[Terrapreta] Busting up lump charcoal for soil incorporation

[Kevin Chisholm]

Dear Alan

That is a very interesting and practical problem. The foloowing 
suggestions may, or may not work or be appropriate for you, but if not, 
they might trigger a better idea:
1: Put the charcoal through a garden shredder. Use a tremporary cover 
over teh feed chute, to minimize inflow of air, and loss of charcoal dust.
2: Put the charcoal through a meat grinder.
3: Put the charcoal in burlap bags, place on paved driveway, and drive 
back and forth over the bag.
4: Hire some kids to break up the charcoal for $1 per bag. Use a hammer 
and plate or heavy plank.
5: If you can access an old wringer-washer, build a feed chute out of 
sheet metal, and crush with the rollers.
6: If there are any Universities teaching Soil Sciences, Soil testing 
Laboratories, or Assy Offices in your area, they might run the charcoal 
through their sample crushers for you.

Please let us know what ultimate solution you decide to go with.

Best wishes,

Kevin
Allan Balliett wrote:
> After thinking about this for way too long, it dawned on me that I 
> should ask the list for ideas for 'rapidly, efforlessly and cleanly' 
> breaking a couple dozen bags of lumb charcoal down to 1/8 inch 
> particles for soil incorporation.
>
> Like compost leaves in rotary mower, there must be some 'easy' way of 
> breakingdown lump charcoal that's yet to cross my mind.
>
> how do you do it?
>
> If I knew where to buy (or how to build) heavy enough screens, that's 
> how I'd do it.
>
> Thanks
>
> -Allan
>
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