I remember an incident a couple of years ago when Slurry Guy was using that type of mixing and managed to slice through the bucket and his boot before he realized it. He came up with a nice solution which involved a 2x4 frame around the bottom of the bucket so at least you are not holding it in place with your feet. Those posts are in the archives, maybe the yahooligans have fixed search by now. You surely don't want your arches sliced and diced!
When I made my 55 gallon mixer I decided to power it from the top so there were no openings to seal. There is only one bearing down in the mix and everything else stays dry. I made the motor/blade frame so that it lifts out of the barrel after mixing for easy access to the contents. I started with a gas engine but it was difficult to start with the blades underwater, so I switched to an electric motor and smaller blades. The motor runs at 1725rpm and the blade is on an extension of the motor shaft so it goes at the same speed. The website describing it has lots of dire warnings, mostly for liability, but of course any machine with open spinning blades is dangerous so you need to use uncommon sense.
spaceman
RD M wrote:
I used 6 Kuhn disc mower blades to make a 5 gallon mixer. These made a good mixer because the blades have a 5/8" diameter hole, about 3" long, sharpened on both sides, and already slightly beveled. The mixer was made from a 1/2" all thread rod, nuts, and bushings so the blades would fit snuggly. The drill to power the mixer only turns at 500 rpm, but it still makes fairly good batches of PC. The blades were sharpened on a fine stone grinder so it is important not to be careless when using in a 5 gal bucket because these blades will slice and dice. A picture of the blades is posted in JD Neutron photos: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/papercreters/photos/album/6548902/pic/list I was thinking of making a 55 gallon mixer the would look like a big blender by using bottom-mounted spindle from a riding mower deck that already has a pulley, bearings and support. This could be driven from the bottom by either a gas or electric motor. A four bladed rotor with swinging disc mower blades spinning at 1500 rpm should shred and mix.
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