While I was mixing up clay for my outdoor tub using my handheld cement mixer, I noted that some of it was being flung about a bit. I got into the tub and enjoyed the clay being thrown onto my legs as I mixed it. That got my brain working about how to make something (like a muck spreader) that I could use to fling mud onto myself.

It wouldn't have to be a lot at once, and I wouldn't want it to go far (maybe 2 feet), but if I stayed in front if it for a while, I would slowly get covered.

I have two thoughts, but wanted to get your ideas. I thought about the two ways I know of muck spreaders working - a paddle or a pump.

1 - A motor with a paddle. I'm not sure what might work for this - a small boat motor, where I replace the prop with a paddle? It have to be strong and fast enough to toss a cup of thick mud about 2 feet. Any thoughts about other things with motors I could use as a base for this?

Or, I could come with with some hand crank on a gear, attached to a chain, attached to a another gear that's on a frame with a paddle attached.

2 - A sludge pump. Very expensive, but are designed for these things. It might be overkill for the purpose.

Any other ideas? I don't really want to go the air cannon route for this, as that's a lot of effort for one "blast"; since I do have a basin of mud to work with, I'd like to use that advantage.

I already have a bucket/frame for dumping it down onto my head, but I like the idea of the flinging/spraying effect for a different type of experience.

I love the idea of this. What I'm wondering is how you want to supply the mud - do you want to place the thing inside a big crate full of mud, or feed it mud through a tube?

The first appliance I'm thinking of would be something like a modified blender or food processor without the glass bowl. I wonder if the engine on that would be powerful enough though. Or an outboard motor for a boat, but those are a bit more expensive.

I've already got a cattle watering trough full of mud, so something I can lower into that was my first thought. The boat trolling motor might work well for that, as they come with a bracket to attach to the side of the trough.

But as I also have a wooden frame to go over the trough where I can put a 5 gallon bucket with a hole in the bottom, I could come up with something that would propel that mud as it fell. I've used a tube with that as well, although I found after fighting with clogs in the tube, I just took it out and used the bucket hole directly.