A can crusher is one of the few inventions made by thinking outside the box. It allows you to flatten the can into a sheet of aluminum so it can easily be recycled or repurposed. Now you can effortlessly crush cans without exerting a lot of energy. A creative DIY-er will never get tired of crushing empty aluminum cans in his garage. Below are a couple of DIY can crusher plans that you can make.

1. Can Crusher Brick DIY

Level	Easy
Materials	Cement, steel, plastic.
Cost	$5 – $10

Ready to build a can crusher today? Let’s start with the materials and tools you’ll need, don’t worry, it’s super cheap. All you need are some empty steel cans, cement, sand, empty plastic bottles, and some empty cans for testing. First, you have to attach to steel cans together, and you can do this by cutting out the top and bottom covers of both cans. Do the same step for your empty plastic bottles. Start mixing your cement and sand, and fill it into a squared-shaped cardboard box with your steel can at the center. This can crusher needs more improvement, it can crush a few cans, but has a hard time ejecting the cans properly and staying stable.

2.  How To Make A Simple Can Crusher

Level	Easy
Material	Pipe, Metal Sheets
Cost	$15 – $25

This is one of the most effective can crushers on this list, the number of cans you can crush in one sitting is unlimited. The creator made this crusher with a large iron pipe, some iron rods, metal straps, a welder, metal sheets, and everything metal you can find. The way it works makes it easy to crush lots of cans at once.

3. How To Make A Metal Can Crusher

Level	Expert
Materials	Metal
Cost	$15 – $30

Here’s another tutorial that shows you how to make a DIY crusher, for this tutorial you would be requiring a lot of metal and some metal working tools to enable you to craft the perfect crusher for aluminum cans. Although this tutorial isn’t explained in-depth, you should get the hang of the steps taken to make this if you are into metalworking. If not, feel free to ask an expert for assistance.

DIY Wooden Can Crusher

Can crushers are DIY projects that almost anyone can do. It mostly doesn’t require any special tools and only takes a few hours to build. Wooden crusher plans can be followed by anyone with some general woodworking skills. Below are some wooden can crushers you can make today!

4. Bike Can Crusher

Level	Intermediate
Materials	Wood, metal, a bike’s sprocket.
Cost	$15 – $30

Before you get started with this instructable, you’ll need a bike’s reused hub-assembly (a sprocket attached to the shaft to enable the bike’s petals to rotate). This component is crucial in making this wooden bike can crusher. Furthermore, you’ll need an old bike, a metal strap, a nail gun, a die grinder, an old metal pipe, a large wooden plate as the base, U-shaped brackets which can be bought or custom-made, and lots of wood boards.

This instructable features 16 easy-going steps and they’re pretty easy to perform, and can be done by almost anybody. This can crusher is quite effective, and easy to use and build. Use only quality, durable wood, so that your can crusher can last the test of time.

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5. DIY Pallet Wood Can Crusher

Level	Intermediate
Material	Wood
Cost	$10 – $15

This is a vertical can crusher made from pallet wood. It’s super-efficient and can crush 2 cans at once. Some simple and easy-going woodworking tools were used so it’s not an expert woodworking project, anyone can build this, even a beginner.

The creator added a routered channel for the pin he used this helped the plunger stay properly aligned, and when you press the handle down, the block goes down and crushes the can effortlessly.

6. DIY Wooden Can Crusher

Level	Intermediate
Material	Wood
Cost	$10 – $15

For this project, you’ll need lots of scrap wood, a large PVC pipe, 3 bolts, nuts, and washers. The wooden can crusher was easy to build and it does a great job in crushing any kind of can, with the law of gravity by its side. You’ll also need adhesive to glue some of the wood pieces to each other.

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7. Homemade Can Crusher

Level	Easy
Material	Wood
Cost	$10 – $15

Here is another amazing homemade wooden can crusher. It’s easy to make and can only crush a can at a time. It’s portable and has a flexible handle. The tutorial is pretty much easy to follow, all you have to do is watch the video tutorial, gather the tools and materials, follow the steps and you should have yourself a cool can crusher at the end.

8. DIY Shop-Made Can Crusher

Level	Intermediate
Material	Wood
Cost	$5 – $10

This is a wooden shop-made can crusher, it’s made out of some pieces of plywood, and it has a handle that controls the crushing block. The crushing block is built on another wooden base to make it sturdy when you’re cruising the cans.

9.  Free DIY Can Crusher

Level	Intermediate
Material	Wood
Cost	$5 – $10

So, if you wanna crush some cans, get rid of them littering your space, and you don’t want to spend money buying or making one, then you should try this guide, the creator made this can crusher for free.

He used 2 pieces of woodblock, a door hinge, and 2 empty cans. He cut out the can lid and attached them to the end of the woodblock, then put the hinge on the other end to enable him open and close the structure. It’s super quick and easy to make and you don’t have to spend a dime.

10. Can Crusher Made From Wood And Metal

Level	Intermediate
Material	Wood
Cost	$10 – $15

This can crusher is super easy to make, it’s unique from the others on this list, portable and can crush up to 3 cans or more. The materials and tools needed are a metal strap, wooden strap, bolts, a drill, measuring tape, an electric saw, a staple gun, and a few more tools.

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11. How To Make A Hydraulic Can Crusher

Level	Intermediate
Material	Wood
Cost	$10 – $15

First off, the creator built a frame to accommodate the crushing syringes. The creator made some wood boards but didn’t really show us how he did it, so I guess you’re going to have to figure that one out by looking at the design. He also used some bolts, nuts, tubing, 4 syringes, and scissors. It’s a cool design although the crushing process seems stressful.

12. How To Make A Can Crusher

Level	Easy
Materials	Linear actuator, wood.
Cost	$5 – $10

Are you a regular or just a new DIY reader? check out this video tutorial guide and learn how to make a can crusher today! Although this guide wasn’t much for sufficient information and detailed explanation, you can follow the step-by-step making process till the end and hope you get it right. The creators used a linear actuator and that worked out pretty well. You can get this actuator from an old lawnmower if you have one, or you could purchase one online. Although there’s no link or price range for that, you have to figure that out. You’ll also need wood and a focused mind.

13. Can Crusher DIY

Level	Intermediate
Material	Wood
Cost	$10 – $15

This is a simple can crusher design, with your wood pieces ready you can assemble in minutes. You need to also check the video guide to see the dimensions for the wood boards. You can also attach it to the wall and simply crush a can with the handle, lifting it up to take the can, and pressing it down to crush it.

14. How To Make Aluminum Can Crusher

Level	Intermediate
Material	Wood
Cost	$5 – $10

The creator of this guide decided to take his project a step further and built an aluminum can crusher.  You’ll need two 16 inches long 2×4 wood boards, a drill to make holes, hinges, screws, a cabinet handle, 2 jar lids, and an hour of your day. It’s pretty quick and easy to make, and it’s also efficient in crushing any can.

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15. Popsicle Stick Can Crusher

Level	Intermediate
Materials	Popsicle sticks, an electric drill, iron.
Cost	$10 – $25

Coolest can crusher ever! The creator made this using popsicle sticks and glue. It’s delicate and can be damaged easily if it falls to the ground or gets trampled on. It’s also pretty small but quite challenging to operate, and you can only crush one at a time.

So with your popsicle sticks, you’ll create a frame that can take the size of a can comfortably and two openings, one at the top where the drill bits will pass through and a large one by the side for the cans. The can will be crushed by an electric drill and a long iron rod serving as your drill bits. On the bits, one wide end faces the can and the other to the electric drill.

16. Homemade Wooden Can Crusher

Level	Intermediate
Material	Wood
Cost	$10 – $15

This video guide produced a more durable and sturdy can crusher because the creator made something similar years ago and decided to improve on the design and mechanical function. So, it’s more effective and faster than ever. It’s a simple homemade wooden can crusher.

17. How To Design Wooden Can Crusher

Level	Intermediate
Materials	Wood, steel rod.
Cost	$20 – $30

This video tutorial guide offers a complete explanation of how this wooden can crusher was made with all the easy and basic features. This was made out of steel rod and wood. The tutorial video is pretty long, it features a digital sketch and a step-by-step building process that you’ll have to follow if you want to make a wooden can crusher with this design. This is one of the most effective can crushers on this list, you can effortlessly use your foot, pressing hard on the mechanism to crush your can, or place the crusher on the table and use your hands instead.

18.  DIY Simple Can Crusher

Level	Intermediate
Material	Wood
Cost	$10 – $15

The creator of this guide wanted a can crusher that was easy to access, easy to use, and super effective. He made a wooden can crusher that was attached to the outside wall of his house. So, all he has to do is walk by, put a can in, and push the long handle to crush the can. The only downside is that the structure is big and takes up a lot of space but yet can only crush 1 big can at a time.

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19. Wooden Soda Can Crusher

Level	Intermediate
Materials	Wood, bolts.
Cost	$5 – $10

If you’re a new reader, you’re in luck, this is a simple creative utility woodworking invention that is portable, durable, and super easy to use. You can crush a lot of cans in less time with this wooden soda can crusher. Choose any wood you prefer, it really doesn’t matter the type, the most important part of this project is getting the dimensions and cuts accurately, for this will determine how the can crusher turns out in the end.

The creator started by sanding down the wood pieces he found, so that should be your first step as you procure your wood. You’ll need simple woodworking tools, some bolts, and washers. Watch the video tutorial to learn more about the dimensions taken.

20. Scrap Wood Can Crusher

Level	Hard
Materials	Plywood, scrap dowels, wood.
Cost	$15 – $30

You can start off this guide by checking out the free building plans available to assist you to get this project done effortlessly. All you need for this project are scrap wood, plywood, and some dowels. Of course, a few basic woodworking tools are required, but as an experienced woodworker, you’re set to go.

The building plans of this guide called for some hardware that you’ve probably never used before but hey, it’s all about learning and having fun while at it right? This build has a long wooden hand that makes crushing a whole lot easier. The bottom line is that it works perfectly and it’s super durable. Check the guide and get to the bottom of this.

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21. Can Crusher With Homemade Cylinder

Level	Hard
Materials	Pneumatic cylinder, wood, metal.
Cost	$10 – $30

You’ll need a few pallets and some PVC tubing for this, they’re super easy to come by and cheap to purchase. Relatively this guide is pretty inexpensive. After you’ve gotten your pallet boards all cut down to their required sizes, attach them as shown in the video to get your can crusher frame.

Next, you’ll need a pneumatic cylinder, you can buy one if you don’t have one already. The rest of the steps are easy-going and the video has a complete step-by-step working process that you can follow. You can adjust the size of this can crusher when cutting your wood to make it more portable if you like. This is simply because the pneumatic cylinder used is quite small compared to the entire wooden frame.

22. How To Make A Beer Can Crusher

Level	Easy
Materials	Scrap wood, vac fittings, pressing iron.
Cost	$5 – $10

This should be one of the most effective beer can crushers on the list. It’s not only portable, but it’s also perfect though it may require more of your arm strength to keep pushing down the handle to crush any can you want. This can crusher is assembled as a U frame with a top handle that is detachable and attachable.

What makes this can crusher so amazing is its ability to actually crush more than 1 can at a time. The entire project was made from scraps, plastic shop vac fittings, and an old pressing iron as your crusher handle. This video features a step-by-step building process, so dive in and learn more!

23. DIY Simple Can Crusher

Level	Easy
Material	Wood
Cost	$10 – $15

You want to get a can crusher up and running right away, how about you try out this guide and build a can crusher in 15 minutes. You’ll need wood, a hinge, screws, a drill, and a handsaw. This is a simple woodworking project, easy for anyone to do.

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DIY Automatic Can Crusher

Are you tired of crushing cans by hand? The automatic can crusher project is here to help! If you find that you get a lot of extra cans around the house, then it might be time to build yourself an automatic can crusher with these easy and informative tutorials below.

24. Electric Can Crusher

Level	Hard
Materials	Metal, iron rod, pulley, plunger, hardwood.
Cost	$15 – $30

It’s time to make an electric-powered can crusher, and here is a guide that’ll help with a great idea for you to apply right away. Are you a regular DIYer? get our tools ready and let’s begin. So, this guide has some gearing-down process with a half-horse electric motor.

Next, this guide takes you to a half-inch rod plunger and how to make it and fit it into the general concept. This can crusher is impressive, you can crush 52 cans in one minute, isn’t that great? The rest of the guide features the rest of the making process, the pulley system, and how it makes 52 revolutions per minute which equals the number of cans you have.

25. Arduino Controlled Can Crusher

Level	Hard
Materials	Plywood, Arduino, electric motor.
Cost	$35 – $100

Looking for something spectacular? then you’re in luck! This is an Arduino-controlled can crusher with LCD readout. Without delay, here are the materials you’ll need as follows: plywood, wood board, some threaded rods, Arduino, epoxy, a motor controller, a project box, an LCD screen, a protoboard, a fence pole mount, a plastic clothesline pulley, wire, solder, zip ties, and lots more.

This might be your most expensive project yet. You’ll need to go through a programming initialization and some circuit designs. The rest of the steps are doable as long as you’re experienced enough to get it right. When all is set for the machine, assemble, sand, and a paint for a great finishing.

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26. How To Make A Hydraulic Can Crusher

Level	Intermediate
Materials	Syringes, wood, small hose.
Cost	$25 – $30

This guide’s idea is simple, and that’s simply crushing a can with as little strength as your pinky can put out. In this video, the creator turned a hydraulic thumb into a can crusher. Most importantly, you’ll need small pieces of wood, bolts, and some syringes. This project is quite easy to build, but not so effective in perfectly crushing a can with ease. It’s also fragile and not as fast as it ought to be, crushing one can at a time.

This project can be done by anyone, it’s that quick and easy if you know what you’re doing, learn more about the failures of the creator while making this hydraulic can crusher before he got it right in the guide, this will help you perfect the project.

27. Homemade Can Crusher

Level	Hard
Materials	Wood, pneumatic cylinder, micrologix
Cost	$15 – $30

Here is a custom homemade automated can crusher. The creator used a pneumatic cylinder, an electrically controlled pneumatic valve that enables the cylinder to do its work of going in and out to crush stuff. The creator made good use of the Allen Bradley micrologix 1000 PLC and it worked out just fine.

This can crusher also has a switch that helps you control when you wanna crush a can or not. This project is quite expensive but totally doable. So. To get started, you’ll need to purchase the cylinder, unbox it and assemble it. In addition, you shouldn’t try making anything from this guide without being trained or experienced enough to handle the challenge. Check the guide to learn more right away.

28. Homemade Can Crusher

Level	Easy
Material	Wood
Cost	$10 – $15

This is a big can crusher, it’s easy to build, but too big and heavy to carry around. The creator used a small car wheel and made it in such a way that as the wheel turns the block goes back and forth crushing anything in front of it.

29. DIY Can Crusher From Crap

Level	Intermediate
Material	Wood, metal
Cost	$15 – $25

The creator of this guide made his can crusher from a pile of crap, now the problem with that is that the crap he has might not be the same crap you have, so in order to make this can crusher you’ll need to find the craps he used.

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30. Aluminum Can Crusher DIY

Level	Hard
Materials	Aluminum flat bar, welding kit.
Cost	$20 – $30

This video started off with the making process. This is a pretty easy metalworking project. The creator started cutting and sanding off debris from an aluminum flat bar after cutting out a wide circle at the center. Truthfully, you’ll need to be an experienced handyman before you can attempt this project.

The creator didn’t say a word all through the video, just a step-by-step guide on how it was built from start to finish. From building steps, it looks pretty easy enough, but it’s only easy when you’re done building and you start crushing. This can crusher is wall-mounted and can crush 20 to 15 cans in under 50 seconds, and the crushed cans effortlessly eject underneath the structure.

31. Electric Aluminum Can Crusher

Level	Hard
Materials	Wood, metal
Cost	$20 – $35

An electrically powered aluminum can crusher, what can be more amazing than that? It crushes as flat as a wood board and it’s effortless, and this build is not like every other idea you can find in this guide. It’s a table-mounted can crusher made with wood, and some metal flat bars, and that’s pretty much all that’s required.

The step-by-step process in this video is so relaxing. Start this guide with a bang, follow the creator’s instructions properly, and you’ll have a great can crusher to crush as many cans as you want in no time. The link is right below, now you can learn more.

DIY Pneumatic Can Crusher

Although it is an interesting and fun project, building a DIY Pneumatic Can Crusher is not easy. In fact, it’s a hard task for most people. While looking for different methods to crush a can, I ran across several ideas for homemade can crushers. The DIY Pneumatic Can Crusher is yet another great way to build a can crusher. The term ‘pneumatic’ is used to describe an air-powered tool, below you would find some projects;

32. How To Make A Pneumatic Can Crusher

Level	Intermediate
Materials	Metal, pneumatic cylinder.
Cost	$20 – $40

Do you have lots of aluminum cans begging to be crushed to free up some space at home? Here is a video tutorial guide with an easy-going making process, no talking, just the music, and some construction. First, you’ll need a pneumatic cylinder with 25 mm dis, 200 mm stroke length.

You’ll also need a connector of a cylinder, a compressor, a hose pipe, and a 5/2 way valve and its connectors. You should try out this can crusher, it’s easy, quite affordable, and pretty durable. It also looks like a table and that’s because the creator made this can crusher with metal legs, taking it off the ground for easy access and can crushing. Check the guide to learn more.

33. Pump Can Crusher

Level	Hard
Materials	Pumpjack, electric motor.
Cost	$10 – $30

Check out this amazing pump can crusher made with an old pumpjack and an electric motor. The creator also tested the setup with a gas motor, and it turned out just fine. This video guide doesn’t feature any making step-by-step process, just a test run of the pump can crusher, so you’ll need to tap the link and check for a. The more detailed description that’ll help you make this can be crushed if you can. This project is pretty inexpensive, you won’t be buying any material except for some tools you may not have if you’re not a regular DIYer.

34. DIY Pneumatic Can Crusher

Level	Intermediate
Material	Wood
Cost	$10 – $20

So this video guide starts off big, with a bench grinder, this was to sharpen the spade bit that the creator used to make holes on ¾” plywood. The making process is super easy to follow, and this project will require some advanced woodworking tools.

35. DIY Pneumatic Can Crusher

Level	Intermediate
Material	Wood, PVC Pipe
Cost	$10 – $15

So, this pneumatic can crusher worked out just fine. The controls were effective and they can crush at least 2 cans at once. The creator used a PVC pipe and a PVC pipe end cap. It’s an air-powered can crusher with a control switch, so you can stay a few steps away and crush your CNS with ease with a simple press of a button.

36. Can Crusher DIY

Level	Intermediate
Materials	Metal. Pneumatic cylinder.
Cost	$10 – $25

I think this video tutorial guide is pretty straightforward, let’s see how this works. First, you’ll need a pneumatic cylinder, and some kind of metal housing with a space to crush a can. This cylinder is pretty powerful and can crush as many cans as you want, just the perfect can crusher if you have lots of cans to crush.

So, unfortunately, in this guide, the creator didn’t show how the metal frame was built but it looks simple enough, from experience you should know how to make it by just looking at it. After building, start testing to confirm and readjust any area on this project that needs some more work. Although this can crusher is quite slow, it’s still a great wall-mounted can crusher with a switch for easy access.

37. Homemade Can Crusher

Level	Easy
Material	Wood, Pneumatic piston
Cost	$10 – $15

This is an amazing can crusher, it’s quite portable, the creator used a pneumatic piston, flat steel, a male hose coupler pneumatic fitting, an NPT silencer, and two high-end pieces of equipment. The making process is simple to follow and it’s an effective can crusher for anyone.

DIY PVC Can Crusher

You can turn your old and outdated cans into dust like never before by creating a PVC can crusher of your own. PVC Can crushers are also very cost-effective, easy to make, and can be operated with very little effort. A DIY PVC can crusher might be the perfect tool for you to crush all of your old cans and get rid of them once and for all, check out these plans below.

38. DIY Aluminum Can Crusher With PVC Pipes

Level	Easy
Materials	PVC, wood.
Cost	$10 – $201

How about using PVC pipes and fittings to build a can crusher, great idea! Let’s check it out. It’s a simple can-crushing idea, you’ll need a wood board for your base, PVC pipe and tee connectors, and two elbows. First, cut out your wood board, which could be any size you want or you could use the dimensions available in the guide. Next, attach your PVC pipe fittings using a wood dowel and some nails. It does crush cans, but not as fast as most cans on this list, and while crushing, it seems like the long PVC handle for crushing is going to break due to the edge of the can.

39. DIY Can Crusher With PVC Pipes

Level	Easy
Material	PVC pipe
Cost	$10 – $15

So this is a can crusher made with PVC pipes, PVC pipe elbows, a wood board for the base, and a few other supplies. The downside with this crusher is that the pipe is small and might not be strong enough to crush cans for a long time, so it’s a no! for durability.

40. Pipe Crusher/Launcher DIY

Level	Easy
Materials	PVC pipe
Cost	$10 – $25

This can be considered one of the hardest can crushers on this list, and fortunately, it can serve as a tennis launcher as well. To get started, you’ll need all the required materials and tools for this project such as; PVC pipes, pipe coupling, PVC cement, primer, Dremel, plastic spray paint, duct tape, and masking tape. It’s a super fun building process that can be done by anyone with a sharp mind. This guide features a step-by-step approach to the making process that consists of 4 easy-going detailed steps. Check the guide to learn more if you’re not satisfied.

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Conclusion

That’s all for now on the can crusher ideas, as you can see they are pretty easy to build and can function with any material respectively. Have fun crushing and thanks for stopping by! If you have any questions or contributions regarding this article, feel free to use the comments section below.