Half-Gloat - Free Ice Melt

[Anthony Whitesell]

I was given about $100 worth of ice melt, 3 five gallon buckets. The catch is that they are 3 five gallon bricks with the consistancy of concrete. I managed to break them down into rock and gravel sized pieces, but they still aren't small enough to be usable. I tried to crush the gravel sized pieces with a sledgehammer but that either pulverized them or shattered them all over the basement.

Any ideas for turning rock sized pieces of ice melt back into a more granular/pellet/sand-sized pieces?

[mike holden]

Anthony,
The only thing that comes to mind, is to get the chunks down until they fit into an old sock, then you can pulverize them in the sock, and contain them until you pour them into another bucket. I would be tempted to lay the sock/salt combo on the floor and drop a building block on it. Actually, the sock is the most likely thing you would have, but something like a canvas bag would be better. If you are a coin collector, you should have some canvas bags about.
The problem is to contain the stuff while smashing it.
Good Luck!
Mike

[Lee Schierer]

Get two feed sacks, put one inside the other and put the large chunks in the bags and tie them shut. Beat on the bags with your sledge, using the sledge like a tamper. Keep going until the material is crushed to the desired size then pour it back into the bucket.

[Jim Becker]

BTW, don't handle the stuff in your good leather gloves... ;) It will dry them out and practically turn them into paper...

[Ken Higginbotham]

I was thinking put the pcs in a 5 gallon bucket and pound away dropping a sledge hammer on 'em - ?

Or a soil tamper tool may work - ?

http://www.cadillacconcreteproducts.biz/catalog/images/tamper_lg.jpg

[Rob Russell]

Try a universal grinder. I've seen them at tag sales for a dollar or 2.