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By Michael D. Grissom
#2301
Most of us know how to put a warm can of soda or beer on top of the ice and slowly roll 'walk' it with index and middle finger for 4 minutes to make it ice cold. Just putting it in the freezer would take about 25~35 minutes. Why not build a battery operated set of soft rubber rollers to simulate your fingers. This would work in the freezer ice tray, a bowl of ice, or your favorite cooler on the beach.
User avatar
By Steve
#2428
Very cool (quite literally), didn't know of that! I assume though that it doesn't work so well with beer bottles because the glass is much thicker?
User avatar
By Michael D. Grissom
#2434
True, glass is too much of a thermal insulator.

I remember now that it was my dad who taught me this trick when I ask him why the ice cream maker needed to turn continuously.
#2474
I should have searched on "CHILLERS" instead of "COOLERS".

The two different units I found were the "INSTANCOOL" and the "AMAZING BEER CHILLER" at http://www.beerchiller.com Both are around $14.00

So,... I guess it was a good idea after all. After posting this, I decided to make a prototype to see how fast it would bring a can from warm to ice cold -- it only takes 60 seconds. I was so impressed with the performance that I decided to search the world more thoroughly to see if anyone had actually done this and found these two units.

For my prototype (should anyone care to make one), I bought a $4.74 toy 4-wheel-drive, 5" long, monster truck with soft rubber tires (Wal Mart), cut the rear wheels off and installed the single AA battery. I put a warm can of Coke in a bowl of ice, set the wheel-less rear of the truck in the ice, the front tires on the top of the can, threw the switch, and about 60 seconds later it was ice cold.

I've been using it for a few days now and will NEVER go back to using refrigerator space for cans. Besides, this gizmo gets the drink much colder than the refrig does and I can keep it next to my computer.
User avatar
By Steve
#2475
WOW! Now that leaves me speachless with an open mouth... (good to insert cold beer, hehe). :-D

Don't know how well you are technologically equipped (scanner? digital camera?) but maybe you can post a picture of your prototype? ;-D

Sometimes, when I don't have cold beer in the house, I don't have ice either. Can your truck operate directly in the freezer as well, or will it kill the battery?
User avatar
By Michael D. Grissom
#2476
I works fine in the freezer but it's not noticably faster to cool that way. I also tried it with salt and it DOES freeze the coke but strains the motor a tad with the added friction.

I still haven't been able to find a way to post GIF's and JPEG's on this forum. Copy/paste doesn't work. I tried to paste copies of the two chillers I found on the internet -- no luck.

My roomate has a digital camera so, if a proto pic can be posted here, I'll do it -- just let me know how. It does look really neat seeing this tiny toy monster truck continuously trying to climb up on the Coke can. Also, I tried the proceedure you gave me before but I still didn't succeed. That's why I put the URL's in my last response.
User avatar
By Steve
#2477
You can only post images if they already reside somewhere on the internet and if you can refer to them via an URL.

Support for uploading images will be added later this year (depending on the demand), but not right now. In the meantime, just send me the pics you want posted, and I'll add them. The more you bug me with stuff like this, the quicker I'll make sure that it's automatic. ;-) [/img]
User avatar
By Michael D. Grissom
#2478
Okay,.. I'll try the BBCode thing in this response.

Image
User avatar
By Michael D. Grissom
#2479
Well, that didn't work very well. I'll try another way.

Image
User avatar
By Michael D. Grissom
#2480
AND!!!!... (drum roll please)... for the other one:

Image
User avatar
By Steve
#2510
Amazing! 8-o Just hope that it's possible to recycle that stuff...
User avatar
By Michael D. Grissom
#2512
I'll get back to you on this as soon as I finish looking up the word "recycle". ;-)
User avatar
By Steve
#2513
Oh, you Americans... :-D
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