Many people tend to do chores on their own. It is easy to guess that in the process of pouring the foundation or making tracks, a concrete mixer will be required. Immediately go to the store for a purchase is not necessary, because such units are very expensive. But what to do? The answer is simple - to create a home-made concrete mixer. As a result, costs are reduced, and the unit is reliable and functional. How to make it? Consider in our article today.
The main purpose of the unit
Often people think that mixing a little solution is easier with a shovel. Such a mixture will not meet the quality requirements, because it is not possible to mix all the components well. In addition, high physical activity is required. Not everyone is capable of such tests. A home-made concrete mixer will solve the problem. When a lot of mix is required, the concrete in the manufacture by hand is heterogeneous. For this reason, it is also desirable to have a concrete mixer.
Although some builders claim that a drill, on which a special nozzle is worn, is suitable. But with it, too, it will not work to create a good mixture. The nozzle must spin not only around its axis, but also make turns back and forth. It is not excluded that long-term use will lead to breakage of the drill. Home-made concrete mixer (you can see a photo of it in our article) is not created for industrial use. This design is an ideal solution only for use in personal households.
Methods of mixing concrete
Before you start creating a project, you should find out how the work will go. Stir the solution in really three ways. It:
- Gravitational.
- Vibrating.
- Mechanical.
Gravitational
They are not used on an industrial scale, since as a result, the sand-cement composition is of low quality. The system itself consists in handling components and hitting them against the walls. As a result, they are mixed into a homogeneous mass.
Vibration method
This is an actual option, since there is a vibratory mixer 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 it works? This is where the mixer or container rotates. As a result, the concrete mixture is of good quality.
When choosing a work technique for a home-made concrete mixer, it is worth considering the recommendations, because even a small amount of the mixture should turn out to be high-quality and reliable. It is also good to listen to the useful advice of specialists in the construction field. They will say which way helps to achieve better results.
How to prepare concrete
Today there are enough units that easily make concrete. Some of them are created with your own hands. You can make a home-made concrete mixer from a barrel, a milk can, a large boil-out, etc. Everyone can create a diagram, 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 an 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.
- Arched recesses are made to help connect the axis 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. Do not miss a single one. If you break the sequence, the created unit will not be able to perform its direct tasks.
Concrete Mixer Manufacturing
The first is the creation of the tank itself. Its volume will depend on how much batching is needed. A self-made self-made concrete mixer from a barrel is a suitable option. The best size is 200 liters. Such a 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 should have a bottom or a lid. In the absence of this component, the element is easily made of metal and welded into place. Next, a flange with a bearing is attached to the bottom or cover. Logically, you need to perform the hatch - it is only cut through. But where to create this gap? Masters say that the lower part is considered a suitable place. It’s easier to load the components of the mixture. The cut off part is not thrown away - it will become a lid.
It is fixed by any available fasteners, a shutter device is created. The solution will have to be thoroughly mixed. It is difficult to do this without additional designs. Inside the barrel, the blades are fixed. The angle of their 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 capacity. What to do? In such a situation, you can create it yourself from scratch. To do this, the tool and material are collected:
- A metal sheet, but its thickness should not be less than 2 millimeters.
- Apparatus for welding.
- Rollers.
- Hammer and wooden wedges.
The work of assembling the container for the concrete mixer begins with the creation of a circuit with exact dimensions. It is necessary to make a bottom and two truncated cones. They will become the top and bottom. Work is carried out using rollers. When the parts are fitted one to the other, they begin to carry out the welding work themselves. Seams do not need to be made too thick.
Base work
The concrete mixer must have a reliable and stable foundation, because all loads will be assigned to it. Such conditions completely exclude the possibility of overturning. Therefore, at the planning level, you need to understand how much concrete will be loaded. Eliminate vibration in operation will not work. When the assembly is completed, then each seam must be reinforced with adhesive compounds, and the screws are firmly tightened.
When the operation of a home-made concrete mixer is planned for a long period, it is better to make the frame the basis. It is made of a metal corner or channel. Not everyone has a welding machine. In such a situation, the structure can be strengthened with the help of fixing components - bolts and rivets. To move the concrete mixer, wheels are attached to the frame, but this is already by personal desire. You don’t need much - the axis and the rotating structures themselves.
When working on the base, do not forget about the pens. They will facilitate the movement of the installation. When choosing material for the frame, it is worth leaving a place for the engine. Having created concrete, it is unloaded. When tilting the tank, there is a danger of an overturn of the entire installation, so that a counterweight is surely invented and fixed. But when work is being done with a shovel, they don’t think about it. These nuances are thought out at the level of drawing creation.
Engine work
The effect of the unit will be achieved if it has a single-phase motor with a rotation speed of 35 revolutions per minute. You can often hear how a home-made concrete mixer is created from a washing machine. This is available, but 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.
Making a choice in favor of the motor, you can give preference to the unit from a motorcycle or moped. The plus is that there is no need for power supply, therefore it is permissible to use a concrete mixer in any conditions and points. After choosing a motor, it is attached to the base with a few bolts.
There are such home-made units that work without electricity and gasoline. These are manual home-made concrete mixers. But managing such a design 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 get 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, an ordinary 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 desired volume of the mixture.
It is important to consider the basis. Sometimes a concrete mixer is simply immersed in the ground for strength. But it is better that it is mobile, on wheels.
Some additional options
Do-it-yourself concrete mixer construction begins after evaluating your financial capabilities. If you purchase all the components, then the benefits of creating the unit may not be. Some tools (for example, a welding machine) can be rented. Basically, all designs have the same scheme and principle of operation. It remains only to put it into practice.
Conventionally, such units have the following device. It:
- Barrel.
- The frame on which the basic mechanisms are fixed.
- Drive unit. It gives the rotation of the barrel around the axis. Most often, the drive is electric.
Each design is made from any available components. Masters believe that it is important to pay due attention to the drive.
Work on the drive
Most often, developers use an electric motor and gearbox. It also happens that at the stage of creation there is a drive from what is at hand. And the process of transmitting torque to a container with components is already thought up after. When the slope of the capacitance is under 40 degrees, then the calculation of power will occur in the ratio of 20 watts per liter of solution.
It is required to determine such an indicator in order not to overload the unit. In this situation, they often start work with the drive, and after that they pick up the tub itself. The speed of rotation of the tank should be at a certain level - not more than 50 revolutions per minute. When this number increases, spraying of the solution will occur. Not everyone can find a finished installation, since it must clearly correspond to the indicator indicated above.
There are such masters who create unique assemblies with their own hands, the rotation of which is carried out at the right frequency. But more often the “mixer” system becomes suitable when a power plant is located on the driven axis. In this case, the container itself is fixed on the free space of the axis. But the transmission of torque occurs in a chain. There are several basic options:
- A bicycle wheel that locks into place on a pulley.
- Application drive from an old washing machine.
- Another installation when two chain gears are combined in a gearbox.
Each owner in the garage has many details that can become constituent components for a concrete mixer. Another common option is the use of a flywheel with a gear ring gear. It is necessary to find two gears for this installation, which will become the leading ones.
The use of a flywheel from a car and frequent errors
It can be taken immediately ready and welded to the bottom of the tank. Typical errors occur during operation and assembly of the main unit. Almost every creator of a homemade forced concrete mixer allows them. To eliminate errors, you need to know them in advance:
- Incorrect selection of capacity. It should be round, tall and not wide.
- The small size of the blades. With this error, the concrete mix 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 to which it will be possible to shake up the components. It’s good if it’s 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, more time will have to be spent.
- Too powerful engine. With a large capacity filling, all components will begin to be thrown out. This is useless work.
- Unstable base. Often when creating a concrete mixer, a person does not think about its emphasis, but this is wrong. During operation, the unit may not stand up and roll over. A counterweight is also provided. If it will not be, then dumping the finished concrete is inconvenient. It will take a shovel, and this makes the process longer.
To summarize
As you can see, it’s quite realistic to create a home-made concrete mixer with an engine from a washing machine or something else. Before you start, 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 advantageous to purchase tools - it is better to rent. Before starting, a scheme is created, and the basic work is already underway. This is an action plan that takes into account all the little things. Now you know how to make a home-made concrete mixer.