Whats the easiest way to render about 700 pages of confidential paperwork unreadable? The shredder's gone unfortunately, and fire would take ages.
I've got an electric cutter, but chopped paper is still legible. I'm half tempted to pulp it, but would really rather avoid the work. There has to be an easier way!
NT
Why would fire take too long? That's 1 1/2 reams, so about 2 inches stacked A4. Put the whole stack in a metal container and burn it. Imagine it's a very large barbaque brickette.
JGH
Post it to yourself via ParcelForce and mark it fragile?
BBQ + blow torch
Why not put a cover on it entitled -
You would need thermite.
Easiest way is to pay one of the shredder-in-the-van confidential waste companies to come and shred it while you watch.
Or stick it in the loft or under the floor and introduce Mr and Mrs Mouse.
Owain
wot, nobody suggested angle grinder yet?
Soak the lot in Formaldehyde or burn
Soak it thoroughly in wallpaper paste and squeeze it all together to form a block of papier mache.
Angle grinder is the correct answer
Or a Bosch PMF180.
Not at that price. (price = lots of money)
A chainsaw or chainsaw attachment to a petrol stimmer may work
Personally I'd make a bonfire of it, screwing much of it up so that it burns easily, and poking it around until it's all burned rather than charred. I'd do it in a garden incinerator or other semi-enclosed container (chimenea?) so that charred pieces didn't fly off over the neighbourhood. It'd take about 20 minutes, but more to the point it would be fun.
Or what about running the lawnmower over it inside the garage, until it's all reduced to shreds?
(Nice question, Tabby!)
John
I'd be tempted to put in the bottom of a BBQ, stick a load of briquettes on top, add a couple of lighters and give it an hour or two.
Do you have a school nearby? If so give it the secretary and offer a donation to the school funds. Their shredder will reduce it to the tiniest parts you could imagine.
Dave
Thermite.
(Maybe a new default answer for next year?!?)
I have the same problem and I destroy mine by burning it in an old dustbin (we have wheelie bins now) Just get a decent fire going at the start and you will get rid of the paper easily. It works for me and I have destroy record cards Robbie
Fire wouldn't take long with a bit of help.
What diameter will it roll to?
Find a steel metal open topped container, I use an 8" ss flue stuck in the ground I have also used a 45 gallon drum. Put the paper in and light it with a bit of kerosene. Apply a slightly downward tangential air blast. I use both my Earlex vacuum cleaner or a 12V fan from a laptop.
With the Earlex it took about 4 hours to incinerate a complete filing cabinet contents a handful at a time, with breaks while it burned. The area surrounding the fire snows flakes of paper ash.
A picture of the general layout of a top lit vortex burner is one I made for some young friends:
Paper as a solid block doesn't burn easily but crunch it up so the air can get to it and it burns very easily.
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