PopSci DIY: A Newspaper Baler, Updated from the Archives

Streamline your environmentalism with this easy and inexpensive project

By Joel Barnard Posted 04.28.2009 at 1:48 pm 0 Comments

The Baler Joel Barnard

For the eight of us still reading a daily newspaper, compiling the week’s news into a recycling bundle that's able to withstand the journey from kitchen to recycling bin fully intact is a battle of wits, strength and patience. Okay, I’m being dramatic, but wouldn’t it be nice to have a simple contraption to make the job oh-so-much simpler? That’s what the editors of Popular Science were thinking back in June of 1971 when they provided readers with just such a contraption.

Re-creating (and updating) this newspaper baler is actually quite easy, thanks to the detailed diagram provided with the 1971 article. All you need is a single 4’ X 4’ sheet of 1/2-inch plywood ($15), a handful of other inexpensive materials ($24), and an afternoon of your time.

Check out the gallery to break it down and build it for yourself.

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