Concrete and Mortar Mixing

[padroo]

I have mixed a lot of mortar and concrete in my life, both as a masons laborer and later as a home owner building my own house and garage.

A lot of the jobs were the five gallon bucket variety and Using a drill with differs paddle type mixers have given different results. My old 1/2 inch drill with a big gear reduction finally died and ended up with several projects and all I had was my light duty HF drill. The light duty drill would get hot if I tried mixing by adding water to the dry mix so I ended up adding the mortor to water
Or concrete to the water not good.

Anyway I bought a professional tool that will dry mix and not smoke your drill. It does an excellent job of bringing the dry stuff to the top for even mixing. It only takes half the time. It is kind of pricey but worth the money.


http://www.amazon.com/dp/B008BK7WCU/?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[homebuilt burner]

I have been looking for something like this. Can you give some dimensions? how long? how big around?

 

[theoldwizard1]

KIND OF PRICEY ! I will continue to mix mine by hand 1/2 5 gallon bucket at a time.

 

[kbs2244]

I have a son that is a mason.
When he was putting down the 3 block high bottom of my shop's walls I was surprised to see him use a big Milwaukee drill, the mixer that the drywall guys use, and a 5 gal pail to mix his mortar.

 

[Sh40674]

i bought one of these at our local menards and just use a mortar mixer or paddle what have you, attached to it. burned up a regular drill a while back mixing leveling concrete, no issues with this one.
https://www.menards.com/main/tools-...mp-5-8-spade-handle-drill/p-1444436496399.htm

 

[m.breen]

When I was a mason, there was times when an architect would specify what type of machine is to be used to mix the mortar. If i remember correctly, it was always when we were building a custom house for the architect. It was usually the big heavy mortar mixers with the paddles, although I do recall one that wanted a barrel cement mixer. Reason was the different amounts of air that would be introduced into the mix. I do mine with a hoe.

 

[EOC_Jason]

I've always mixed mine in a wheelbarrow & hoe...

I helped my neighbor build a little shed and we put down 30 bags of sackcrete dry (he wanted to), figuring it would wick up the moisture from the ground & air. Well he covered it with plastic a little too well and nothing happened so eventually he put a hose on it just trickled to soak the whole thing. Worked better than I thought it would, he had to go over it with one of those blocks but still better than hand-mixing 30 bags...

 

[Hilltopmasonry]

I have mixed a lot of mortar and concrete in my life, both as a masons laborer and later as a home owner building my own house and garage.

A lot of the jobs were the five gallon bucket variety and Using a drill with differs paddle type mixers have given different results. My old 1/2 inch drill with a big gear reduction finally died and ended up with several projects and all I had was my light duty HF drill. The light duty drill would get hot if I tried mixing by adding water to the dry mix so I ended up adding the mortor to water
Or concrete to the water not good.

Anyway I bought a professional tool that will dry mix and not smoke your drill. It does an excellent job of bringing the dry stuff to the top for even mixing. It only takes half the time. It is kind of pricey but worth the money.


http://www.amazon.com/dp/B008BK7WCU/?tag=atomicindus08-20

I have used a dewalt drill with a mix paddle for years since most of my jobs don't require our towable mixer anymore. I have been eyeing that auger bit for a while since mixing buckets of concrete is a PITA with a drill but hesitating that $90 price tag. If it works well ill buy it, let me know how you like it!


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[Zeke]

Why add water to dry mix to begin with? You should know the ratio of water to mix before you start. You can adjust as you finish up.

 

[rburke65]

Huh? Why add water? Cause you need it....so it will get hard! Don't understand the reply Zeke....

 

[Zeke]

Huh? Why add water? Cause you need it....so it will get hard! Don't understand the reply Zeke....

It was in reference to the procedure. All the instructions on the bags I use say how much water per bag and to add the dry mix to the water, not the other way around. If only using a partial bag, you have to portion the mixture.

Adding water to the dry mix makes it difficult to get the bottom corners of the bucket mixed. If the water was down there in the first place, that would be a non issue.

 

[Hilltopmasonry]

It was in reference to the procedure. All the instructions on the bags I use say how much water per bag and to add the dry mix to the water, not the other way around. If only using a partial bag, you have to portion the mixture.



Adding water to the dry mix makes it difficult to get the bottom corners of the bucket mixed. If the water was down there in the first place, that would be a non issue.

Putting water in the bucket first makes a mess when you drop the cement in. Usually causes the water to splash out all over your legs/ boots. Every one i know puts the dry mix in first because even if you put water in first dropping the dry mix in pushes the water to the top anyhow creating the same problem of the dry mix at the bottom..

I always mix it a little wet/soupy to get the bottom mixed up the add a little dry mix to stiffen it up to the right consistency


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[PWC Repair]

I just use the antique concrete mixer that I borrowed and the guy never wanted it back. It had no motor and a broken pulley. I welded the pulley and jerry rigged an old dryer motor to it. When I say antique, I'm talking this thing has square headed bolts!

 

[Zeke]

Putting water in the bucket first makes a mess when you drop the cement in. Usually causes the water to splash out all over your legs/ boots. Every one i know puts the dry mix in first because even if you put water in first dropping the dry mix in pushes the water to the top anyhow creating the same problem of the dry mix at the bottom..

I always mix it a little wet/soupy to get the bottom mixed up the add a little dry mix to stiffen it up to the right consistency

Nothing wrong with that method and have used it myself especially when mixing a half bag. I might be thinking patching plaster more than cement mixtures. Getting the lumps out of the gypsum can be troubling if you do the dry method.

 

[Sh40674]

when i mix something i have a 1" pipe i stick to the bottom of the bucket and put a funnel on top.. when i pour the water i start pouring down the pip lifting it slowly until it's out. sounds strange but that little bit of extra water starting at the bottom makes a difference. as i pull the pip i point it back and fourth around the bucket to help spread water. might not save much time but mixing is easier.

 

[padroo]

With the mixer I mentioned you don't need a big drill, I broke my big drill and All I had was my small HF 1/2 drill. This mixer will dry mix and the auger brings the mix from the bottom to the top. I tell you from my experience it is worth the money. When I built my house 36 x 90 including two fire places I wish I had this.
My garage is 32 X 40 all block.
A cement mixer is a poor choice for mortar, it will mix it but you can't get it out of the mixer like a powered mortar mixer, I have used both.

 

[bdamico]

my mixing paddles are tired of cleaning crete from under their fingernails