Paint Stirrer/Mixer 3/8"(or 10mm) Drill Attachment

A drill attachment for 3/8" / 10mm drills.    This print is designed to be printed standing up.   I recommend printing with a brim. but no supports required.   Designed to stir 1 gal paint cans, but usable and helpful for larger and smaller containers.    UPDATED 4.17.24 to include a version with a stronger shaft.

Two versions are available:

8"/200mm tall version that will fit on Prusa i3 print bed (210mm max height).

9.25"/235mm tall version that will fit on printers with a larger build height, for example a Bambu Labs X1C,etc print bed (250mm max height).  

NEW: A 10" (255mm) tall “two piece” version, where a hexagonal shaft is printed separately from the impeller.   The layer lines parallel to the shaft's length will make the shaft stronger than the 1 piece design, and is better suited if you are trying to remix very old paint with lumpy or solid paint settled out in the can. Assembled this version will be about 255 mm (10”).   These should be printed with a brim, but no supports are required.   After printing remove the brim and insert the shaft into the impeller with a drop or two of glue.

The impeller diameter on both is 2.75"/70mm

I printed versions from ASA and PETG, with 6 perimeter walls and 25% infill, strongly recommend settings like these to improve strength.        To maximimze strength and durability, the shaft that fits into the drill chuck is a full 3/8", so fits into the (common) 3/8" or 10mm drill chucks.    I tested both the PETG and ASA versions in paint and water solutions.

The  9,25" and 10" versions are long enough to fully reach the bottom of a 1 gal paint can, while the 8" version is very close, but may not be quite long enough if the can is 100% full.    If you run the mixer with clockwise rotation (tighten), the impeller will be down-pumping, which should allow users to mix up material on the very bottom of a can.    The 8" should be a good size for 2.5L paint cans.

These mixers are also useful for mixing and emulsifying garden chemicals in water.

With 25% infill, these parts will require about 50gms of filament.     I printed the pictured stirrers on a Prusa i3MK3S and a Bambu Labs X1C.