Author Topic: Diving Arm Mixer Build (Read 6202 times)

Jet_deck · « **on:** May 19, 2011, 12:17:52 PM »

"He who dies with the most toys wins" So I'm going to build a diving arm mixer. Probably the biggest expense of the build could be the bowl. Larger Hobart style bowls range in the $285 to $600 dollar range. Since I want to keep the built to about $70, those bowls will be out of the question. The biggest reason that the bowl is important is that it's shape has alot to do with how the arms knead. It looks like a flatter bottom bowl with straight sides is the norm, rather than a more concave, salad bowl type bowl.

Facing the front of the machine the left arm looks like a golf putter and the right arm looks like a hand with two fingers pointed up. During the first minutes most all the kneading comes from the putter arm and the "friction" of the bowl. The finger arm kinda knocks off the top of the glob that the putter arm has brought over. Later in the knead when the gluten develops the fingers actuall pull the dough back apart.

The cheapest motor I could think of is an electric ice cream freezer. Low rpm and high torque. I still don't know exactly how to turn the bowl, mayba a Tampa style black egg turner thing.

Here are some reference videos, as well as the video John posted in this section. The second one is the best but harder to get to. Click on the link, scroll nearly all the way to the bottom of the page. I will include a picture of what you are looking for to click on.

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cp_1lliehIY" target="_blank" class="aeva_link bbc_link new_win">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cp_1lliehIY</a>

http://www.myplot.org/index.php

Anyone feel free to add your own .02 if you have something I missed.

jgestner · « **Reply #1 on:** May 19, 2011, 12:48:38 PM »

Wow that thing is amazing even if lacking a touch in beauty

For bowl how about a stainless or aluminum stock pot of any desired size? It may be a bit more straight sided than normal mixer bowls but I would think it could work.

To turn the bowl how about the front sprocket from a bicycle spot welded to the "bowl of choice" and the bicycle chain attatched to a rear smaller sprocket on a motor of your choosing?

I can't imgine how you are going to do the reciprocating beaters though. I would think that might be the biggest engineering hurdle, unless you could use the reciprocating bits of a kitchenaid type mixer on their side somehow.

This will out Rube any Rube Goldberg device I have seen! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rube_Goldberg

Good Luck
I'll buy your second one when you are done

John in Merrill, WI

holorim · « **Reply #2 on:** May 23, 2011, 02:14:54 PM »

Hi Jet_Deck, this is a nice challenge.

I confirm the bowl is designed according to the arms trajctory. Here we call the putter-shaped arm bras pétrisseur = kneading arm, and the other one bras fraseur = strirring arm.
On antique diving arms mixers, and according to the old bread-making process, only the stirring arm was adjustable : the 2 arms where used few minutes in order to form the dough, and then the stirring arm was raised up and the kneading arm was finishing the job alone. In this configuration the diving arm mixer was running such as a "Diosna mixer" ( see example here :

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=txWm9m325Js" target="_blank" class="aeva_link bbc_link new_win">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=txWm9m325Js</a>

) and the gap between the bowl's edges and this arm must be as low as possible. This determines the kneading'efficency.

I measured the mobile parts of my mixer, and I modelised the trajectory of the arms here :
http://imageshack.us/m/11/166/40737021.jpg
The red lines are the connecting rods, the blue lines the arms and the black dotted curves the trajectories.

If you need more photos or information on the mechanics, don't hesitate to ask me I will try to reply so far as possible by taking a peek inside my mixer.
Regards

Jet_deck · « **Reply #3 on:** May 23, 2011, 03:36:29 PM »

Good to see you again Holorim! I was thinking about you helping with the dough sheeter the other day. I though about without your help I would still have that ugly PVC version.

If you get a chance, take a picture of yours with the bowl on it. Only if it is no trouble for you. No big hurry. Thanks for being such a valuable resource.

Jet_deck · « **Reply #4 on:** May 23, 2011, 03:49:20 PM »

Oh, thanks for telling me about kneading with only the one arm. I didn't know that, and probably never would have.

Jet_deck · « **Reply #5 on:** June 26, 2011, 04:09:54 PM »

I finally found what I hope to be the perfect bowl for the mixer. Its shape closely resembles what I am told it needs to look like to make the kneading action work properly. I Also picked up the motor for the mixer. Let the diving begin.

dhs · « **Reply #6 on:** June 30, 2011, 11:26:48 PM »

I admire your ambition and look forward to your success.

scott r · « **Reply #7 on:** July 01, 2011, 01:30:35 AM »

hey, when your done with yours I need you to build me one too!

Tman1 · « **Reply #8 on:** July 14, 2011, 10:02:19 PM »

Anything to report? $:-\$

Jet_deck · « **Reply #9 on:** July 15, 2011, 12:02:59 PM »

I can report that member Holorim and I have visited alot. There are no nuts and bolts pictures to show yet. But the mixer will be no problem to build...

Jet_deck · « **Reply #10 on:** July 16, 2011, 01:54:44 PM »

Maybe with some rose colored glasses you can see where this thing is going.

wheelman · « **Reply #11 on:** July 16, 2011, 03:53:21 PM »

recommend duct tape instead of packing tape

.

Jet_deck · « **Reply #12 on:** July 17, 2011, 11:00:16 AM »

Quote from: wheelman on July 16, 2011, 03:53:21 PM

recommend duct tape instead of packing tape .

Recommendation taken.

Jet_deck · « **Reply #13 on:** July 20, 2011, 10:23:14 AM »

Studs for the arm holders.

TXCraig1 · « **Reply #14 on:** July 20, 2011, 11:52:39 AM »

Gene,

If (when) you pull this off, it will get my vote for the most incredible build in this forum.

CL

Jet_deck · « **Reply #15 on:** July 21, 2011, 07:06:55 PM »

We have rotation.

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fnV4F_VtPxo" target="_blank" class="aeva_link bbc_link new_win">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fnV4F_VtPxo</a>

wheelman · « **Reply #16 on:** July 22, 2011, 11:50:04 AM »

It's alive!!

Tman1 · « **Reply #17 on:** July 22, 2011, 08:31:53 PM »

I have GOT to learn how to weld!! Awesome.

I suspect are you thinking of using the same motor with a series of gears to turn the container/bowl. I did see some big metal pots at the Thrift store that would work for this also instead of the cake cover.

Forge on!!!!

Jet_deck · « **Reply #18 on:** July 23, 2011, 02:52:16 PM »

We have diving arms

.

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UTCoYE4aCGY" target="_blank" class="aeva_link bbc_link new_win">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UTCoYE4aCGY</a>

Ev · « **Reply #19 on:** July 25, 2011, 10:19:23 AM »

I could watch that all day!