As you might guess from this picture, the entire mixing apparatus is homemade. Everything was made from materials that we had available in our shop, except for the drill. We splurged and spent $17 on a regular 110-volt hand drill at Harbor Freight (my real tools are too good to use for this process). The drill will get greasy and slopped up, so we caution you against using your good tools as well.
We keep a lid on top of the mixing bucket to help contain splashes. To feed the mixing shaft to the drill, we bored a 1-inch diameter hole and fed the bit through. In spite of how simple this apparatus looks, it works amazingly well. Set the speed of the drill somewhere around 1,000 RPMs and let it run for 30 minutes continuously. This ensures a complete and thorough reaction. You don't have to babysit this part of the process. We always set a kitchen timer and take care of other tasks while the mixer is running.
After the timer beeps, turn off the drill and remove the bucket from the mixer. Set the bucket aside, place a lid on it and let it stand overnight. It will take at least 12 hours for the glycerin to settle out.
