Cement mixers have long proved themselves as invaluable tool on the construction site. However, some innovative industries and individuals have decided to push beyond expectations and have begun using these powerful machines in a host of unorthodox applications, including everything from polishing stones, creating slime, roasting coffee, creating fireworks, mixing drinks and more.

 

This article will be exploring a number of these creative applications and homing in on the great features of these mixers that make these applications possible. This article is brought to you by BS Power, a company dedicated to providing you with the construction equipment tailor made to your needs, whether you happen to be a seasoned contractor or bartender.

 

Mixing Animal Feed

 

Farmers sometimes repurpose cement mixers to churn animal feed by utilizing the rotating drum to evenly blend ingredients. It’s a cost-effective alternative to commercial feed mixers, still effectively and thoroughly blending all the grains, protein supplements, minerals and other feed components in the drum. Creating a consistent mixture like this prevents nutritional imbalances in livestock diets, keeping the animals healthy and the farmers happy. Moreover, the drum’s tilting mechanism allows for easy unloading of the mixed feed into storage bins or the animals feeding troughs.

 

Many of BS Power’s mixers come with the same drum tilting mechanism, which can be used for the easy and precise pouring of cement.

 

Roasting Coffee Beans

 

Some innovative coffee roasteries have modified a cement mixer to roast coffee beans by using the rotation of the drum to ensure even heating agitation of the beans. This also involves fitting the drum with a heat source, such as propane burners or electrical heating elements. Green coffee beans are tossed into the drum, and rotated continuously, preventing scorching and ensuring a pleasant uniform roast.

 

Roasteries will also add modifications like vents or perforations to help for airflow and heat distribution. Once the beans are roasted enough, they are quickly removed from the drum and cooled. This is a popular method amongst small batch roasters looking for an affordable alternative.

 

Whilst BS Power might not be able to equip you with everything you need to create a coffee-roasting specialized cement mixer, if you ever find yourself in need of a spare part or two, our customer support service is more than happy to help you out in getting what you need.

 

 

Tumbling Rocks & Polishing Stones

 

Lapidary enthusiasts have repurposed mixers as large-scale rock tumblers for polishing stones. They use the large rotating drum to grind and smooth rough rocks over time, which requires one to add rocks, water, and an abrasive grit to the drum. This mimics natural weathering and erosion as stones tumble against each other and the grit, gradually smoothing and polishing the stones.

 

This process generally happens in stages, starting with course grit eventually becoming fine sand which results in a glossy finish. Modifications like rubber or padding inside of the drum are often added, helping to reduce noise and improve efficiency.

 

BS Power understands why one might want to reduce noise. Our machines are optimized to be as low-vibration as they can be, which means that not only are they more comfortable to work around, but they also degrade more slowly than high-vibration machines do.

 

 

Mixing Compost & Soil

 

Gardeners have harnessed the power of cement mixers to blend soil and compost effectively. The rotating drum blends compost, topsoil, sand, peat moss and other additions evenly, also providing aeration that promotes microbial activity and the even distribution of nutrients. This unique process is especially useful for breaking up persistent clumps, improving soil texture, and preparing extra-large batches of potting or gardening soil with minimal effort. Once it’s all been mixed, the soul can be easily unloaded into wheelbarrows or garden beds via the tilting drum.

 

Creative applications like these just prove how versatile these machines can be. BS Power seeks to emphasize this versatility by offering a range of products that are made to suit as many different needs as possible, representing different power types and sizes made to suit different needs.

 

Creating DIY Fireworks & Pyrotechnics

 

A cement mixer can even be used in DIY fireworks and pyrotechnics to blend powdered chemicals uniformly and safely. The rotating drum of the mixture provides a convenient hands-free method for mixing ingredients like oxidizers, fuels and binders used to create stars, rocket propellants, and other flashy pyrotechnic effects.

 

The drum is often modified with an inner lining of non-sparking materials such as rubber or plastic, done to prevent static build up and accidental ignition. Some innovators will even add small LED or ceramic balls to aid in the grinding and homogenising process. The mixer provides a slow, continuous tumbling which ensures the even distribution of chemicals, improving burn consistency and effect reliability. However, it doesn’t take an incredible amount of imagination to see that this process can be incredibly dangerous.

 

BS Power prioritizes safety, offering machines that come with robust protections. These include an emergency stop switch, overload protection and a sturdy steel frame that prevents the machine from tipping over and causing injury.

 

Churning Butter

 

Certain creative homesteaders have begun creatively repurposing small cement mixers to churn butter, using their rotating drums to agitate cream until it separates into buttermilk and butter. The process begins with pouring fresh cream into the drum and allowing the liquid to rotate at a slow and steady speed. As it spins, fat globules are broken apart and clump together into butter whilst the liquid buttermilk separates.

 

Of course, these homesteaders don’t want bacteria or cement contaminated butter, so the drum must be thoroughly cleaned first and lined with a food-safe material like plastic or stainless steel. Once the butter has materialised, it is drained, rinsed with cold water and kneaded to achieve the desired texture before being salted in stored somewhere cool. Overall, it’s a very efficient way of producing large batches of butter, especially on farms or artisanal dairy operations.

 

Whether you’re churning butter or cement, you’ll want to ensure a nice even consistency. You can help ensure this by supplying from BS Power, whose machines boast reinforced mixing paddles to keep up the consistency, no matter what.

 

 

Making Marinated Meats & Large-Batch Cooking

 

Some commercial kitchens have begun experimenting with cement mixers as a means of marinating meats for large-batch cooking. The rotating drum is used to evenly coat the foodstuffs with seasonings, sauches, or brines. They might also place meats in the drum alongside marinades, herbs and spices, before allowing the gentle and consistent tumbling to provide an even distribution and deeper flavour penetration.

 

This admittedly unorthodox method is really useful for preparing large quantities of meat for barbecues, catering or food production of any kind. Some enterprising chefs will event outfit the mixer with modifications like built-in heating elements or an external heat source to allow one to actually slow cook or roast large batches of food, such as whole chickens or seasoned vegetables, within the drum. These culinary mixers are generally lined with a food safe material like stainless steel or plastic to prevent contamination.

 

You’ll want to make sure your BS Power mixer is being regularly cleaned, whether that be of cement or barbeque sauce, to ensure it remains in top operation, preventing buildups that lead to the drum chipping or cracking.

 

Mixing Paint & Dyes

 

Artists and industrial painters have come to realize how useful these machines could be to them, using the rotating drum to blend pigments, binders and solvents easily. It’s a particularly useful strategy for large scale projects where uniform colour and consistency are critical, such as in the application of four murals industrial coatings of fabric dyeing.

 

It’s the continuous motion of the drum that allows this, as it prevents settling and ensures a thorough integration of the ingredients. For efficiencies sake, liquid or powdered pigments are add it to the base paint or dye solution and distributed by the rotation. Mixing paddles inside the drum can help improve blending. Drum needs to be thoroughly cleaned between batches to prevent contamination, especially when switching between different colours.

 

Whilst artistic pursuits often take place amidst established infrastructure, this isn’t always the case for construction projects, which may be far removed from electricity. That’s why BS Power offers a range of diesel/petrol powered mixers which can provide powerful performance away from electrical access.

 

Creating Giant Slime Batches for Kids

 

Some creative parents and event organizers have used cement mixers to make huge batches of slime for kids’ parties. Imagine a whole drum full of goo!

 

A number of creative parents and event organizers have come up with a truly unique application for cement mixers: mixing giant batches of slime for kids. The rotating drums are used to blend glue, water and an activator like borax or contact lens solution. The drum’s steady rotation help prevent lumps from forming and makes the slime nice and stretchy. Once its ready, the slime can be easily scooped out and enjoyed. It’s fun, hassle-free and causes minimal mess.

 

Slime is fun! But you know what isn’t? Long holdups on a construction site. That’s why BS Power has an efficient logistics and delivery system that makes sure you get whatever machine or part you need on-site as soon as possible, helping you get to work as soon as possible.

 

Mixing Cocktails at Festivals

 

Cement mixers have begun appearing at some bars and festivals as a way to mix cocktails. Bartenders pour ingredients like spirits, mixers, fruit juices into the drum, whose rotation ensures even mixing. If it hasn’t been disinfected before, it certainly is now! The slow tumbling actually helps aerate the drink, enhancing both the flavour and texture.

 

You’ll generally see small electric mixers being used for this purpose, as they’re generally more portable. Although this is good way to ensure large batches of well-mixed drinks for a crowd, it’s still largely done for show and fun above other more practical reasons.

 

BS Power has a lot of products available, and sometimes that choice can be overwhelming. Maybe it’s a morning after discovering that one can use a cement mixer to make cocktails, and you need some help making the right decisions. Don’t worry, our dedicated customer service doesn’t just take place after a purchase. We’re just as dedicated to helping you making an informed decision before the purchase too.

 

Conclusion

 

In conclusion, a mixer is a device that has proven itself to be far more versatile that its traditional role in construction might suggest. From churning butter, roasting coffee beans, polishing stones, making DIY fireworks and more, these machines have been creatively adapted to meet an expansive array of needs, both creative and practical.

 

Their robust design, ease of modification and efficient capabilities make them a truly invaluable tool across many industries, not just construction. BS Power strives to supply its customers with only the very finest of these machines, whether they intend on roasting chickens or building roads.

 

Visit our website today and find a machine for any purpose.