Blender mods
 

I stopped by the thrift store today, and found a very slick retro blender, which I couldn't NOT buy.

http://gallery.me.com/benhdvideoguy/...12948856880001

Once I got home, I couldn't help but start thinking of ways to IMPROVE the blender.

Thanks guys! Now you got me modding kitchen appliances!!!! :rolleyes:

I'm thinking it would make a nice lava lamp.

Perhaps a bicycle-powered blender for making blended margaritas while camping.....

that's just a nice osterizer, leave it. Margaritas on the rocks is still "luxury" camping.

Blades:
Sharpen
reshape to reduce drag losses as they pass through blended material.
Give blades a little more angle off attack to quickly get blended material out of the way.

Motor
Install a heavy flywheel so you can pulse and glide it more effectively.
More switch positions to allow precise selection of blending speeds.

Insulate the sides to keep whatever you are blending cold/hot.

Lubricate or replace any bearings for less friction.

And finally:
Put an EcoModder.com sticker on it.

...with the subtitle: ecomodding is about economy not austerity.

...so, "roughing it" and "margarita's" actually DO go together (yea!)

Don't mess up a classic! Put a proper woven-sheathed cord on it and enjoy it's natural (sp)lender.

I agree with Frank, more or less restore it, clean the switch so it doesn't burn out, clean the dust out of the motor, sharpen the blade, giving the blade a little twist to stir things up is not going to require a drastic bend, but it might help it blend faster or it might toss your smoothie on the ceiling!
The square jar does alot for mixing, much better then the new fangled round-ish jars.

It actually is a pretty nice classic blender, which is one vote AGAINST doing anything to it.

Making it into a lamp would give it a secondary use.
Since it's pretty much still interchangeable with modern parts, I could just mod a different jar for it.

Did you know that glass mayo jars have the same threads on them as the bottom of a blender pitcher? It's true, makes a great poor-man's Magic Bullet..

My wife has a "glitter lamp". It's like a lava lamp, only it's just colored water and glitter inside. The heat of the lamp causes a convection current, moving the water and glitter. The movement of the glitter catches the light and sort of makes the effect similar to the teleporter in the original Star Trek TV Series.
(As an odd trivia note, that effect was created by filming a glass of water filled with water and silver glitter. The water was stirred with a spoon, and then filmed with a light shining on it. That was then superimposed over a dissolve of the actors on the Teleporter deck. OMG. How nerdy is it that I actually know that......)

Anyways, if the blender base was unmodified, but a pitcher for it was to include a lamps, water, glitter - the blades could still be used to make a Glitter Tornado! :eek:

Also, right on about lubrication. I compared the blades that came with this to my other blender. There is considerably more rolling resistance on the blades of the retro blender.

Add LED's at the base of the glass (under that ring) shining in to it so you get a light show with your beverage. Subtle touches that are not visible are my favorite.

Yeah make sure you clean/oil where the spinning part on the base... the blender at my apartment failed due to sticky margarita build-up haha