

Lidl sell already cracked/ shelled nuts by the checkout. Various
reseable packs of the same nuts, or a bag of mixed nuts for around
£1.50. I have gone through several of these packs over the past few
years and have yet to find a single bad nut, which contrasts well for
both cost and quality with nuts in their shells, which no matter where
I bought them, I found many were bad.

I can happily open a pack and munch away in very dim light, confident
that all of them will be perfectly edible.

Robin wrote on 26/12/2020 :
Interesting. /Any/ manufactured device you buy will come with a carbon
footprint (from extraction of raw materials through to delivery to your
door).

If I had to, I used to use my bench vice in my workshop to crack nuts.
Absolute control and no squeezing to hard.

On Sat, 26 Dec 2020 08:11:40 +0000, Jeff Layman
wrote:

snip

So, whilst it's a bit late for today, can anyone recommend some nut
-crackers that will do all nuts nicely please?

I've used some Cricco ratchet nutcrackers for years, but they seem
difficult to get now. See
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Cricco-Ratchet-Nutcracker-Crustacean-Tongs/dp/B078WVPCYP.

Can you use the tips for a more focused grip / pressure?

They are very strong, but even they won't crack thick-shelled almonds.

I don't get this. If they are sold as 'nutcrackers' and almonds are
'nut's', why don't they deal with them?

For those I use a 4 or 5" G-cramp.

I have a 10 tonne hydraulic press but I wouldn't have to expect to
(have to) use that rather than my general purpose nutcrackers? ;-)

Many years ago I had a walnut in a packet which I could not break with
nutcrackers or even a G-cramp. I decided to saw through it to see why it
was so difficult to break. That took longer than I expected with a
hacksaw, but when the two halves separated I found the shell was 8mm
thick and incredibly hard! The kernel was edible, but there wasn't much
of it.

Yeah, I've had some almonds in this last batch where the shell_to_nut
ration was pretty bad but I'd still expect *any* tool sold as a
nut-cracker to be able to deal with them.

I'd also expect them to deal with any nut easily, such that a child or
weak person could use them.

In theory, if something had sufficient mechanical advantage and was
well designed it would be less dangerous (less chance of pinching your
fingers or the things snapping and sticking into your had). ;-(

Cheers, T i m

On 26 Dec 2020 10:37:16 GMT, Tim+ wrote:

snip

So, whilst it's a bit late for today, can anyone recommend some nut
-crackers that will do all nuts nicely please?


These are the best type I’ve come across. Easy to control the amount of
crush and to reduce flying shrapnel.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B077DZY4...g=UTF8& psc=1

I saw those in my searching but because it looks like the nut would be
gripped all round and therefore require even more pressure to break?
Or is it because few nuts are actually round so you still get 2 or 3
pressure points and the shells not that flexible (so they don't
contort to be 'rounder') it's gets them ok?

They do look like they have reasonably long arms (good leverage) and
I'm guessing you could put then into the cone to whatever depth still
gives you a reasonably comfortable grip span?

Will they also do a 'tough' almond and if so, which way would you
orientate them in the bowl (if you need to for the best result),
across the long edges maybe?

Cheers, T i m

On Sat, 26 Dec 2020 10:50:47 +0000, Robin wrote:

snip

So, whilst it's a bit late for today, can anyone recommend some nut
-crackers that will do all nuts nicely please?


Interesting. /Any/ manufactured device you buy will come with a carbon
footprint (from extraction of raw materials through to delivery to your
door).

Of course.

Given you have a wider range of tools and the physical strength
to use them I suggest all you need - and the better course - is to use
one or more of them.

Yes, I *can*, but is it beyond the abilities of man to develop a
single tool that can 'easily' deal with all the nuts one is likely to
see for this sort of thing (the existing range of Brazil, almond,
walnut, hazelnut and pecan for example)?

Like ... I expected *every* telephone answering machine to record the
date/time stamp of every message, along with the message and display
the number of messages in a numerical form (not count-the-flashes). I
also expected the message to be recorded straight after the message
(no delays so twin tape in the early days).

Anything less was no use to me or anyone (really)?

The site below has some ideas (but not my recourse
to lump hammer on the back step when faced with Brazil nuts).

https://www.familyhandyman.com/artic...th-hand-tools/

Sure but the question wasn't 'how can I break a nut', it was 'can
anyone recommend a nutcracker that will crack all the nuts we are
likely to expect to get in a nixed nut selection'? ;-)

As mentioned elsewhere, my 10 tonne hydraulic press would probably
turn the hardest nut into a pretty flat nut / shell disk blend, but I
neither want that result nor to have to go down the workshop to do it.

If there actually isn't such a single tool made today (and there have
been some suggestions here that there might be), maybe there is a
earning opportunity for an engineer here?

Cheers, T i m

On Sat, 26 Dec 2020 11:15:15 GMT, Harry Bloomfield, Esq.
wrote:

After serious thinking Brian Gaff (Sofa) wrote :
Yes mole grips inside a plastic bag?

Lidl sell already cracked/ shelled nuts by the checkout. Various
reseable packs of the same nuts, or a bag of mixed nuts for around
£1.50.

Yeah, I generally have a bag going here.

I have gone through several of these packs over the past few
years and have yet to find a single bad nut, which contrasts well for
both cost and quality with nuts in their shells, which no matter where
I bought them, I found many were bad.

So much for being a hunter gatherer though. ;-)


I can happily open a pack and munch away in very dim light,

Is this in your cave? ;-)

confident
that all of them will be perfectly edible.

I think you will find they are all 'edible', just that we might not be
able to eat the bad ones without some bad reaction (because of our
delicate digestion systems).

Cheers, T i m

On 26/12/2020 10:38, T i m wrote:
On Fri, 25 Dec 2020 21:47:13 +0000, Michael Chare
wrote:

snip
I'm assuming you can close the jaws manually (against the spring) to
save having the ratchet the jaws closed onto a smaller nut ... and
only allow the jaws to open sufficiently for the next nut (after
releasing the remains of the last nut)?

eg. If you were only doing walnuts you could probably do one and then
just release the jaw fully and then not be to far away for the next
walnut but if you were doing a batch of hazelnuts ... ?


There is no spring on the jaws.

Ah.

The jaw that moves is stiff enough to
move so that it does not drop dowm. Your 2nd paragraph is correct.

So how do you release the jaw to be able to open it up then?

When you release the lever and its spring returns it to the fully open
position, the pawl is moved away from the jaw, and the jaw can then be
moved as needed.

If you only partly release the lever as you squeese a nut the pawl drops
to a lower notch on the jaw and you can then squeese the nut a bit more.



The lever that moves does have a light spring that tries to keep the
lever in the open position.

OK, I get that, it give you something to lever against (or you would
have to pull it open between strokes) so maybe it would be better for
you to describe how you would use it ITRW?

eg, I was assuming the 'ratchet' was part of a way of gaining
mechanical advantage, eg you worked the lever till it made contact
with the nut (like a manual hydraulic press) and then you might have
another two or three strokes to go from 'contact' to 'cracked open',
or is the ratchet mech simply a way of suiting the crackers to all
sizes of nut and then you only get one 'go' with the lever to crack /
open the nut?


Once the jaw has made contact with the nut one more squeese (stroke) is
generally enough to crack it. I tried to avoid more strokes as these
tend to destroy the contents.


Or is the jaw held from re-opening by the ratchet and a (releasable)
pawl on the body and the main lever also able to use the ratchet for
building up the load?

Cheers, T i m




--
Michael Chare

On Sat, 26 Dec 2020 11:18:24 GMT, Harry Bloomfield, Esq.
wrote:

Robin wrote on 26/12/2020 :
Interesting. /Any/ manufactured device you buy will come with a carbon
footprint (from extraction of raw materials through to delivery to your
door).

If I had to, I used to use my bench vice in my workshop to crack nuts.
Absolute control and no squeezing to hard.

But not exactly practical when you might prefer to be sitting in front
of the TV?

My point is that we are supposed to evolved this massive brains but
have to resort to the action of Neanderthals to be able to break open
a nut?

I know many animals also use tools for such things but they don't
generally have access to CAD machines ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BGPGknpq3e0

And use water displacement to get them in the first place.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZerUbHmuY04

Clever creatures. ;-)

Cheers, T i m

On 26/12/2020 10:38, T i m wrote:
On Fri, 25 Dec 2020 21:47:13 +0000, Michael Chare
wrote:

snip
I'm assuming you can close the jaws manually (against the spring) to
save having the ratchet the jaws closed onto a smaller nut ... and
only allow the jaws to open sufficiently for the next nut (after
releasing the remains of the last nut)?

eg. If you were only doing walnuts you could probably do one and then
just release the jaw fully and then not be to far away for the next
walnut but if you were doing a batch of hazelnuts ... ?


There is no spring on the jaws.

Ah.

The jaw that moves is stiff enough to
move so that it does not drop dowm. Your 2nd paragraph is correct.

So how do you release the jaw to be able to open it up then?

The lever that moves does have a light spring that tries to keep the
lever in the open position.

OK, I get that, it give you something to lever against (or you would
have to pull it open between strokes) so maybe it would be better for
you to describe how you would use it ITRW?

eg, I was assuming the 'ratchet' was part of a way of gaining
mechanical advantage, eg you worked the lever till it made contact
with the nut (like a manual hydraulic press) and then you might have
another two or three strokes to go from 'contact' to 'cracked open',
or is the ratchet mech simply a way of suiting the crackers to all
sizes of nut and then you only get one 'go' with the lever to crack /
open the nut?

Or is the jaw held from re-opening by the ratchet and a (releasable)
pawl on the body and the main lever also able to use the ratchet for
building up the load?

Cheers, T i m


See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2bloGMzx7G8

On 26/12/2020 11:30, T i m wrote:
On Sat, 26 Dec 2020 08:11:40 +0000, Jeff Layman
wrote:

snip

So, whilst it's a bit late for today, can anyone recommend some nut
-crackers that will do all nuts nicely please?

I've used some Cricco ratchet nutcrackers for years, but they seem
difficult to get now. See
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Cricco-Ratchet-Nutcracker-Crustacean-Tongs/dp/B078WVPCYP.

Can you use the tips for a more focused grip / pressure?

Yes, but of course the lever effect is less the further the nut is from
the pivot point.

There are some better photos - even though very small - at this website:
http://web.tiscali.it/cricco/

They are very strong, but even they won't crack thick-shelled almonds.

I don't get this. If they are sold as 'nutcrackers' and almonds are
'nut's', why don't they deal with them?

For those I use a 4 or 5" G-cramp.

I have a 10 tonne hydraulic press but I wouldn't have to expect to
(have to) use that rather than my general purpose nutcrackers? ;-)

Many years ago I had a walnut in a packet which I could not break with
nutcrackers or even a G-cramp. I decided to saw through it to see why it
was so difficult to break. That took longer than I expected with a
hacksaw, but when the two halves separated I found the shell was 8mm
thick and incredibly hard! The kernel was edible, but there wasn't much
of it.

Yeah, I've had some almonds in this last batch where the shell_to_nut
ration was pretty bad but I'd still expect *any* tool sold as a
nut-cracker to be able to deal with them.

I'd also expect them to deal with any nut easily, such that a child or
weak person could use them.

In theory, if something had sufficient mechanical advantage and was
well designed it would be less dangerous (less chance of pinching your
fingers or the things snapping and sticking into your had). ;-(

Sounds like you're almost into the realms of those trying to design a
better mousetrap! :-)

--

Jeff

Nuts inside a plastic bag and 'tap' then with a club hammer


On 26/12/2020 08:30, Brian Gaff (Sofa) wrote:
Yes mole grips inside a plastic bag?
Brian

On 25/12/2020 16:39, T i m wrote:
On Fri, 25 Dec 2020 16:05:23 +0000, Chris Hogg wrote:

snip

So, whilst it's a bit late for today, can anyone recommend some nut
-crackers that will do all nuts nicely please?


Ratchet types work pretty well, like these
https://tinyurl.com/yayqfkvh .

That's sorta what I was working up to in my head.

Turns out they have been about for a while: ;-)

https://ehive.com/collections/3894/o...ck-nutcrackers

If you could restrict the amount they open between actions (so you
don't have to ratchet them back from a walnut to the hazelnut you are
about to crack), even only if only with your fingers etc, that would
be cool (like daughters hydraulic log splitter when you release the
valve but can stop it re-opening fully by closing the valve).

Or you could probably close them manually first (for speed), then
finish off with the ratchet handle?

Cheers, T i m


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KtVr1-DZ2bU

On 25/12/2020 13:43, T i m wrote:
No, not the trolls, nut crackers of some sort that can actually crack
say an almond shell without risk of:

You breaking the crackers (done that twice now so it's not down to the
effort you can (or can't) apply).

Crushing the entire nut.

Firing the nut across the room.

Taking ages.

Daughter dropped off a Tofurkey and some other bits yesterday along
with a bag of mixed nuts-in-shells (as she knows I like them) and a
pair of 'conventional' crackers (bless her, we did already have some)
but neither feel like they will do the remaining nuts without breaking
themselves. I did all the walnuts in my bare hands and either
nut-cracker will do the hazelnuts.

So, whilst it's a bit late for today, can anyone recommend some nut
-crackers that will do all nuts nicely please?

Cheers, T i m

A sharp tap with a hammer does brazils nicely, but not on the table.

--
Cheers
Clive

On Friday, December 25, 2020 at 1:43:29 PM UTC, T i m wrote:
No, not the trolls, nut crackers of some sort that can actually crack
say an almond shell without risk of:

You breaking the crackers (done that twice now so it's not down to the
effort you can (or can't) apply).

Crushing the entire nut.

Firing the nut across the room.

Taking ages.

Daughter dropped off a Tofurkey and some other bits yesterday along
with a bag of mixed nuts-in-shells (as she knows I like them) and a
pair of 'conventional' crackers (bless her, we did already have some)
but neither feel like they will do the remaining nuts without breaking
themselves. I did all the walnuts in my bare hands and either
nut-cracker will do the hazelnuts.

So, whilst it's a bit late for today, can anyone recommend some nut
-crackers that will do all nuts nicely please?

Cheers, T i m


Something like this:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Craft-Crack.../dp/B000YJ79DI

Jonathan

On 26/12/2020 14:19, Clive Arthur wrote:
On 25/12/2020 13:43, T i m wrote:
No, not the trolls, nut crackers of some sort that can actually crack
say an almond shell without risk of:

You breaking the crackers (done that twice now so it's not down to the
effort you can (or can't) apply).

Crushing the entire nut.

Firing the nut across the room.

Taking ages.

Daughter dropped off a Tofurkey and some other bits yesterday along
with a bag of mixed nuts-in-shells (as she knows I like them) and a
pair of 'conventional' crackers (bless her, we did already have some)
but neither feel like they will do the remaining nuts without breaking
themselves. I did all the walnuts in my bare hands and either
nut-cracker will do the hazelnuts.

So, whilst it's a bit late for today, can anyone recommend some nut
-crackers that will do all nuts nicely please?

Cheers, T i m

A sharp tap with a hammer does brazils nicely, but not on the table.

Fine on the welding bench.

I have a hydraulic piston out of a lorry or something similar, about 100
mm diameter. If you put that on top of a good table mat or a bit of 6mm
rubber sheet you *can* use it on the dining table.

Surprised no-one has mentioned water pump pliers, the long handles and
simpler mechanism than a mole makes them suitable for the less
engineering minded (as long as they understand how to adjust the jaw gap).

Otherwise a selection of Moles. In the days when I went to that sort of
party I used to take a Leatherman Crunch which would produce amusement
and appreciation in equal measure at the "nuts" stage.

I did like the nut-splitter idea, though!

T i m wrote:
On 26 Dec 2020 10:37:16 GMT, Tim+ wrote:

snip

So, whilst it's a bit late for today, can anyone recommend some nut
-crackers that will do all nuts nicely please?


These are the best type IÂ’ve come across. Easy to control the amount of
crush and to reduce flying shrapnel.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B077DZY4...g=UTF8& psc=1

I saw those in my searching but because it looks like the nut would be
gripped all round and therefore require even more pressure to break?
Or is it because few nuts are actually round so you still get 2 or 3
pressure points and the shells not that flexible (so they don't
contort to be 'rounder') it's gets them ok?

They do look like they have reasonably long arms (good leverage) and
I'm guessing you could put then into the cone to whatever depth still
gives you a reasonably comfortable grip span?

Will they also do a 'tough' almond and if so, which way would you
orientate them in the bowl (if you need to for the best result),
across the long edges maybe?

Cheers, T i m


As long as you orientate your almond correctly theyre easy to open with
these. They really are the apians genua.

Tim

--
Please don't feed the trolls

On Sat, 26 Dec 2020 12:37:43 +0000, Jeff Layman
wrote:

On 26/12/2020 11:30, T i m wrote:
On Sat, 26 Dec 2020 08:11:40 +0000, Jeff Layman
wrote:

snip

So, whilst it's a bit late for today, can anyone recommend some nut
-crackers that will do all nuts nicely please?

I've used some Cricco ratchet nutcrackers for years, but they seem
difficult to get now. See
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Cricco-Ratchet-Nutcracker-Crustacean-Tongs/dp/B078WVPCYP.

Can you use the tips for a more focused grip / pressure?

Yes, but of course the lever effect is less the further the nut is from
the pivot point.

Yeahbut the point load might be greater/ sufficient for those nuts
that open easily and fall in half (like walnuts / hazelnuts).

There are some better photos - even though very small - at this website:
http://web.tiscali.it/cricco/

Cheers,

snip

In theory, if something had sufficient mechanical advantage and was
well designed it would be less dangerous (less chance of pinching your
fingers or the things snapping and sticking into your had). ;-(

Sounds like you're almost into the realms of those trying to design a
better mousetrap! :-)

Well, only if we had a working mousetrap in the first place. ;-)

It seems I'm not alone in observing that what many might consider to
be 'standard nutcrackers' simply don't work on many nuts and yet they
are still sold for the purpose (often alongside the nuts themselves)?

I'm sure I wouldn't be the first person with a pretty strong grip to
leave a selection of nuts in the bowl un cracked because we feel that
pushing any harder is likely to break the crackers or hurt yourself if
the nut suddenly 'gave'?

And I'm pretty sure there would be a load more undefeated nuts left in
the bowl if my Mrs was eating them (with her arthritic hands).

Cheers, T i m

On Sat, 26 Dec 2020 12:29:48 +0000, Michael Chare
wrote:

snip

Or is the jaw held from re-opening by the ratchet and a (releasable)
pawl on the body and the main lever also able to use the ratchet for
building up the load?


See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2bloGMzx7G8

I was really hopeful when I saw the Youtube link and (and I did look
for some there myself) but unfortunately it fails to show how you
would use them in practice? ;-(

Like, the only way you would know how you retracted the jaw is from
what you have told me previously ... and that's when the actuator
lever is completely open the jaw can be slid back?

Even if they hadn't actually cracked a nut (that would have been nice
to see) it would have been useful to see when you could or couldn't
re-open the jaw.

So say you put an eraser in the jaw, you couldn't keep cranking up the
pressure as there is nothing to cold the jaw forward when there is
'elastic' load on it between lever actions (or is there)?

Cheers, T i m

On 26 Dec 2020 17:17:09 GMT, Tim+ wrote:
snip

These are the best type I?ve come across. Easy to control the amount of
crush and to reduce flying shrapnel.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B077DZY4...g=UTF8& psc=1

snip

Will they also do a 'tough' almond and if so, which way would you
orientate them in the bowl (if you need to for the best result),
across the long edges maybe?

As long as you orientate your almond correctly they’re easy to open with
these.

Thanks, and by 'easy', would that include for someone who didn't have
a gorillas grip?

They really are the apians’ genua.

Cool. ;-)

Cheers, T i m

On 25/12/2020 13:43, T i m wrote:
No, not the trolls, nut crackers of some sort that can actually crack
say an almond shell without risk of:

You breaking the crackers (done that twice now so it's not down to the
effort you can (or can't) apply).

Crushing the entire nut.

Firing the nut across the room.

Taking ages.

If you have the strength and muscle control then a simple lever based
one will do. Sometimes the shell will explode though.

So, whilst it's a bit late for today, can anyone recommend some nut
-crackers that will do all nuts nicely please?

Otherwise ratchet mechanism ones are expensive but hard to beat. Ours
was an Xmas present to my father from Langley Alloys many decades ago.
It was massively over engineered. It and they are still going.

https://www.langleyalloys.com/en/

--
Regards,
Martin Brown