Things You'll Need
3-inch-square tough metal box
Pillar drill
Vice
Metal tap
5-inch bolt
Hand-held electric drill
If you have a large nut harvest to shell, breaking all the nuts by hand can be tiring at best, and at worst all the nut cracking could land you with a case of repetitive strain injury. Electric nut crackers can be bought for a few hundred dollars but you can construct your own at a low cost with a few workshop tools.
Step 1
Fit a 3-inch-square tough metal box in the vice. Position it under a pillar drill. Drill a hole through one of the sides.
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Step 2
Lubricate the tap. Place the tip of the tap in the hole. Apply moderate pressure and make a clockwise turn. Uncsrew the tap, clear any burs, reinsert the tap and cut a further turn. Remove it again and remove the burs. Repeat this process until the thread is cut through the entire hole.
Step 3
Place the bolt inside the box. Place the tip in the hole and screw the bolt through hole. When the tip of the bolt is protruding 2 inches out of the side of the box, open up the chuck of the hand-held drill and close it around the tip of the bolt.
Step 4
Pull the trigger of the drill to move the bolt back and forth. Place a nut between the wall of the box and the head of the bolt. Squeeze the trigger of the drill to crush the nut with the bolt.
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