[Clayart] Immersion Blender

[Laurie Hashizume]

I think it is generally recommended to buy a very good quality immersion
blender for studio use. But I bought a cheapie ($10.99) used it for
glaze testing, glaze mixing, and mixing slip for 2 years, until it
smashed from being dropped on the floor. Prior to that, it had been
knocked over/dropped several times and survived.

Based on my experience, I don't see the need to buy an expensive one. I
use mine a lot, so it feels like a 'must have' in my studio. When the
new one breaks - most likely from being dropped - it won't be too upsetting.

Laurie

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[douglas fur]

Laurie

Your recommendation to buy a cheapie, which matches Steve M.'s. makes sense.
Using a kitchen tool in the pottery is tool abuse and will cause it to wear
out faster.
So it's smart to buy cheap and not be disappointed when it burns out.

What I'm finding in thrift stores is that the immersion blenders that last
long enough to be donated are better quality brands like Braun (still made
in Germany).
The very cheap ones imported from China don't get donated and probably go
directly to the garbage.
The one I have was set on a stove and part of the blade guard melted but it
still works.

Mel recommends a heavy duty drill motor and a drywall mud mixer. This makes
sense for any batch over a quart or two.
I tried unsuccessfully to find a US made 3/8" drill motor for regular use
and ended up getting a Sears import hoping they will stand behind it.
If I was buying today, for clay purposes, I'd look for a used 1/2" drill
motor with a gear reduction drive.
They seem like one of the most common tools at pawn shops as so many
tradesmen are moving to rechargables.

DRB
Seola Creek

[John Rodgers]

I use three different size mixers in my studio. I have a cheapie
(walmart) kitchen type hand held electric wand mixer or immersion
blender, for very small batches of glaze or slip up to a quart. Cheap
enough to replace if it wears out - but it has lasted 10 years. I have
a stainless Jiffy mixer with the cage blades - that is - side cutters as
well as an upper and lower blade - which works wonders for up to two
gallons. And it fits into the wide mouth one gallon plastic jugs very
nicely and mixes with no muss and no fuss.For larger batches of anything
else slip or glaze or even bodies which will ultimately be dried some
for throwing - I use a 5 gallon bucket and a sheet rock mud/paint mixer
and a heavy duty electric drill. I also use this one to mix 16 gallons
of glaze at a time and to stir it up after sitting a spell.

Works for me.

John

[Vince Pitelka]

"Mel recommends a heavy duty drill motor and a drywall mud mixer. This makes
sense for any batch over a quart or two."

Be careful here folks. An official drywall mud mixer is a very large
impeller mixer and will be completely useless for mixing glazes. They are
generally used on a very slow 1/2" electric drill and would not work at all
for glazes. Over all others, for drill-impeller mixers I strongly advocate
the 3"-diameter Jiffy Mixer for smaller batches of glaze or slip, the
4"-diameter for five to ten-gallon buckets, and the big 6"-diameter on a
1/2" shaft (in a 1/2" drill) for blending reclaim slurry.
- Vince

Vince Pitelka
Appalachian Center for Craft
Tennessee Tech University
vpit...@dtccom.net
http://iweb.tntech.edu/wpitelka/

[Vince Pitelka]

Laurie Hashizume wrote:
"I think it is generally recommended to buy a very good quality immersion
blender for studio use. But I bought a cheapie ($10.99) used it for glaze
testing, glaze mixing, and mixing slip for 2 years, until it smashed from
being dropped on the floor. Prior to that, it had been knocked over/dropped
several times and survived.

Hi Laurie -
I don't know if you saw my previous messages on this. People who recommend
buying a very good quality immersion blender for studio use have not had
experience with very good quality immersion blenders in studio use. The
seals and bearings cannot hold up to prolonged use with abrasive ceramic
materials, and all ceramic materials are abrasive. Immersion blenders are
made for kitchen use, and simply do not hold up to studio use, and thus
there is no reason to ever buy a very good quality immersion blender for the
studio. Get the cheapest ones that receive good customer reviews on amazon.

- Vince

Vince Pitelka
Appalachian Center for Craft
Tennessee Tech University
vpit...@dtccom.net
http://iweb.tntech.edu/wpitelka/

[Terrance(Terry)&FrancineLazaroff]

I tried one of these for mixing stiff clay slurry and got a big surprise. It did not work well. Clay slurry everywhere.
I will be giving it to my son to use in his construction co.

Terry

-----------------------------

"Mel recommends a heavy duty drill motor and a drywall mud mixer. This makes
sense for any batch over a quart or two."

Be careful here folks. An official drywall mud mixer is a very large
impeller mixer and will be completely useless for mixing glazes. They are
generally used on a very slow 1/2" electric drill and would not work at all
for glazes. Over all others, for drill-impeller mixers I strongly advocate
the 3"-diameter Jiffy Mixer for smaller batches of glaze or slip, the
4"-diameter for five to ten-gallon buckets, and the big 6"-diameter on a
1/2" shaft (in a 1/2" drill) for blending reclaim slurry.

- Vince

Vince Pitelka
Appalachian Center for Craft
Tennessee Tech University

[Randall Moody]

I bought one at target for about $20US. The reason I picked this particular
one is that the blade and shaft are removable for easy cleaning.

http://www.oster.com/ProductDetails.aspx?pid=1971

When I speak of "professional" immersion blenders I am not talking about
something you would buy at Williams Sonoma with "Professional" written on
it but rather something like this:
http://www.zesco.com/Dynamic-MDH2000-Commercial-Immersion-Blender-16-Shaft-pz523D010.htm

--
Randall in Atlanta
http://wrandallmoody.com

[Vince Pitelka]

Randall Moody wrote:
"When I speak of "professional" immersion blenders I am not talking about
something you would buy at Williams Sonoma with "Professional" written on it
but rather something like this:
http://www.zesco.com/Dynamic-MDH2000-Commercial-Immersion-Blender-16-Shaft-p
z523D010.htm"

Hi Randall -
Yeah, me too. But a clay studio artist would be crazy to invest in such a
heavy-duty commercial kitchen immersion blender because the seals are still
designed for foodstuffs and will not hold up to abrasive ceramic materials.
Those very large commercial immersion blenders are outrageously expensive,
but would fail just as quickly as the cheap home kitchen models. The Waring
WSB40 I mentioned in a previous message is between the two ($175) and
advertised as a true commercial immersion blender, but it didn't last any
longer than the cheaper models.

[Sharon Wetherby]

These posts make me laugh at myself. Three years ago I bought a Waring
WSB40 thinking it would be a good investment for a tool that would last
forever! My family loves the Leek/Potato soup that I make; part of the
process is to "blend" about half of the cooked soup so that it is both
smooth and chunky. Someone wrote an article for ClayTimes praising the
Waring professional blenders. So, thinks I, why not invest in this
wonderful tool to make prep time a breeze when making the Leek/Potato soup
with an added benefit.. Quickly blend slip. I know, I know . shouldn't use
clay tools for cooking. But hey; wash the tool and kiss it to God. Sorta
like the 10-second rule for eating food dropped on the floor.



Anyways, Vince, you are absolutely right on this topic. I can give you all
a first-hand testimonial. The Waring WSB40 is a beast. Takes two hands to
operate it. But, it does NOT work with clay. Didn't take much clay
processing to kill the immersion blender I purchased. Waring was really
accommodating; they replaced my WSB40 free of charge. No questions asked.
At the time I didn't know it was my fault. Now I feel guilty.



Lesson learned. Use the Jiffy mixers and a good drill; will handle clay
forever. Use the WSB40 for food prep; it will handle food forever.



Sharon Wetherby

Fort Worth, TX, USA

Just a little crazy



>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Date: Sat, 3 Aug 2013 15:08:24 -0500

From: "Vince Pitelka" <vpit...@dtccom.net>

To: "'New ClayArt Mailing List'" <cla...@ceramicist.org>

Subject: Re: [Clayart] Immersion Blender

Randall Moody wrote:

"When I speak of "professional" immersion blenders I am not talking about

something you would buy at Williams Sonoma with "Professional" written on it

but rather something like this:

Vince Pitelka wrote:

Hi Randall -

Yeah, me too. But a clay studio artist would be crazy to invest in such a

heavy-duty commercial kitchen immersion blender because the seals are still

designed for foodstuffs and will not hold up to abrasive ceramic materials.

Those very large commercial immersion blenders are outrageously expensive,

but would fail just as quickly as the cheap home kitchen models. The Waring

WSB40 I mentioned in a previous message is between the two ($175) and

advertised as a true commercial immersion blender, but it didn't last any

longer than the cheaper models.

- Vince

[Vince Pitelka]

Sharon Wetherby wrote:
"Someone wrote an article for ClayTimes praising the Waring professional
blenders. So, thinks I, why not invest in this wonderful tool to make prep
time a breeze when making the Leek/Potato soup with an added benefit..
Quickly blend slip. I know, I know . shouldn't use clay tools for cooking.
But hey; wash the tool and kiss it to God. Sorta like the 10-second rule
for eating food dropped on the floor. Anyways, Vince, you are absolutely
right on this topic. I can give you all a first-hand testimonial. The
Waring WSB40 is a beast. Takes two hands to operate it. But, it does NOT
work with clay. Didn't take much clay processing to kill the immersion
blender I purchased. Waring was really accommodating; they replaced my
WSB40 free of charge. No questions asked."

Hi Sharon -
That was my column in Clay Times. I was the one who wrote about the Waring
professional blenders, because at first they performed admirably. I can't
always test something for years before I write about it, so I have to give
it my best guess. I am sorry I gave inaccurate information about the Waring
professional blenders. Now I know better.

You wrote:
"Lesson learned. Use the Jiffy mixers and a good drill; will handle clay
forever. Use the WSB40 for food prep; it will handle food forever."

Yes, absolutely, thank-you very much.

- Vince

Vince Pitelka
Appalachian Center for Craft
Tennessee Tech University
vpit...@dtccom.net
http://iweb.tntech.edu/wpitelka/