In case anyone is looking to build multiple shredders or if you have a group buy, I found a pretty cheap source of hex bars.
I was looking at some hardware stores to purchase 1″ hex bar for a shredder but the only one that sold them was a little far so it meant I would have to pay for the cost of the bar plus transport or just going through the hazzle of taking a day off to go and get the bar myself, so I started to look for alternatives.
Thats when I found a Macana/Barreta (I believe you call them Jimmy Bars in US) with exactly 1″ hex shape and a lenght of 1.75m so I went ahead and purchased it right away.
I found several brands such as Surtek (model BAF175), Truper (Model BAP-175), Stanley (Model 55-150) and the best part is that the whole bar costs less than $20 everywhere (except in Costa Rica where I paid $22.60) but the 1.75m Jimmy bar can be cut into 5 shredder hex bars after cutting off both pointy ends from the bar, which means each bar would cost you around $4.52! even cheaper than the $8.74 bar I shared earlier from onlinemetals.com
@armbouhali yes, you could use a square tube, and yes, it was already tried.
You would need to modify the knives and spacer files to use a square hole but it’s totally possible.
isn’t it possible to replace the hex bar with a square bar ?
It might be easier to find and easier to make than the hexagonal one.
I know the key mechanism is not enough to immobilize the blades in place.
And I know the hexagonal shape is enough to fix the blades in place, with the shear stress shared between 6 points.
Has anyone tried a square bar instead. It can be either cut or milled from a thick enough metal sheet.
