Newspaper shredding?
I ruined my paper shredder running newspaper through it. How do you guys shred it? I get the newspaper every day and it would be great to find a way to shred that. There must be a way?
Don't know what you did to make the paper shredder angry; that's exactly what I use to shred my newspaper.
I have a small, hang-it-over-the-wastebasket type of paper shredder. Six-sheet maximum, so I fold the newspaper over (say the sheet that's the front and back page; I fold it over so that it's four sheets "thick") and put it through the shredder.
This was the cheapest (oops
of course, I mean "least expensive"! 
) model of shredder I could find, given what I intended it for.
In the '90s, I borrowed the office shredder on weekends and would shred enough newspaper to fill some yard bags--a ready reserve, if you will.
From 1998 to 2003, I borrowed the school shredder over Spring Break and did the same.
Due to health problems, the ready reserve from 2003 carried me through last year, when I bought the "economy model" shredder.
I'll see if I can find a picture on the Web of my little shredder.
Cynthia H.
Sunset Zone 17, USDA Zone 9
I have a small, hang-it-over-the-wastebasket type of paper shredder. Six-sheet maximum, so I fold the newspaper over (say the sheet that's the front and back page; I fold it over so that it's four sheets "thick") and put it through the shredder.
This was the cheapest (oops
of course, I mean "least expensive"! ) model of shredder I could find, given what I intended it for.In the '90s, I borrowed the office shredder on weekends and would shred enough newspaper to fill some yard bags--a ready reserve, if you will.
From 1998 to 2003, I borrowed the school shredder over Spring Break and did the same.
Due to health problems, the ready reserve from 2003 carried me through last year, when I bought the "economy model" shredder.
I'll see if I can find a picture on the Web of my little shredder.
Cynthia H.
Sunset Zone 17, USDA Zone 9
I can't tell you much about newspaper, but I can tell you a thing or two about shredders. How much paper do you try to shred at once? I've ruined more than one home shredder by overheating it. Even if you don't feed too many sheets at a time, keeping it going constantly for long periods of time will burn out the motor.
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I've shredded a bunch by hand. Maybe I'll do that again if I start watching a lot of TV again.
I don't trust those dinky shredders and the long strips tend to wad up in the bin. I'd like a heavy duty confetti cut but I'm too cheap to buy one just to shred newspaper.
Anyone ever try a chipper/shredder? I'm looking at one tomorrow - not sure if it runs so it might need service but 60 bucks for a 7 hp shouldn't be too much of a gamble if it isn't all corroded.
Newspaper has more lignin than office paper so takes longer to break down. If I don't thoroughly mix shredded newspaper with lots of grass clippings, it wads up and really takes a long time to break down. That's why I'm thinking of a worm bin.
Most of our newspaper goes into the recycle bin but I have used it for weed block under mulch. That worked well the couple of times I tried it. Three or four sheets wetted down and well mulched with coffee grounds, three inches of compost, grass clippings and, leaves it appeared to be gone in about 6 months and the bermuda grass never did return. Of course I've been leaving the avocado leaves as they fall there too.
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I've shredded a bunch by hand. Maybe I'll do that again if I start watching a lot of TV again.
I don't trust those dinky shredders and the long strips tend to wad up in the bin. I'd like a heavy duty confetti cut but I'm too cheap to buy one just to shred newspaper.
Anyone ever try a chipper/shredder? I'm looking at one tomorrow - not sure if it runs so it might need service but 60 bucks for a 7 hp shouldn't be too much of a gamble if it isn't all corroded.
Newspaper has more lignin than office paper so takes longer to break down. If I don't thoroughly mix shredded newspaper with lots of grass clippings, it wads up and really takes a long time to break down. That's why I'm thinking of a worm bin.
Most of our newspaper goes into the recycle bin but I have used it for weed block under mulch. That worked well the couple of times I tried it. Three or four sheets wetted down and well mulched with coffee grounds, three inches of compost, grass clippings and, leaves it appeared to be gone in about 6 months and the bermuda grass never did return. Of course I've been leaving the avocado leaves as they fall there too.
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Cynthia, that shredder looks suspiciously like the one I ruined but I probably had a lemon, at that price, nothing is made real well. We do have a more expensive confetti one now but my wife won't let me use it! 
Maybe I'll do a trial run while she's at the store. I think we paid $79 US for it. I used hay clippings from my local feed store last summer for browns as I had a ton of grass clippings here in Louisiana. I guess I just hate to waste stuff. 
Maybe I'll do a trial run while she's at the store. I think we paid $79 US for it. I used hay clippings from my local feed store last summer for browns as I had a ton of grass clippings here in Louisiana. I guess I just hate to waste stuff.