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Tips/Techniques Poll - Paint Can Spinner - tell me what I should charge

Tips/Techniques

Paint Can Spinner Price

  • $29

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • $25

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • $19

    Votes: 3 33.3%

  • $15

    Votes: 2 22.2%

  • I think I might like to buy one when available.

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Not interested.

    Votes: 5 55.6%
  • Total voters
    9
Janger

Janger

(John)
Vendor
Premium Member
I'm making some of these paint can spinners. What do you think I should sell them for?

As discussed elsewhere on the forum - you spin the can with the drill and it mixes the paint. Does it work? Yes. It is quicker and fun as opposed to shaking by hand for 60 or 120s. There are a number of youtubes with people testing these devices. A similar one is tested by Adam Savage on his channel. That one is no longer available on Amazon so I thought I would make some and sell them through my online store which accepts credit cards.

They have a 3/8" bolt for high strength and are made of plastic. Other versions for sale typically use 1/4" bolt for the axle - I've found the 1/4" easily bends ands breaks the material at the attachment point. Adam breaks his if you watch his testing video so I'm using 3/8" for strength. I'm not sure what shipping will cost yet. Whatever Canada Post charges. The drill is not included.

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I'm not sure what you are asking Degen. The version I am making with the 3/8" bolt and 1/2" thick bottom layer has not broken yet on me. With a 1/4" sized bolt I found the bolt bent and the bolt head then broke through the plastic bottom layer - this was at 1600 rpm the fastest my ryobi drill will turn.
 
I've made 6 or 7 paint spinner mixers. I need some real world testing. Maybe some members in town (Calgary) would like to swing by and grab one of these to try in your shop? The spinner is free - your only obligation is to help me decide if this actually works and give me feedback. If there is anyone outside of Calgary who is really keen I'll mail one to you. First come first served - I have 6 to give away in Christmas colours. Send me a PM.

Testing pictures below. I've got oil, water, and peanut butter in this water bottle. Peanut butter represents paint pigment stuck to the bottom of the can. After 30s of mixing you can see the oil and water are pretty mixed and the peanut butter has smeared around not really mixed in. There is a 1/2" ball bearing in there too. I then did a shake test shaking the paint for 60s. Peanut butter was much more evenly distributed after that. I think this is much tougher test than a paint can. I also did some spray paint can mixing and testing. I think it mixed the paint pretty well. Holding the drill at a 45 or 60 degree angle I think helps. So I need some testers. Mix some cans. Let me know if you think it's mixed well or not.
 

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On a real note, good design, but it only rotary, what you may want to consider, random orbit, think sander, just off center on a pivoting point with a wt. for a true shake.
 
There is some play in the cylinder for the can to shake about. Paint cans are about 2.8" in diameter and the tube is 3".

But yes maybe more shaking is needed.
 
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I was wondering about only rotary if it would mix as well, a good test would be to run oil and water in your water bottle and you might be able to see the mixing action at different positions while its running if you cut a few slots for viewing or a clear plastic cylinder. I admire your persistence you have had this idea for a while now nice to see you have come to a point to have others test it and judge it.
 
I have so many variables questions pounding around in my skull now...

What, if any, difference does it make to the mixing, with the propellant charge in the can vs open air and oil/water
I realize it's a gas, but does that pressure in the can keep the product at one end or side?
Is the action centrifugal then?
Does the can spin faster than the paint in the can?

Why not cut the top off of a spent can, put a plexi window in, add your ingredients and send it.
You'd be able to observe what the liquids do as the cylinder more or less rotates around the mixture.

If I lived closer, I'd definitely try one.
 
My first piece of input is John
You need to label the paint can spinner. It isn't immediately obvious what it is used for.
 
My thoughts on this is that once the ball hits its balance speed the mixing more or less stops and everything spins static inside the tin. I used several "ball bearing" wheel balancers on 18 wheelers to fine tune those big wheels that in use on roads treated by water trucks and such, they get covered with differing gobs & thickness's of mud at any given time so "balance" by the minute. If you didnt have one of those bearing balancers on every wheel you had continual changing "out-of-balance" vibrations.
Every time you started out from a stop you can feel & hear those ball bearings but at a very low speed ( around 15 kmh) they positioned themselves where they needed to be to override an unbalanced condition and everything just settles down and the ball quit moving....I supect the same thing happens in the paint can that when the ball inside is positioned by centrifugal force that mixing stops so a high spin speed actually kills mixing action, the slow start speed prob does a better job.
 
I've often wondered why a ball is even used unless it lends itself to can insertion. Its not really a great mixer-upper shape, especially gas & liquid. My own experience is the solvent & paint mix & then its diminishing returns. A lot of guys swear that moderate heat is better, softer spray or better build. But paints in spray bombs vary all over the map, who knows. I have heard there could also be some kind of valve effect inside a chamber but doesn't seem clear. Also turns out balls can also be made of glass so excessive mechanical shaking could result in adverse effects?


 
Alexander said:
My first piece of input is John
You need to label the paint can spinner. It isn't immediately obvious what it is used for.
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You got an early print Alex without the label. I’m still tweaking the print to make the label clearer. Maybe it needs a paper label stuck to the side?
 

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6.5 Fan said:
Saw a video of a guy that bought a can shaker, can came loose and rubbed a hole in the side.......black paint everywhere including his bald head. :)
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That's funny but I suspect a setup for a video gag. I don't see how you could actually do that. Maybe the valve could come apart. I think it's important to keep the cap on while mixing. Just in case.
 
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