Other Papercrete Mixers

There's more than one way to mix Papercrete. The Tow-Mixer is efficient and handy, because it mixes and dispenses, but there are stationary mixers that specialize in mixing only. Mike McCain, mentioned in other places on this site, had two stationary mixers when I visited him. One was powered by a van's back axle, the other by a pickup's. Got an old car you don't mind parking and dedicating to the job of powering your mixer? That's exactly what Mike did. Check them out:

This is Mike McCain's stationary mixer powered by a van's back axle. A batch of papercrete is in progress, and Mike has just dropped in a bag of Portland cement. The 'driver' controls speed and direction of blade spin. Below is a barrel mixer, powered by a red pickup's axle.

Mike has just finished emptying the mix into an earthen pit and is washing the mixer with water. Inside, we see a horizontal blade array, powered by the pickup's back axle.

Three short blades on the shaft spin between two stationary blades, shredding paper.

Common to both stationary mixers is the dedicated vehicle and the fact that mix must be carried from the mixer to the molds.

The DVD goes into more detail on using stationary mixers and shuttling mix to where it is used. However, the main focus of the DVD is the construction and use of the Tow-mixer. By the way, the mixer attached to the white van above was once a large Tow-mixer. Mike converted it into a stationary mixer by removing a wheel and dedicating it to the van's power.

This mixer is covered in more detail, and in video, on the DVD.