Tailgator Blender Base

thingiverse

Tailgator was a brand of cordless blenders designed specifically for making mixed drinks at tailgating events, backyard parties, and other outdoor gatherings. This blender is powered by a Weed Eater 2-stroke internal combustion engine, adding an extra layer of excitement to the party. I recently repaired one of these blenders for a friend, who was missing the base. I designed this custom base in Fusion 360 using 6 feet from McMaster Carr (https://www.mcmaster.com/#9541k3). The engine's lower plastic shroud doubles as a crankcase cover and is sealed to the crankcase with a gasket and 4 bolts. Maintaining this seal is crucial, as it directly affects the engine's performance. The original designers used 4 10-24 thread-forming screws for this purpose. However, the Tailgator engineers removed two of these screws and installed a base that holds the engine's crank vertically to power the blender. When I disassembled the engine for repair, I replaced the screws with studs and added a new gasket. Thin nuts now secure the lower shroud in place (I highly recommend using Loc-Tite). The base/stand mounts on the same studs and is held by 4 nylock nuts. This design allows the lower shroud/gasket to remain intact even if the base is removed or replaced. Unfortunately, the plastic shroud's varying thickness prevents the thin nuts from seating properly in their countersinks. As a result, some of these nuts protrude above the surface, causing the base to become crooked. I compensated for this issue by using flat washers to level out the base when attached to the engine and placed on a stable table. Future iterations of this design could incorporate counterbores to clear the thin nuts, ensuring that the base rests solely on the shroud surfaces. Additionally, flanged nylock nuts might be used to improve performance with the lower shroud. In the future, I plan to create an improved version with centrally mounted feet and sufficient clearance for a spring clamp or similar device. This would allow the blender to be securely attached to a table or picnic bench without requiring constant supervision. As it stands now, the blender vibrates excessively when unattended, causing it to shift around on the surface.