Sensitive document destruction, garbage juice, and you.....

[Bill]

I've been doing a major clean out of old bills, bank statements, and other things with sensitive personal info on them. My shredder doesn't work anymore, a new shredder is a couple hundred, but I have a bunch of papers that need to be destroyed.

The office supply store says they'll shred it for me for a set price per pound. OK, except now all my sensitive financials are in the hands of the office supply store and their shredding contractor.

A new shredder is an option, but it would literally take days to shred everything, since the shredders have to be shut down every 10 minutes or so, to cool down.

Thought about setting it all on fire out at our shop, may still do that. Just don't like the risk of floating, burning paper landing and starting a grass fire.

I'm trying a different option. I filled my tall kitchen garbage can with papers, then filled that with water. I'd probably have to repeat that 2 more times to get rid of everything.

It's been sitting for a day, and, fishing out papers.....everything is still plenty legible. Any idea how long it will take for the soaking to actually destroy these papers? Should I add bleach? I don't care about killing a small portion of grass in the back yard to dump out the water.

[Onebadcad]

Originally Posted by bill_daniels

I've been doing a major clean out of old bills, bank statements, and other things with sensitive personal info on them. My shredder doesn't work anymore, a new shredder is a couple hundred, but I have a bunch of papers that need to be destroyed.

The office supply store says they'll shred it for me for a set price per pound. OK, except now all my sensitive financials are in the hands of the office supply store and their shredding contractor.

A new shredder is an option, but it would literally take days to shred everything, since the shredders have to be shut down every 10 minutes or so, to cool down.

Thought about setting it all on fire out at our shop, may still do that. Just don't like the risk of floating, burning paper landing and starting a grass fire.

I'm trying a different option. I filled my tall kitchen garbage can with papers, then filled that with water. I'd probably have to repeat that 2 more times to get rid of everything.

It's been sitting for a day, and, fishing out papers.....everything is still plenty legible. Any idea how long it will take for the soaking to actually destroy these papers? Should I add bleach? I don't care about killing a small portion of grass in the back yard to dump out the water.

Pour some franzia on it, should dissolve in five seconds, or less.

I would if my post will show up in the lawsuit,,,

[Louie Detroit]

Just buy a hardcore shredder and get shredding!

[04 commemorative]

If you really don't want to buy a shredder just burn them , be ready with a hose or.....
call the guy !

https://completeshreddingsolutions.c...kaAnH0EALw_wcB

[KenHorse]

40 bucks (works great, I have one)

https://www.amazon.com/AmazonBasics-...1zcF9hdGY&th=1

[Big bob]

55 gallon drum burn barrel shoot or drill a few holes in it toss a screen on top. Might take a while for your first thought to dry out.

[Bill]

Originally Posted by KenHorse

40 bucks (works great, I have one)

https://www.amazon.com/AmazonBasics-...1zcF9hdGY&th=1

Yeah, I have (had) something similar. Here's the problem:

3 minute runtime; 30 minute cool down; if runs beyond max run time, it automatically shuts off to prevent overheating

Like I said, I'd literally be working on this problem for days, watching the clock, waiting for the cool down intervals to finish, etc. Buying another shredder would solve my problems going forward, but I've got mounds of stuff to destroy right now, en masse.

[KenHorse]

Originally Posted by bill_daniels

Yeah, I have (had) something similar. Here's the problem:



Like I said, I'd literally be working on this problem for days, watching the clock, waiting for the cool down intervals to finish, etc. Buying another shredder would solve my problems going forward, but I've got mounds of stuff to destroy right now, en masse.

Buy 3?

[Egnalf]

Originally Posted by bill_daniels

I've been doing a major clean out of old bills, bank statements, and other things with sensitive personal info on them. My shredder doesn't work anymore, a new shredder is a couple hundred, but I have a bunch of papers that need to be destroyed.

The office supply store says they'll shred it for me for a set price per pound. OK, except now all my sensitive financials are in the hands of the office supply store and their shredding contractor.

A new shredder is an option, but it would literally take days to shred everything, since the shredders have to be shut down every 10 minutes or so, to cool down.

Thought about setting it all on fire out at our shop, may still do that. Just don't like the risk of floating, burning paper landing and starting a grass fire.

I'm trying a different option. I filled my tall kitchen garbage can with papers, then filled that with water. I'd probably have to repeat that 2 more times to get rid of everything.

It's been sitting for a day, and, fishing out papers.....everything is still plenty legible. Any idea how long it will take for the soaking to actually destroy these papers? Should I add bleach? I don't care about killing a small portion of grass in the back yard to dump out the water.

Any two bit recovery company can place those documents in a sublimation refrigeration trailer to suck the moisture out and restore them good as new.

[Stevedore]

When I worked for the government, we had a humongous shredder that would do thick reports, hardcover books, etc. It had a large plastic bag on the output, where it looked like it was snowing when it was working.

After I retired, I bought a fairly nice crosscut shredder from Amazon. It does a nice job, but the auto start/stop feature stopped working, as if it always thinks there is some paper in the intake. Until I get up the energy & interest in troubleshooting it, I just use it in manual mode. Wasn't all that expensive, IIRC.

[Big bob]

Originally Posted by Egnalf

Any two bit recovery company can place those documents in a sublimation refrigeration trailer to suck the moisture out and restore them good as new.

I believe you are going the wrong way with this.

[Bill]

Originally Posted by Egnalf

Any two bit recovery company can place those documents in a sublimation refrigeration trailer to suck the moisture out and restore them good as new.

Yeah, I get that. I guess I'm just committed to my little experiment of how long it will take my trash can full of papers to actually degrade beyond recognition. A week? Two weeks?

At some point, you'd figure the ink would wash out, or the paper would start to disintegrate to the point of illegibility.

[Aerovette]

Mine go in the firepit. The screen helps contain the flying ashes.

[Rodnok1]

I wait until it has rained then burn papers on brush pile the next morning. If you stick them i a cardboard box less floats away usually.

[Bill]

Originally Posted by Big bob

55 gallon drum burn barrel shoot or drill a few holes in it toss a screen on top. Might take a while for your first thought to dry out.

We actually have an old section of concrete culvert that we used to burn stuff in at our shop, but I don't have a screen large enough to cover it. It was on the property when we bought it.

[Aerovette]

Originally Posted by bill_daniels

We actually have an old section of concrete culvert that we used to burn stuff in at our shop, but I don't have a screen large enough to cover it. It was on the property when we bought it.

If you burn logs first, and have a real legit fire going, the ashes will be near zero. The fire will be so hot they'll burn up too. Feed the papers in to the hot blaze, have a few cocktails, avoid falling toward the fire.

[Big bob]

See a old shopping cart laying around.

[Unsuspicious]

[Bill]

Originally Posted by aerovette

If you burn logs first, and have a real legit fire going, the ashes will be near zero. The fire will be so hot they'll burn up too. Feed the papers in to the hot blaze, have a few cocktails, avoid falling toward the fire.

This might be the solution, but I'm still committed to my science experiment on the back patio.

[Torqaholic]

Originally Posted by bill_daniels

...
Thought about setting it all on fire out at our shop, may still do that. Just don't like the risk of floating, burning paper landing and starting a grass fire.

...

Just plan the burn for when the wind is blowing in the right direction and think of it as community service?