Many people tend to do chores on their own. It is easy to guess that in the process of pouring the foundation or making paths, a concrete mixer will be required. There is no need to immediately go to the store for a purchase, because such units are very expensive. But what to do? The answer is elementary - to create a homemade concrete mixer. As a result, costs are reduced, and the unit is reliable and functional. How to make it? Consider in our today's article.
The main purpose of the unit
Often people think that mixing a little mortar is easier with a shovel. Such a mixture will not meet the quality requirements, because it will not work well to mix all the components. In addition, high physical activity is required. Not everyone is capable of such tests. A homemade concrete mixer will solve the problem. When requireda lot of the mixture, then the concrete, when made by hand, is heterogeneous. For this reason, it is also desirable to have a concrete mixer.
Although some builders claim that a drill is suitable, on which a special nozzle is put on. But with it, too, it will not work to create a good mixture. The nozzle should rotate not only around its axis, but also make turns back and forth. It is also possible that prolonged use will lead to breakage of the drill. A homemade concrete mixer (you can see a photo of it in our article) is not created for industrial use. This design is ideal for home use only.
Methods of mixing concrete
Before you start creating a project, you should find out how the work will go. Stir the solution really in three ways. This is:
- Gravity.
- Vibrating.
- Mechanical.
Gravity
They are not used on an industrial scale, since as a result the sand-cement composition is of poor quality. The system itself consists in transshipping the components and hitting them against the walls. As a result, they are mixed into a homogeneous mass.
Vibrating method
This is an actual option, since there is a vibromixer at the base. His work is aimed at creating a single mass of high quality. Most often, such processes are applicable on an industrial scale.
Mechanical
How does it work? Here is the rotation of the mixer itself orcontainers. As a result, the concrete mixture is of good quality.
When choosing the method of operation of a homemade concrete mixer, it is worth considering the recommendations, because even a small amount of the mixture should be of high quality and reliable. It is also good to listen to useful advice from specialists in the construction field. They will tell you which method helps you achieve the best results.
How concrete is prepared
Today there are enough units that easily make concrete. Some of them are handmade. You can make a homemade concrete mixer from a barrel, a milk can, a large digest, etc. Everyone can create a scheme, and then reproduce the design itself. It will last a long time and will mix large volumes. How to do it:
- The container must be attached to the axis or pipe.
- After the cover should be pulled to the handles as much as possible. To do this, take a rubber hose or any fittings.
- Arc-shaped recesses are made to help connect the axle and the unit itself.
There are other interesting schemes according to which it is not difficult to assemble a concrete mixer with your own hands. Each project has its own stages. You shouldn't miss a single one. If you break the sequence, the created unit will not be able to perform its direct tasks.
Concrete mixer making
The first is the creation of the container itself. Its volume will depend on how much you need to make batches. A do-it-yourself homemade concrete mixer from a barrel is a suitable option. The best size is 200 liters. Suchthe volume is sufficient for kneading. Some also use plastic tanks. But the shelf life of such a design is minimal - more time will be spent on manufacturing.
The selected barrel must have a bottom or a lid. In the absence of this constituent element, it is easily made of metal and welded into place. Then a flange with a bearing is attached to the bottom or cover. Logically, the hatch must also be completed - it is only being cut through. But where to create this hole? Masters say that the lower part is considered a suitable place. This makes it easier to load the components of the mixture. The cut off part is not thrown away - it will become a lid.
It is fixed with any available fasteners, a shutter device is created. The solution must be thoroughly mixed. It is difficult to do this without additional structures. Blades are fixed inside the barrel. Their angle of inclination is 40 degrees. The place of attachment is not only the walls of the barrel, but also the rotating pin itself. Not everyone finds the right container. What to do? In such a situation, you can create it yourself from scratch. For this, a tool and material are assembled:
- Metal sheet, but its thickness should not be less than 2 millimeters.
- Welding machine.
- rollers.
- Hammer and wooden wedges.
The work of assembling a container for a concrete mixer begins with creating a diagram with exact dimensions. You need to make the bottom and two truncated cones. They will become the top and bottom. The work is carried out using rollers. When the parts fit togetherthe other, they begin to carry out the welding work themselves. The seams should not be made too thick.
Working on the base
The concrete mixer must have a reliable and stable base, because all the loads will be placed on it. Such conditions completely exclude the possibility of overturning. Therefore, at the planning level, you need to understand how much concrete will be loaded. Vibration cannot be eliminated at work. When the assembly is finished, each seam must be reinforced with adhesives, and the screws must be firmly tightened.
When the operation of a homemade concrete mixer is planned for a long period, it is better to make a frame as a basis. It is made of a metal corner or channel. Not everyone has a welding machine. In such a situation, it is possible to strengthen the structure with the help of fastening components - bolts and rivets. To move the concrete mixer, wheels are attached to the frame, but this is at your own request. You don't need much - the axis and the rotating structures themselves.
When working on the base, do not forget about the handles. They make it easier to move the unit. When choosing a material for the frame, it is worth leaving room for the engine. Having created concrete, it is unloaded. When the container is tilted, there is a danger of the entire installation turning over, so a counterweight must be invented and fixed. But when the work is done with a shovel, they don’t think about it. These nuances are thought out at the level of drawing creation.
Work on the engine
The effect of the unit will be achieved if it has a single-phase motor with a rotation speed of 35rpm. You can often hear how a homemade concrete mixer is created from a washing machine. This is available, but the masters advise using only the engine from it. The advantage of the motor is that its operation is not limited to overheating. Also, the unit should be supplemented with a gearbox.
When choosing a motor, you can give preference to the unit from a motorcycle or moped. The advantage is that there is no need for power supply, so it is permissible to use a concrete mixer in any conditions and points. After choosing the motor, it is attached to the base with a few bolts.
There are home-made units that work without electricity and gasoline. These are manual homemade concrete mixers. But managing such a structure is very difficult. After all, the mechanical rotation of the container is taken as the basis. In fact, when using a manual "drive", we will not go far from the archaic method using a shovel. Therefore, the drive must be from an engine - electric (for example, from a washing machine) or internal combustion. In the latter case, a conventional two-stroke motor is taken. Even an old internal combustion engine from a chainsaw will do. The main thing is that its power is enough to knead the required volume of the mixture.
It is important to think over the basis. Sometimes a concrete mixer is simply immersed in the ground for strength. But it is better that it be mobile, on wheels.
Some additional options
Creating a concrete mixer with your own hands begins after assessing your financialopportunities. If you purchase all the components, then there may not be any benefits from creating the unit. Some of the tools (for example, a welding machine) can be rented. Basically, all designs have the same schemes and principle of operation. It remains only to put it into practice.
Conventionally, such units have the following device. This is:
- Barrel.
- The frame on which the main mechanisms are fixed.
- Drive. It gives the rotation of the barrel around the axis. Most often the drive is electric.
Each design is made from any available components. The craftsmen believe that it is important to pay due attention to the drive.
Work on drive
Most often, developers use an electric motor and a gearbox. It also happens that at the stage of creation there is a drive from what is at hand. And the process of transferring torque to the container with the components is already being thought out after. When the tank is tilted at 40 degrees, the power calculation will take place in the ratio of 20 W per liter of solution.
Determine such an indicator is required in order not to overload the unit. In such a situation, work often begins with the drive, and then the tub itself is selected. The rotation speed of the container must be at a certain level - no more than 50 revolutions per minute. When this number increases, the solution will splatter. Not everyone will be able to find a ready-made installation, since it must clearly correspond to the indicator indicated above.
There are masterswho create unique units with their own hands, the rotation of which is performed at the desired frequency. But more often the “mixer” system becomes suitable when the power plant is located on the driven axle. In this case, the container itself is fixed in the free space of the axis. But the transmission of torque occurs by a chain. There are several basic options:
- A bicycle wheel that locks into place with a pulley.
- Using a drive from an old washing machine.
- Another installation when two chain drives are combined in the gearbox.
Every owner in the garage has many parts that can become components for a concrete mixer. Another common option is the use of a flywheel with a ring gear. You need to find two gears for this installation, which will become leading.
Application of a flywheel from a passenger car and common mistakes
It can be taken immediately ready and welded to the bottom of the tank. During the operation and assembly of the main unit, characteristic errors occur. They are allowed by almost every creator of a home-made forced concrete mixer. To eliminate errors, you need to know them in advance:
- Wrong selection of capacity. It should be round, tall and narrow.
- Small blade size. With this error, the concrete mixture is not completely mixed. As a result, it is not possible to create a quality mass.
- Flat vibrator. If this is a small sheet of iron, then it is difficult for him to create such waves, thanks towhich will shake up the constituent components. Well, if these are iron saucers stacked together.
- Low power pushing process. As a result, slow actions take place in the concrete mixer, in order to obtain the desired consistency, you will have to spend more time.
- The engine is too powerful. With a large filling of the container, all components will begin to be thrown out. This is useless work.
- Flimsy foundation. Often, when creating a concrete mixer, a person does not think about its emphasis, and this is wrong. During operation, the unit may not stand up and turn over. There is also a counterweight. If it is not there, then it is inconvenient to dump the finished concrete. You will need a shovel, which makes the process longer.
Summing up
As you can see, it is quite possible to create a homemade concrete mixer with an engine from a washing machine or something else. Before starting, you should weigh your capabilities and evaluate some skills (working with a welding machine), prepare all the required material and tools. It is not always profitable to purchase tools - it is better to rent. Before starting, a scheme is created, and the main work is already underway on it. This is an action plan that takes into account all the little things. Now you know how to make a homemade concrete mixer.
