Sea Scouts Look to a Screw to Crush Used Oil Filters

We could put a handle on the end of this large course threaded rod and have a movable plate screwed into the oil filter. However a considerable force would be required to turn the wheel and it certainly would not meet our #3 criteria "fun". 

Doing a Google search for crushed oil filters the Sea Scouts found a research paper by a student at M.I.T.. Richard D. Kosoglow's paper, "Design & Manufacture of a Low Cost Mechanism for Compacting Used Oil Filters". Richard never build a crusher but had some interesting findings. 

1) If the filter was crushed on a horizontal axis a 15% compaction could be accomplished by 1,000 lb. force.

2) Richard stated that gravity draining only removes 40-60% of the oil. The remaining oil 8-32 ozs, could contaminate up to 240,000 gallons of drinking water.

3) E.P.A. regulates that if less tha 70% oil is removed the used oil filter is considered toxic waste and should not be put in landfills.

Richard's basic design is similar to what we have in mind above but the threaded rod is driven by an electric motor.  We are looking for a crusher that is strictly hand operated.  Stay tuned we have more ideas coming soon.