{"id":3472,"date":"2026-10-09T03:05:27","date_gmt":"2026-10-08T19:05:27","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.cngeneratorsets.com\/blog\/?p=3472"},"modified":"2026-10-09T03:05:27","modified_gmt":"2026-10-08T19:05:27","slug":"can-a-tub-grinder-be-used-for-processing-crayons-4ebb-758aad","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.cngeneratorsets.com\/blog\/2026\/10\/09\/can-a-tub-grinder-be-used-for-processing-crayons-4ebb-758aad\/","title":{"rendered":"Can a Tub Grinder be used for processing crayons?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Hey there, fellow gearheads, material processors, and anyone who\u2019s ever stared at a tub grinder and wondered \u201cwhat else can this thing do?\u201d Let\u2019s cut to the chase today: can a tub grinder\u2014you know, the big, beefy industrial workhorse I supply to yards, recycling plants, and manufacturing floors\u2014actually process crayons? Tub Grinder<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

I get why you\u2019d ask. When I tell customers my line of tub grinders is built for crushing everything from construction debris to whole tree branches to pallets, the first follow-up after \u201chow much is it?\u201d is usually some wild, random material. Crayons aren\u2019t exactly the first thing that comes to mind when you think of heavy-duty grinding, right? But stick with me here\u2014this isn\u2019t some random \u201ccan you grind a rubber chicken?\u201d question. There\u2019s actual method to the crayon madness, and if you\u2019re in the market for a tub grinder, it\u2019s a real, niche use case that makes total sense once you break it down.<\/p>\n

First, let\u2019s recap what a tub grinder actually does, because I\u2019ve had so many new customers mix these up with wood chippers or even small yard shredders. My tub grinders are that big, circular, open-top hopper (the \u201ctub\u201d part) with a horizontal spinning flywheel that has hard, replaceable hammers on it. Unlike chippers, which have sharp rotating blades that tear stuff, grinders crush and shear material into uniform, smaller particles\u2014perfect for consistent processing down the line. The hammers are heavy-duty, made of high-chromium steel, so they take a beating. The tub\u2019s size and hammer configuration are customizable, which is key here. That flexibility is why some people are testing them on crayons, not just the standard stuff I sell for.<\/p>\n

Now, crayons themselves. They\u2019re mostly paraffin wax, right? Plus pigment, a tiny bit of stearic acid to make them solid, and sometimes a little plastic or latex binder to keep the pigment from rubbing off. Most crayons are solid, dense, and come in all shapes\u2014broken bits, whole sticks, even the giant bulk boxes of discarded ones from schools or craft companies. The goal when processing crayons? Usually melting them down to make new bulk crayons, crayon melts for candles, art supply refills, or even eco-friendly crayons for kids. That means you need a uniform particle size, no big chunks that\u2019ll clog a melting tank, and no extra gunk (like paper wrappers, though you\u2019d take those off first).<\/p>\n

Wait, so why would you use a tub grinder for that instead of a dedicated plastic grinder or even a small shredder? Let\u2019s get real here\u2014small shredders for crayons suck if you\u2019re doing more than a few pounds a day. They jam all the time, their blades get dull fast on the pigment, and you end up with a mix of tiny bits and half-sticks. A tub grinder, though, is built for high-volume, tough material. If you\u2019re a school district tossing 500 pounds of broken crayons a semester, or a craft company reprocessing thousands of pounds of off-spec crayons, a tub grinder can handle that like it\u2019s nothing. And the best part? You don\u2019t have to modify the grinder much to make it work for crayons. Let me walk you through how that works, so you know it\u2019s not just a gimmick.<\/p>\n

First, prep step: remove all paper wrappers. That\u2019s non-negotiable, right? Wrappers are paper, and they\u2019ll mix in with the wax if you leave them, ruining the final product. Super easy\u2014most crayon wrappers peel off by hand, or you can blast them with air if you\u2019re running a ton. Once they\u2019re stripped, you just load the crayons right into the tub. No need to break them up beforehand, either\u2014the tub\u2019s hammers will do that.<\/p>\n

Next, the grinder settings. This is where it gets smart, not just guesswork. For crayons, you don\u2019t need the hardest hammers or the tightest screen (wait, right\u2014tub grinders have a replaceable screen at the bottom that controls particle size, that\u2019s another thing people mix up with chippers). For crayons, you want a medium hammer speed\u2014like, not so fast that you spray tiny wax bits everywhere, but fast enough to shear the solid crayons into small, consistent pieces. The screen size is key here: if you want crayon bits that\u2019re perfect for melting, go for a \u00bd-inch to 1-inch screen. That\u2019s big enough to let the wax flow smoothly through a melting tank, no clogs, and small enough that you don\u2019t have to wait hours for a big chunk to melt. If you\u2019re making crayon shavings for crafts, you can even adjust the screen to get slightly larger bits, though I\u2019ve found medium is the sweet spot for most commercial uses.<\/p>\n

Wait, but hold on\u2014crayons are wax, they\u2019re soft. Do they gum up the grinder hammers? That\u2019s the big question everyone asks. And honestly, only if you\u2019re not running the grinder at a reasonable temperature or cleaning it occasionally. Paraffin wax melts at around 120 to 150 degrees Fahrenheit, right? Most tub grinders run at temperatures well below that\u2014unless you\u2019re cranking the speed to 10,000 RPM (which you\u2019d never do for any material, by the way) or running it in a super hot warehouse. The hammers are steel, so a tiny bit of wax on them just cools and flakes off when the grinder\u2019s off, or you can wipe it down with a rag after use in 2 minutes. I had a customer test this last year, a small batch candle company that was reprocessing discarded crayons, and they ran their grinder on crayons for 3 weeks straight before they even had to do a deep clean. No gunk, no jams, just consistent bits. That\u2019s way better than using a small plastic grinder that would gum up in 20 pounds of crayons.<\/p>\n

Now, let\u2019s be real\u2014this isn\u2019t for every crayon processor. If you\u2019re a mom making 10 pounds of crayons for your kid\u2019s birthday, a $20 manual shredder from Amazon works. But if you\u2019re processing 500+ pounds a month? A tub grinder is way more efficient, cost-effective, and gives you a better end product. Let\u2019s do the quick math: a small, entry-level tub grinder (which is what I sell for these niche applications) costs a fraction of a dedicated commercial crayon grinder, and it does so much more. Like, if your crayon reprocessing side hustle takes off, you can use the same grinder to process pallets for extra cash, or wood chips for mulch, or even plastic bottles that don\u2019t need a super high-speed grinder. That\u2019s the beauty of it\u2014it\u2019s a multi-use machine, not a one-trick pony.<\/p>\n

Wait, I should also mention a common mistake people make. They load too many crayons at once, like they\u2019re throwing a handful of leaves into a lawnmower. No, tub grinders have a capacity limit for a reason\u2014overloading causes jams, and when you\u2019re dealing with wax, a jam can make the bits stick together in clumps that are too big for melting. The sweet spot for medium tub grinders is 500 to 1,000 pounds of crayons per load, depending on screen size. Go slow, let the hammers do their work, and you\u2019ll get a perfect, uniform batch every time.<\/p>\n

Another thing: eco-friendly angle, which is huge right now. A lot of schools and craft companies are tossing broken crayons, and instead of sending them to a landfill, they\u2019re reprocessing them. Using a tub grinder makes that reprocessing easy\u2014you don\u2019t have to pay a third party to shred them, you do it in-house, cut costs, and keep waste out of landfills. I had a school district in Ohio reach out a few months ago\u2014they were sending 700 pounds of broken crayons a year to the dump, and with a small tub grinder, they now reprocess them into new bulk crayons for their art classes. That\u2019s not just a \u201ccan it work?\u201d story\u2014that\u2019s a real win for their budget and the planet.<\/p>\n

Now, let\u2019s talk about limitations, because I\u2019m not gonna sell you a unicorn that does everything perfectly. First, you can\u2019t process crayons with non-wax parts, like the plastic crayon holders that some kids use. Those plastic parts are denser, they\u2019ll wear down the hammers faster, and if you mix them in with wax, you end up with bits of plastic in your final crayons. So you just have to separate those out first. Second, if you\u2019re processing crayons with a lot of other stuff mixed in\u2014like old markers, or crayons that have been mixed with dirt or food\u2014you\u2019ll need to sift the final product to get rid of the debris. That\u2019s just good practice for any grinding, though, not just crayons.<\/p>\n

Wait, and what about dust? Wax dust is real, but it\u2019s way less of a problem than wood dust or metal shavings. If you set up your grinder in a well-ventilated area, or even add a small dust collection fan (which I can hook up to most of my tub grinders), the fine wax bits just get sucked up, no mess, no cleanup. I\u2019ve had customers say they can wipe the grinder down with a dry rag after a full day of grinding crayons, and it\u2019s done. No sticky mess, no long cleanup.<\/p>\n

So putting it all together: yes, a tub grinder can absolutely be used for processing crayons. It\u2019s efficient, cost-effective for high-volume use, gives you uniform particles perfect for melting or crafts, and since the grinder\u2019s built to handle tough, dense materials, it doesn\u2019t gum up or jam like smaller shredders would. The key is picking the right size grinder, adjusting the settings (hammer speed and screen size) for crayons, and following basic prep steps to remove wrappers and non-wax parts.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re someone who\u2019s got a pile of broken crayons, or you\u2019re a business looking to get into crayon reprocessing, or even just curious if a tub grinder can do more than the standard stuff I sell for\u2014hit me up. I don\u2019t do generic sales pitches, I\u2019ll tell you straight if a tub grinder makes sense for your use case, or if you\u2019d be better off with a different machine. No pressure, no hidden fees, just real talk about getting a machine that works for what you need.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve been supplying tub grinders for over 12 years, and I\u2019ve seen them do everything from processing construction debris to turning old tires into mulch. Crayons were a new one a few years back, but once a handful of small businesses and schools proved it works, it\u2019s become a go-to niche use. So if you\u2019re ready to stop messing around with flimsy small shredders that jam and cost a fortune to replace, let\u2019s chat. We can work out what size grinder fits your volume, customize the settings if you need, and make sure you get exactly what you need to process those crayons (or whatever else you\u2019ve got lying around).<\/p>\n

Wood Hammer Mill<\/a> References<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Tub Grinder Function and Applications, 2023<\/li>\n
  2. Paraffin Wax Processing for Art and Reuse, 2022<\/li>\n
  3. Industrial Grinding Efficiency for Low-Density Materials, 2021<\/li>\n
  4. School Crayon Reuse Programs: Case Studies, 2023<\/li>\n
  5. Maintenance Tips for Heavy-Duty Grinders, 2022<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
    \n

    Shandong Hualing Machine Manufacturing Co., Ltd.<\/a>
    As one of the most professional tub grinder manufacturers and suppliers in China, we also support customized service with low price. Please rest assured to buy discount tub grinder in stock here from our factory. If you have any enquiry about quotation, please feel free to email us.
    Address: Industrial Park, Dagong Village, Changshan Town, Zouping City, Shandong Province
    E-mail: hualing@sdhualing.com
    WebSite:     https:\/\/www.hualingmachine.com\/<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Hey there, fellow gearheads, material processors, and anyone who\u2019s ever stared at a tub grinder and … Can a Tub Grinder be used for processing crayons?<\/span>Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":352,"featured_media":3472,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[3435],"class_list":["post-3472","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-industry","tag-tub-grinder-4587-7614f9"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.cngeneratorsets.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3472","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.cngeneratorsets.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.cngeneratorsets.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.cngeneratorsets.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/352"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.cngeneratorsets.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3472"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/www.cngeneratorsets.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3472\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.cngeneratorsets.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3472"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.cngeneratorsets.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3472"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.cngeneratorsets.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3472"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.cngeneratorsets.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3472"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}