I use a stick blender to mix batches of soap. I keep having problems where air stuck under the blender end is whipped into the soap, which results in a bar with soap bubbles in it.
My question is: will drilling a hole in the blender (see pic) so air can escape cause any issues with the blades blending?
have u tried sticking it deeper in to the soup?
or tilting it
Tilting it and tapping it while its in the mix will get 95% of the air out, but never all of it.
>never all of it.
that is because the mixing motion creates a vortex that draws air into your mixture
get yourself a vacuum bell jar + vacuum pump (or something similiar, see for vacuuming silicone molding for examples) + heater plate (to keep the soap from solidifying during air extraction) when you got all the air you can with your equipment out of the batch you can pour the soap carefully into forms without pouring in air during casting
i would recommend to have the soap in your final forms already under the vacuum hood so all you need to do is just turn off the heater plate and have it solidify under vacuum in your final form, this way you avoid air from pouring the soap into another container, however this decreases the batch size depending on your budget for the vacuum gear
have a nice day
that would eject molten soap on your face
options to consider are slower speeds, vacuum/ultrasonic degasser, or a vibration table.
vibration table would be the easiest to diy if you're not comfortable with modifying the blenders electronics
ultrasonic would be ~200 minimum investment depending on how big the vessels you use are but make sure you get one with a heater that can keep your soap above melting temperature
slower speed would either need a new blender or if you're comfortable with electronics you can diy it. Could also consider a thinset/grout/paint stirring bit attached to a drill which would probably be easier to control the speed of.
I mix some resins air free. As said use a paint/grout/resin stirring bit. Also, don’t know how thick your mixture is, but instead of a vibration table, I insert a jacobs chuck key into the drill (anything eccentric works), spin the drill it real fast and push it against the underside of the table. It’s probably not good for the drill but it makes great controllable vibrations (I got this advice from a diy thread where someone asked how to make a sybian)
I'll try the stirring bit attachment idea
oh, i didnt even consider the blender soap would use the new hole as an escape route...
maybe i should invest in a shaker table or DIY it like
have you considered using a powerdrill and a mixing rod attachment
This is probably the best option. Even if you were to drill a couple pin holes into the stick blender and it didn't rocket into your face, the seal at the bottom is not air tight and you'll still be drawing some air down the shaft and through the gasket which would get into your mix before it could escape.
get a mold of the attachment socket,
make your own attachments,
profit
My wife makes batches of soap with a stick blender. She said it shouldn't be an issue if you don't start it until it's already under. Any remaining bubbles will come out if you pour it into the mold and then pound it on the counter a couple of times.
ARE YOU MAKING SOAP OR SOUP??