Market construction tools offers large selection concrete mixers for every taste and budget. From the simplest - for mixing small volumes of masonry and plaster mortars, to powerful forced-action concrete mixers in which hard concrete mixtures are prepared. Despite this, many self-builders prefer not to buy a concrete mixer in a store, but to make it with their own hands from trash lying around in the barn. How to assemble such a homemade product, and is it worth the bother of making it? The answers are in the article.
- How to make a concrete mixer from a barrel and an engine from washing machine
- How to turn a concrete mixer into a sifter for sand, gravel and crushed stone
- What tools are needed to make homemade products?
- Is it profitable to make a homemade concrete mixer?
How to make an inexpensive concrete mixer from a steel barrel and an electric motor from a washing machine
lariprof User FORUMHOUSE
When building the bathhouse, I mixed concrete by hand in a trough. This method is suitable for small volumes, but not for building something larger. Too much effort is wasted on “hand-to-hand” mixing of concrete. I didn’t want to buy an expensive concrete mixer, but spending money on a cheap but short-lived one would be a waste of money. I looked on the Internet what homemade concrete mixers are made from. I liked a couple of mobile designs from ordinary ones metal barrels for 200 liters. I bought a used oil container at a car depot and, based on it, profile pipes, a Bendix with a crown from a Volga and an old engine from a washing machine, I assembled a cheap concrete mixer.
The following is placed in the concrete mixer:
- 4 buckets enriched sand and gravel mixture;
- 1 bucket of cement;
- 1.5 buckets of water;
- 1 bucket of sand.
The washing machine motor copes with the load and does not overheat.
Close-up of a concrete mixer drive.
The drive is protected by a tin cover.
In the rain, the start button is covered with a plastic bag.
The second concrete mixer, made from what was at hand, was made AfanasievichRUS.
AfanasievichRUS User FORUMHOUSE
I didn’t want to spend 12 - 25 thousand rubles on buying a concrete mixer. and made it myself from various rubbish, a barrel and an electric motor from a washing machine. Homemade mixer I have been using it for concrete for several years now. In principle, everything suits me. The metal of the barrel is of course thin, but everything can be fixed by welding. Blades for stirring the mixture are welded inside the barrel. To make a concrete mixer I needed:
- two hundred liter barrel;
- engine with a power of 0.45 kW at 3400 rpm;
- pulley from the seeder;
- a wheel from a children's bicycle;
- rim from a bicycle wheel for adults;
- chain from an Izh motorcycle;
- bearing with bushing from the rear wheel of an Izh motorcycle.
We invite you to watch a video showing the operation of this concrete mixer.
The yield of the finished mixture is 100 - 120 l.
How to make a cheap sifter for sand and crushed stone from a concrete mixer
chichic User FORUMHOUSE
I don’t have much space on my site, so when I brought in sand and crushed stone, they were dumped into one pile. Over the course of several years, they got mixed up. I didn’t want to sift through this volume manually. So I made a sifter out of a concrete mixer.
We'll tell you how to make this necessary household device:
- Take two strips of galvanized metal 100 and 200 mm wide.
- Bend a strip 100 mm wide and tighten it with bolts around the neck of the concrete mixer.
- Bend a 200 mm wide strip into a ring and secure the ends with rivets.
- Cut the mesh with a 6 mm mesh to the diameter of the ring with an overlap. Bend the ends and secure them with rivets to the ring through a metal tape.
It turned out to be a large sieve. For ease of operation, screw the handles onto the sieve.
Insert the sieve into the concrete mixer with the mesh side down.
Turn on the concrete mixer and sift through the bulk materials. Then stop the concrete mixer and only then remove the sieve!
The sifted sand and stone dust remain in the “pear”.
Finished products.
chichic User FORUMHOUSE
I liked the homemade product. I plan to buy a mesh with a mesh size of 4 mm and 8 mm and make two more sieves for different jobs.
- Do not sift the bulk until full load concrete mixers. It is enough to sift 8 shovels and immediately pour the contents of the concrete mixer into the bag. If you fill the entire “pear” with sand, it will be compressed at the bottom into a dense mass. It is inconvenient to pack it in bags.
- If during operation you need to stop the concrete mixer filled with concrete and then turn it on again, then turn the “pear” so that its mouth is directed upward. Only then start the concrete mixer and turn the “pear” at the desired angle for normal mixing of the mixture. This will reduce the load on the motor and drive, and they will last longer.
Another sifter design for bulk building materials from Vitek.
Tools for making a homemade concrete mixer
You will need a standard kit for any DIYer:
- Bulgarian;
- powerful drill;
- welding inverter;
- set of locksmith tools and consumables- cutting and cleaning discs for angle grinders, electrodes, metal drills.
Is it profitable to make a concrete mixer with your own hands?
Practice shows that homemade products are profitable if you have “unnecessary” ones lying around the household electric motors, pulleys, chains, gears, metal, etc. A used 200-liter barrel costs a penny, but its bottom will have to be strengthened, and the top of the barrel will have to be narrowed to a cone. A “pear” made from a barrel, due to its thin walls, is inferior in strength and durability to a high-quality factory one made of thick metal. Do not forget to add the time spent on its manufacture to the cost of the concrete mixer and, if not, the cost of purchasing necessary materials and tools. So study first construction market and offers from private owners.
If you want to save money, consider buying a used concrete mixer. The main thing is not to purchase a dead unit with a worn-out drive and an engine that is “tired” due to overload.
Do you want to buy a concrete mixer, but don’t know which one to get so that it lasts a long time and doesn’t break? The answer is in the topic where practical experience is collected real users and provide advice to concrete mixer manufacturers.
- Do you want to know the proportions of high-quality self-mixing concrete? Do you think that self-mixed concrete is more profitable than purchased concrete? The material describes in detail how to independently mix a mixture of sand, water, cement and crushed stone in a concrete mixer, so as not to be disappointed with the result.
- Those DIYers who need an inexpensive profile bender will learn how to make one from spare parts from old cars in the article.
- Spring is just around the corner and soon chainsaws will be roaring around the plots. In order not to overstrain yourself when sawing firewood and to significantly speed up and simplify this process, read the article which shows 5 options for sawhorses for sawing logs and 3 options for wood splitters.
The video Concrete and concrete mixtures tells where it is better to buy concrete, and what ingredients and additives are needed to make it yourself.
Anyone who has even installed a fence on posts has had a question: how to make a concrete mixer with your own hands? It’s a painfully boring and tedious task to shovel the solution in a bucket or trough. And if you need to form a floor screed, then you won’t be able to do it with your hands at all: the “dry”, very viscous solution will begin to set before you “puncture” it to the desired homogeneity. Buying a factory-made one, especially if you build irregularly, is expensive; the equipment is not cheap. Renting will also cost a lot: concrete work an hour or two do not continue, and you need to give a deposit in the amount of the full cost of a new one.
Meanwhile, a homemade concrete mixer is not God knows what kind of device, and for minor works, including pouring the foundation of a country house, it is quite possible to make it yourself. The time spent will more than pay off by speeding up mixing and improving the quality of work in general: the next portion of ready-made concrete will have time to prepare and be poured before irreversible changes occur in the previous one, reducing the strength of the monolith.
Why can't you use a drill?
Almost everyone has at least once seen how a solution is mixed in a bucket with a drill with a mixer attachment. It would seem that this is the solution! I pulled the drill with the mixer with a clamp to the bracket, and know, change bucket by bucket.
Firstly, the drill is not designed for long-term operation and will not last long in this mode. But this is not the main obstacle. Anyone who has mixed a solution in this way knows: when mixing, the tool must be moved back and forth and in a circle. Otherwise, when dumping the solution, you will see lumps of sand, and this is an unacceptable defect. Therefore, mechanical forced mixing in a stationary tub is not used in industrial conditions either - the mechanism for moving the mixer turns out to be complex, expensive and unreliable.
How do concrete mixers work?
Since we are talking about mixing methods, it doesn’t hurt to figure out how a concrete mixer generally works. And it will also be useful for a complete understanding of what follows.
There are mainly four methods of mixing cement-sand mortar:
- gravitational;
- forced mechanical;
- forced vibration;
- combined gravitational-mechanical.
With gravity mixing the container with the solution components is tipped over, the solution plops down on itself and is mixed at the same time. You can’t mix a large volume this way; the quality of the finished concrete is only satisfactory, so this method is not used in industry. But you can quickly and easily make a quite decent gravity concrete mixer for yourself, see below.
With vibration mixing the tub remains motionless, and the mixer-kneader excites compression waves in the mass of the initial mixture, which mix and compact the solution very well. The disadvantage of this method is high energy consumption: for 20 liters of solution a 1.3 kW mixer-vibrator drive is required. But the quality of the concrete is exceptional, so vibromixing is used for especially critical structures: hydroelectric dams, etc. In this case, to save energy, the pre-mixed solution is poured into the formwork and “finished” with vibrators on site. But you can make a small vibrating mixer yourself; this will be discussed later.
Forced mechanical mixing not used in its pure form; why - stated above. In the vast majority of cases, mechanical mixing is combined with gravitational mixing: a mixer rotates in a horizontal or inclined tub, or the tub itself rotates with protrusions inside. It is quite possible to make this kind of concrete mixer yourself, and much faster and easier than it seems at first glance. Drawings, if necessary, are at your service via the link, and here we will look at the principles of operation and features of various designs.
It couldn't be simpler
Take a look at the picture. This is the simplest gravity concrete mixer. You can even mix dry mortar on a screed in it: the pipe-axis will cut the mortar when transferring, so some forced mixing also takes place in this machine. And this contraption can be further simplified and reduced in price to the point that an average amateur master who knows the basics welding work, can make one in literally an hour and a half to two.
There is no need to make holes in a rather expensive milk can: leaky milk can will do. We weld the fistula or crack, and fasten the lid like this: we thread a piece of pipe or just a stick into the handle of the lid and pull it tightly to the handles of the tub with a rope or a thick rubber cord; will go torn for attaching cargo to the top trunk of a car.
Turned axles for attaching the tub to the axle are also not needed: we simply weld the weld-in, and for aluminum we weld a couple of suitable pieces of metal to the axle - a rod, strips 6-8 mm thick, and attach the tub to them with bolts. And you can do without couplings from pieces of pipe, not to mention bearing ones: we cut out U-shaped recesses in the frame posts by welding, the axle will simply lie in them. It will rotate with creaking and jerking, but it will knead properly.
There is only one drawback to such a mixer: it is difficult to rotate, and the kneading lasts from 5 to 15 minutes. depending on the viscosity of the solution. But labor productivity increases at least three times compared to a bucket and shovel, and the quality of concrete for independent construction such as a simple manual concrete mixer produces is quite acceptable.
Forced kneading: parts and components
Correct design of a homemade concrete mixer tub
The design described above allows you to quickly and with acceptable quality pour the foundation for country house or a barn. If you are starting a larger construction project, you will need a forced concrete mixer. They are also available for self-production; there are simpler and more complex designs. Let's look at the individual nodes first.
Tub
A cylindrical tub for a mechanical or combination mixer is, generally speaking, not good. The solution in the corners will not mix properly, or you will have to rotate for a very long time, straining or consuming electricity. An exception is the concrete mixer with a rotating horizontal bucket and comb mixers, described below.
A tub from a barrel, the most accessible one, should be at least slightly rounded: cut by welding and boiled into an “egg” or “pear”, as shown in the figure. For small portions of solution, an excellent tub is made from two basins; galvanized or enameled - it doesn’t matter. If the mixer is used from time to time, plastic ones will also work, fastened along the rim with a curved trough with a metal strip secured with a bolt. The bottom of one of the basins is cut out, and such a tub can only be tilted: it is impossible to arrange a side unloading.
The neck of a tilting tub with top discharge must in any case be reinforced with a transverse bar; better - two, welded crosswise.
Drive
The ring gear used in factory-made mixers is expensive and you can’t make it yourself: you need special equipment. For a complete replacement, the following parts are needed:
- A flywheel from a car engine, an old one from any car will do.
- The bending gear (with which the starter is connected to the flywheel) comes from the same place.
- Wheel hub from the same car.
What such an assembled drive looks like can be seen in the figure on the right. The axis on which the flywheel and the bucket rotate with it, the root end enters the coupling with ball bearing No. 208, located inside the hub.
This is one option; the second is to weld the hub to the flywheel, and attach a bucket to the hub with bolts behind the bottom. In this case, the bearing coupling is attached to the flywheel, and a second coupling is needed to reinforce the neck of the tub. The bearing of the upper coupling with a tilting tub with a top discharge will always get solution, so this solution is justified only with a horizontal tub with a side discharge and solid bottoms.
If you find a mechanical gearbox with the desired gear ratio, great - just connect it to the axle. For an inclined tub, a direct gearbox is preferable; for horizontal - angular, but here the master is afraid, see for yourself how it will be more convenient for you.
The rotation speed of the tub is 30-50 rpm. At a higher speed, the solution will begin to splash, and at a lower speed it will not mix well. To ensure the required speed, the gear drive is, if necessary, supplemented with a belt drive, as shown in the same figure.
The engine power is taken at the rate of 20 W/l for an inclined rotating tub, 15 W/l for a horizontal rotating one and 12 W/l for a stationary tub and a mixer rotating on an axis. The indicated power is the minimum; a big one, of course, won't hurt. Volume refers to the volume of solution of normal viscosity, not the entire volume of the bucket. That is, if you have a 1.2 kW engine, then in a tub of 200 liters of barrel you can load only 60 liters of regular solution, and 45 liters of dry screed. Therefore, when choosing a vessel for a tub, you should not chase volume; you must first decide on the motor and go from there.
Mixer
The design of the mixer for a homemade mixer is not particularly important. Its design is important for large volume industrial mixers. But location matters.
In homemade mixers, especially with a tub from a barrel, it is better to weld the mixer to the axis: alternating loads on thin-walled vessel will not benefit its longevity. The exception is that in everything except the complexity of manufacturing, the comb mixer is an excellent one.
Designs of homemade concrete mixers
Simple mechanical
Open type concrete mixer
A simple concrete mixer with forced mechanical mixing is shown in the figure. Its advantage compared to the one described above is its larger volume. The drive is not necessarily electric; it can also be manual. Unloading - lateral tilt of the tub.
The main drawback is common to mixers with a cylindrical bucket: poor mixing in the corners. The second drawback is the spraying of the solution at speeds of more than 35/min. It can be eliminated by welding the cut part of the barrel into place after assembling the mixer and cutting a hatch in it.
The duration of mixing the usual solution is 5 minutes; dry – 12 min.
Video: horizontal mortar mixer from a barrel
Combined horizontal with combs
This stirrer can also be manual or electric. There are two advantages, and very significant ones: high homogeneity and, accordingly, quality of concrete and speed of mixing. This DIY concrete mixer from a barrel produces concrete of excellent quality, not inferior to the best industrial designs, and the mixing speed is determined not by time, but by the number of revolutions: turn it 3-4 times, and the solution is ready.
There is only one drawback: the complexity of the design. Even a manual one consists of several dozen items of parts. Names, not pieces. Special attention during manufacture, it requires an unloading hatch: the card loops, latches and seal for it must be very strong and reliable. However, for cases where it is necessary to perform a significant amount of work in a limited time in places without power supply, this is perhaps an indispensable option. Concrete mixers of this type are produced by industry.
Construction of a concrete mixer with a tilting bucket
"Real Electric"
The electric concrete mixer of the most common design, which is most often copied by amateur craftsmen, does not require any special explanation. Its diagram is shown in the figure. Many designs differing in details have been described, and detailed drawings are also easily accessible, so we will only give some explanations:
- The bottom and neck of the tub must be reinforced with cross-welded strips.
- It is better to make the tub rotating integrally with the axis: this complicates the design of the frame, but eliminates the need to seal the shaft in the bottom of the tub, which is why homemade stirrers most often they do not last long.
- The best mixer for such a mixer is a frame type, welded to the axle.
Video: homemade “electric mixer” for 180 liters
Vibrating
Many home craftsmen who have a 1-1.3 kW hammer drill with manual forced (not requiring the working element to be pressed against the wall) activation of the impact mechanism tried to make vibrating concrete mixers, but most often the design turned out to be unsuccessful.
Typical errors are as follows:
Design of vibrating concrete mixer
- Wrong choice of tub. It must be round, high enough and not very wide: the optimal distance from the edges of the vibrator to the walls is approximately equal to its radius.
- Flat vibrator. Vibrator from metal sheet will not excite in solution the required system internal waves. The vibrator profile should at least approximately correspond to that shown in the figure. A good vibrator is made from two plates or saucers put together; preferably metal ones.
- The vibrator is too big. Vibrator diameter – 15-20 cm/kW. That is, a 1.3 kW preforator will pull a vibrator from 25 cm plates. A wider one, even if it will be visible eye twitch, will not “rock” the solution.
- Incorrect placement of the vibrator. The vibrator should be located along the axis of the tub at a distance of approximately its diameter from the bottom. The level of the solution above the vibrator should also be approximately equal to its diameter.
If the specified conditions are met, the quality of the solution is excellent. Control the duration of the kneading - on the surface of the solution. It stopped gurgling and moving, waves began to appear - the solution is ready. If the cement or sand is not so good, it may not reach the waves. In this case - 10 minutes minimum.
Conclusion
It’s not difficult to make a concrete mixer with your own hands, and the speed of work increases much even with the most the simplest stirrer. And, of course, it’s more pleasant to sip tea from a thermos while kneading than to strain yourself with a shovel. Not from a seagull or from a thermos - it is categorically not recommended: the quality of work falls catastrophically even with the most advanced technology.
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Any construction, as a rule, involves the implementation of a number of works using cement mortar. Concreting seems especially relevant for owners country houses, which are in a state of “permanent” repair and improvement of the surrounding area. In this case, the use of concrete is in demand everywhere: when pouring garden paths, and during the installation of walkways, and during the construction of a fence.
Due to such an urgent need for cement mortar, required quantity which is determined by the scale of the work being carried out, many builders mix concrete mixtures with their own hands or prefer to purchase them ready-made. This is, of course, very convenient, although sometimes not entirely rational, because the cost of cement mortar is quite high, and often not so much of it is required. In addition, it is not always possible to use professional services for the production of concrete and its transportation to the work site.
Much more reasonable with economic point It will be easier to mix the solution yourself - it will cost an order of magnitude cheaper, and, importantly, will not require significant time investment. With enough patience and some effort, you can make concrete by hand, but it is better to buy (rent) a high-quality concrete mixer for this purpose or construct a concrete mixer yourself.
A 200 l barrel was used, an electric motor of 250 W/1430 rpm. 220V. A wheel from a Ural motorcycle was taken, the middle part was cut out, 2 rings were welded together, the resulting pulley was welded to the bottom of the barrel. Frame - 59 tube, channel and 2 belts.
For this purpose, various cement mixtures, as the most affordable building material today. If the amount of work is small, then you can prepare a cement mortar construction mixer or in a small bucket, stirring it with a shovel.
But if you need a path in front of the house and pedestrian paths, build a stone shed or make a fence with concrete base and brick pillars, then it is advisable to have a mechanism on hand that will ensure the preparation of a cement or concrete mixture. In we will tell you how to make a concrete mixer with your own hands and what materials you will need for this.
Existing types of concrete mixers
The main types of devices for preparing cement mortar or concrete are determined by the mixing method.
It could be:
- gravitational, based on simple turning over constituent components of the mixture;
- mechanical, which resembles gravity, but to improve mixing, additional dissecting elements are added to the design;
- vibration, in which the mixture is prepared thanks to a vibrator immersed in it;
- combined, where two or three mixing methods are used simultaneously.
Each type of concrete mixer has its own positive and negative qualities, which depend on the cost of materials, the complexity of production and the required level of quality of the concrete solution prepared in them.
Gravity-type mechanisms
This is the simplest manual concrete mixer with your own hands, requiring a minimum of cost and effort in manufacturing. However, the quality of the prepared mixture in such a device can be called no more than satisfactory, and it will not be possible to produce large volumes of solution in it.
And yet, with relatively small needs for mortar, given the simplicity and low cost, such a do-it-yourself concrete mixer is quite widely used when performing construction work on personal plots.
Structurally, its design is a horizontally located, closed container with an opening door through which components are supplied. For more convenient use of a gravity-type concrete mixer, it is installed on a welded support frame.
You can use a metal can or an ordinary steel barrel as a container. After placing the necessary materials through the door, close it tightly, and begin to rotate the container using the handle. After mixing, the gravity-type concrete mixer is turned with the door down, and the finished solution is dumped through it into a tray.
Mechanical mixers
A homemade mechanical concrete mixer with your own hands is very similar in appearance to a gravitational one. The main difference is inside her.
These are guide and cutting blades welded to the inner walls of the container. They direct the fall of the overturned layers, cutting them into separate parts. In this case, the dough will be of higher quality and in a shorter time. The presence of blades changes the very principle of gravitational mixing. Therefore, the working container can be positioned not only horizontally, but also at an angle, which allows for more efficient use of the volume of the concrete mixer and makes work more convenient.
Schematic illustration of a mechanical concrete mixer. In addition, a working container installed at an angle to the horizontal no longer requires a sealed lid, and the finished mixture can be dumped through a constantly open hole by turning the working container itself over.
Making a working container
You can also use a steel barrel as a working container, to the inner walls of which steel blades should be welded at an angle of 30-35 degrees. The height of the blades should be equal to a quarter of the diameter of the barrel. It is possible to weld the blades to a rotating shaft running inside.
More difficult option There will be a container of our own design, a kind of homemade product. To do this, you will need a piece of thin-walled steel pipe with a wall thickness of 2.5-3.5 mm, a diameter of at least 800 mm and a length of at least a meter.
The supporting frame is best made from steel profile pipes. One side of the pipe is welded with a steel circle. On the other side, 4-6 triangular segments are cut out, which are folded to the middle and welded together. The result is a container resembling a pear. The blades are welded inside the pear, and in the center, with outside bottom, - a steel axle for subsequent fastening of the drive pulley.
They are less susceptible to bending than angle bars and are relatively lightweight. The frame design should include the installation of support wheels on which the container will rest, and a platform for installing the electric motor.
The frame itself should consist of two parts:
- the support on which the entire structure will rest;
- rotating, on which the working container will rest.
Support frame with handle and wheels. The supporting and rotating parts of the frame are connected to each other through short shafts mounted in bearings or bushings.
A transverse handle must be welded to one of the shafts to allow tilting of the rotating part of the frame, and with it the working container, which will lie on the frame, resting on wheels.
Mechanical concrete mixer drive
The drive for rotating the mixer in devices of this type is extremely rare and only with a small volume of working capacity. Typically, an electric motor connected to the mixer through a belt drive is used for rotation.
It is even better to connect the electric drive through a gearbox, but a self-made concrete mixer in this case will be too expensive in terms of the necessary components. In factory designs, you can see a gear drive from a motor mounted on the side of the tank, at the point of greatest diameter, but at self-production such a solution is feasible only theoretically.
Vibrating type concrete mixer
Vibrating devices are widely used in the industrial preparation of mortars and concrete mixtures, since they provide best quality final material. They are very simple in design, and then making them yourself is quite easy.
During operation, the components begin to actively mix, and water is gradually added until the required degree of solution thickness is obtained. At the end of the process, a hatch opens at the bottom of the tank, and ready mix falls into a pan or car body.
Structurally, such a concrete mixer is a stationary container located vertically. In the upper part, the necessary components for preparing mortar or concrete are loaded, a certain amount of water is added, and a submersible vibrator is lowered into the middle. If you already have your own submersible vibrator or you have the opportunity to purchase one, then making such a concrete mixer yourself will not be difficult. There are no moving or rotating parts, there is no need to invent a drive and a rotating frame design, but simply install the improved barrel design on the support frame and place the receiving tray below.
The main difficulty in operating such a design is the need to ensure a stable position of the vibrator. In order for the finished mixture to be obtained high quality, it is necessary to place the vibrator strictly in the center of the volume occupied by the prepared solution and mix it all at the same time.
On industrial enterprises For this purpose, a special lowering structure is used, on which the working mechanism is fixed.
If you decide to use a steel barrel as a working container, then first of all you need to remove the bottom and lid. After this, you need to make a truncated cone from a steel sheet, the larger diameter of which should be equal to the diameter of the barrel, and weld an opening gate to the smaller diameter. You can buy it or make it from existing corners and a steel plate with a handle - then you will get it for free. Weld the manufactured cone to the barrel, and the working container will be ready.
Now you need to install the container on a support frame, the height of which will ensure that a receiving tray can be located under the concrete mixer. It is best to install it with a slight slope or feed the solution into it through a receiving chute, and install the tray itself next to it.
In conclusion
When deciding to make a concrete mixer with your own hands, you need to understand that its manufacture will require large quantity welding and metalworking works. You must have such skills or have an assistant who can do this. It would also be a good idea to look at additional photos and video materials on the Internet, familiarizing yourself with the experience already accumulated by other people.
The work should begin with identifying the materials already available. Based on such an audit, it is necessary to make drawings or a sketch diagram of the future device. After this, purchase all the missing materials and tools, and then begin manufacturing.
Can you imagine a construction site that doesn't even have a small concrete mixer? Without such a unit, preparing a good cement mortar becomes almost impossible. When the need arises to build a small structure or simply “patch up” something, concreting becomes a popular task. Here is just a short list of situations in which you cannot do without of this instrument: pouring garden paths, arranging a foundation for a gazebo, installing a fence, and so on. In a word, concrete is needed everywhere - the only difference is the scale of the event. For household needs There is no point in buying an industrial device - the purchase will cost you prohibitively. An alternative solution would be a homemade concrete mixer with your own hands. Thanks to this article, you will learn how to make it yourself from scrap materials.
Four Principles of Mixing Concrete
Homemade concrete mixer According to the facts, you can prepare your own solution without special equipment. Many people even like to work “according to the old method.” But how much do you manage to do this way? Create a dry mix for construction using a regular drill or a mixer, that's also possible. But when it comes to sand and cement, they are powerless.
The simplest and most common mixing principle is called forced. All components are mixed in a container that is stationary. A mechanical drive is usually used for this. The working drum can be positioned vertically or horizontally.
Drawing of a horizontal concrete mixer Despite the fact that even a small forced-action concrete mixer can be very effective, it also has its disadvantages:
- “Dead zones” appear in the container. This especially applies to the space near the walls.
- Complexity of design. Rotation units must be hermetically protected from the effects of the solution, which may be aggressive.
- It is almost impossible to prepare a solution in such a unit, which includes medium and large filler.
The second principle is called gravitational. In this case, all components are mixed due to gravity. In industry, this method is rarely used, as it requires a lot of time and effort. Barrels made of metal are most often used as containers. How they are made and how to make a stand will be discussed below.
Most modern concrete mixers use a combined principle that combines the first two methods. They have the following advantages:
- Strict sealing is not necessary. The drum is open at the top; there is no need for rotation units, since any contact with the solution is excluded.
- Parts wear out much less often.
- Simplicity and reliability of operation.
- There are also no restrictions on the composition of the solution - it can be crushed stone, expanded clay, gravel, and so on.
The fourth principle of mixing is called vibrational. Recently, some craftsmen have been mixing the solution using vibration. If we talk about large-scale volumes, the results can be the most stunning. Typically, the vibration mixing principle is used when it is necessary to produce a precise reinforced concrete structure with good performance characteristics.
IN normal conditions the gearbox and drive are replaced by a powerful hammer drill (permissible minimum 1.3 kW). Its vibration action must be independent. There is no need to press the cartridge.
Concrete mixer gearbox photo In general, vibration mixing allows you to create an almost perfect concrete mixture. However, it is also not optimal for preparing a “heavy” solution.
Concrete mixer from a milk can (flask)
DIY concrete mixer from a milk can It is worth understanding that not everyone has access to electricity. summer cottage. Therefore, it would be quite logical to make a homemade product of a manual type and of small volume. A DIY concrete mixer made from a milk flask is a very simple and straightforward option. You will need the can itself, pipe scraps or any other scrap metal of a similar shape. It can be done in 2-3 hours; the main scope of work involves welding the frame.
- Taking round pipe, bend the handle as shown in the picture. Weld the water couplings at the top. Their internal diameter must exceed the diameter of the pipe used for the handle.
- Pass the tube through the flask, making holes, and then weld it to the body.
- It is extremely important to find the center of gravity of the concrete mixer with your own hands so that it can be turned easily. To simplify the design, you can do without using a coupling. Cut arc-shaped recesses in the frame and place the axle on them.
The unit, although simple, is not the most reliable. Therefore, for manufacturing it is better to use some other drawings.
Big barrel
Concrete mixer from a large barrel 200 liters More practical option is considered a concrete mixer out of 200 liter barrel. Why exactly two hundred liters? This volume is considered optimal for mixing concrete at a time. The plastic option is immediately discarded - such barrels will not last you long.
A homemade concrete mixer from a barrel is made as follows:
- Preparing a barrel that has a lid and a bottom. If the cover is missing, it is welded separately. Didn't find the container? You can do it yourself. Homemade option is in no way inferior to a factory barrel. You will need dense sheets of metal with a thickness of 1.5 to 2 mm, rollers, an effective welding machine and a wooden hammer.
- We attach flanges with bearings to the lid and bottom. We cut out a hatch on the side where the solution components will be filled. A little trick - for a concrete mixer made from a barrel, such a hole should be made closer to the end, which will be lower during the scrolling process.
- Knowing how to make a concrete mixer with your own hands is half the battle. It is equally important to ensure proper mixing of the solution. To do this, you need to weld the blades to the inside walls (angle from 30 to 40 degrees). This angle is extremely important so that during the mixing process the contents are “pushed” out. In principle, you can attach the blades to the shaft.
How do professionals make a base for a concrete mixer?
Naturally, a manual concrete mixer with your own hands must have a stable base. This is necessary so that the structure does not start to turn over during mixing. With a small load of the frame from wooden beam will be quite sufficient (section 10 by 10 or 15 by 15 cm). Optimal options connections: “in a tenon” or “in half a tree”. They are necessary so that the structure does not suffer damage from vibration. When the assembly is completed, all joints are glued and tightened with self-tapping screws.
Need a stronger, longer-lasting unit? Then a frame from metal corner. Welding machine Not everyone has it, but you can fix it with rivets or bolts.
If necessary, wheels are screwed to the base. This arrangement of the concrete mixer will allow you not only to turn it over, but also to move it.
As for engines, a DIY concrete mixer from a barrel can be equipped with a motor from a scooter or car. A good option There will also be a concrete mixer from a washing machine. The advantage of this option is that it is designed for long-term operation and can last for several years.
How to make a concrete mixer with your own hands video
Below you can see photos of drawings that allow you to do everything yourself:
Drawing of a homemade concrete mixer from a barrel At what speed should I mix concrete?
We will not consider in detail the process of mixing concrete - this is the topic of a separate article. Let us only note the fact that the torsional moment plays an important role.
This is why the washer gearbox is better than a regular motor from a scooter or car. It can withstand almost any load and can operate at low speeds. 25 full cycles (revolutions) per minute is enough.
To provide this quantity, the gearbox can have a different design. The simplest, most typical option is when the gearbox is made of a belt and pulley. A do-it-yourself concrete mixer with a moped motor is distinguished by its mobility. The gearbox is convenient and compact; it does not require electricity to operate. Even if you have a large area, the made device moves around it without unnecessary worries and hassle.
The gearbox in this case must be chain, otherwise the design will not function well.
Absolutely anyone can save a substantial amount of money if they know how to make a concrete mixer with their own hands - photos and videos are attached to the instructions. You will need the minimum building materials, tools, a little attentiveness and resourcefulness. And one last piece of advice in conclusion. If there is such an opportunity, it is advisable to involve one more (or preferably two) people in the work. Some steps need to be completed at once, and doing it alone is not very convenient.