Build a homemade concrete mixer

Conducting home repairs, and even more construction, is often accompanied by the need to prepare concrete. If the solution is needed in a sufficiently large amount, then its manual mixing will take a long time and will require a lot of effort. To buy a concrete mixer for rare use is unprofitable. It will help speed up the workflow self-made concrete mixer.

At home, you can assemble a unit of both gravitational and forced principle of action. Stir the mixture made by the installation will be due to the rotation of a special handle by the worker or through the work of the electric motor. The latter option will be much more productive. Also, the craftsmen proposed the design of the equipment that is able to prepare the mixture by vibration mixing.

Required tool kit

To make a concrete mixer yourself, you need the following approximate set of tools:

• welding machine;
• Bulgarian;
• roulette with a marker;
• electric drill;
• hammer;
• screwdrivers;
• pliers;
• spanners.

Electrodes will be needed for the welding machine, a set of metal drills for the drill, and cutting wheels for the grinder. It is recommended to prepare everything you need in advance so as not to be distracted during assembly.

The main structural elements of concrete mixers

A home-made concrete mixer, regardless of the principle of its operation, will consist of the following structural elements:

• drum (tank) for mixing the solution;
• drive mechanism;
• frame on which all details of the concrete mixer will be fixed.

All these structural elements can be made by hand or removed from different equipment or equipment. So, as a drum they use ready-made (without holes) milk cans, metal barrels with a wall thickness of more than 1 mm and even large plastic pans and home-made containers.

Driven for the assembled concrete mixer can serve as an electric motor or an internal combustion engine. Models with engines of different types will need to complement the control system. But the simplest option would be to create a unit that is manually rotated using a handle.

Ramu welded from pipes or metal corners. Their dimensions (diameters, lengths of sides, respectively) are selected according to the volume of the drum so that the final design can withstand its weight along with the solution inside.

If the assembled home-made equipment turns out to be heavy, then it’s better to equip it with wheels - this will make it easier to move it.

Gravity type concrete mixer do it yourself

The gravitational method of preparing a solution is that when the container is rotated, its components are mixed by gravity.The fixed blades additionally mounted inside the drum facilitate better mixing. Gravity mixers allow you to prepare a solution with a filler of various size fractions - for this reason they are convenient for home use.

It is independently possible to make a concrete mixer of the gravitational principle of action both manual type, and with the electric or fuel engine. In the latter case, it will be necessary to select such a transmission mechanism so that it provides the optimum drum rotation speed of 30-50 rpm.

Build a simple manual model

Manual cement mixer of the simplest design from a milk can is shown schematically in the drawing below.

The can is convenient because you do not need to make a lid so that the stirred composition does not fall out and the water does not flow out.

Concrete mixer is made in this sequence.

1. From metal pipes with a diameter of 20-25 mm or corners (up to 50 × 50 mm in size), a bed is welded: a rectangular base with two triangular sidewalls.
2. An iron rod (section of 2-3 cm) or a tube makes a shaft, arching the handle at its end.
3. To the tops of the triangles of the bed weld the sleeve or pipe of a larger internal diameter than the external cross-section of the shaft.
4. Drill in a can in the center two holes for the axis.
5. Pass the shaft through the couplings and the container, welding it to the walls of the latter.
6. The handle is wrapped with insulating tape or a piece of rubber hoses is put on it.

The height of the handle should correspond to the height to make it convenient to work with the unit. So that the shaft does not move and its end opposite to the handle does not fall out of the seat, on both sides of either of the coupling, nuts are welded to it, for example. The axis must pass through can center of gravity. You can find it simply: just put the capacity sideways, for example, on the rail (edge ​​of the board) and move it to achieve a balance state of both halves.

If the can is not iron, but aluminum, then you need to cut out about 8 by 8 cm of 2-3 mm thick sheet metal. Then, you need to drill holes in each of them: in the center - one for the axis, and around - a few for the bolts. During the assembly of the mixer with the help of prepared plates, it will be necessary to fix the container on the shaft.

A concrete mixer created from a can in one batch allows you to prepare up to three buckets of mortar.

Improvement of the manual concrete mixer

A similar design for manual mixing can be made from the barrel. Ready containers from under fuel and lubricants (for example, oil, lithol, gasoline) will do. In the side of the barrel will need to make a hole with a lid for filling the mixture components and unloading the finished solution. It is also possible to attach a mouth from an iron can to the container. A possible sample of the unit is shown in the photo below.

Rotate the mixer will be easier if you make a handle for two people.

The frame can also be made from rectangular elements, as in the following photo.

For ease of movement to the bed attach wheels. To ensure easier rotation of the knobs, two bearings are mounted on the shaft, positioning them inside clutches or other types of seats.

Mixing the solution with a manual gravity mixer will be more effective if the stationary blades, a comb or a metal crosspiece are welded inside the barrel. The last option is presented in the photo below.

The design with combs is shown in detail in the following diagram.

 

When creating a manual concrete mixer, it is recommended to limit yourself to a 200-liter capacity. If the volume of the barrel to take more, then mix the solution will be difficult even together.

Creating a gravitational concrete mixer with an electric motor

Very often, the equipment for the preparation of concrete, made with their own hands, is equipped with electric motors from various techniques, for example, from a washing machine or taken from different power tools. This raises the question of how much power an electric motor is needed for a home-made concrete mixer. In this regard, it is recommended to be guided by the following ratios:

• with an inclined arrangement of the bucket, the optimum ratio is 20 W of the power of the electric motor per 1 liter of the mixed solution;
• if the barrel is mounted horizontally, 15 watts per unit volume of the mixture is sufficient.

The simplest is to take and equip hand mixer with motor. To do this, do the following:

• assemble a manual version of a concrete mixer with a horizontal barrel;
• attach a pulley or a sprocket (for example, from a bicycle, scooter) to a shaft protruding from the opposite side of the shaft to the shaft in a folding or non-folding manner;
• metal frame under the motor is welded to the frame;
• on the bed set the motor;
• on a shaft of an electric motor they fill a pulley or an asterisk, putting on after a belt or a chain;
• power supply cable down;
• install the launch system.

The result is a unit similar in appearance to that shown in the photo below.

If the mixer is assembled with an engine from a 180 W washing machine, then in one batch it will be possible to prepare (with a slight overload) up to 20 liters of solution.

It is much more difficult to make a gravitational mixer with tilting drum. Variants of home craftsmen offered a lot. An example of such homemade equipment is presented below.

Concrete mixers with an inclined barrel equip mechanisms that allow you to set it at several angles to the horizon. For a house, three positions are enough:

• 50 ° - for the preparation of heavy building compounds;
• 30 ° - light solutions;
• 0 degrees to wash the barrel.

If you have access to the 380 V network, you can use three phase motor for concrete mixers. In any case, the installed engine should not be overloaded so that the equipment does not quickly fail.

Manufacturing of concrete mixers with mechanical mixing method

A forced-action concrete mixer mixes the solution mechanically, like a mixer. At the same time inside the fixed vessel rotates horizontally or vertically located shaft with blades. A simple version of this design is presented below in the drawing.

Smaller drums, placed horizontally, can be equipped with a handle for manual rotation. But it is still more efficient and practical to install an electric motor on the equipment. In this case, it will be easier to assemble the transmission mechanism. on the belt drive. A suitable volume of the tub is selected according to the power of the electric motor. The frame can be made the same as for the gravity model of manual rotation. The whole process is discussed above.

In order for the blades to rotate and the drum remained motionless, flanges are welded to its sides at the points where the shaft passes, and bearings are inserted into them. Then set the axis itself. After fixing the ends of the shaft with the tub on the frame, check the free rotation. To unload the finished material Often they make a tightly closed hatch in the bottom of the tank. It is also quite often that the bucket itself is fixed pivotally, spinning it when mixed.When unloading, the stopper is removed and the container is turned over, emptying the finished composition through the filling hole.

It should be borne in mind that the shaft should not be less than 3 blades, welded at an angle of about 120 degrees relative to each other. At the same time, the gap between them and the drum wall is set to approximately 0.5 cm.

In a concrete mixer forced action will not be able to prepare a high-quality solution with medium or large-sized filler. It is also inconvenient to clean the tub after work: the composition remains between the blades, along the walls. The difficulty is also the reliable sealing of the shaft bearings from the ingress of the solution and the adjustment of the blades in size so that they do not rub against the container and the gap is the smallest. But the use of mechanical agitation allows well mix fine mixtures, for example, plastering, spackling.

Homemade concrete mixer vibration type

At home, the craftsmen-inventors figured out how to make a concrete mixer of not only gravity or force types, but also vibration ones. The principle of the created vibration mixer is based on the fact that in a fixed tank put a vibrator special design.The vibrations caused by it lead to mixing and further compaction of the prepared mixture.

Industrial-type vibratory installations mix the solution components well, while ensuring high quality of the material at the outlet. Self-made samples with them in comparison do not go: they are inferior to the performance and quality of the finished solution. But due to the simplicity of the design to assemble the unit yourself can be relatively simple. In this case, special drawings are not needed, it is enough to use the following schematic representation of the structure.

The numbers in the diagram denote the following structural elements of an improvised unit and the working material:

• capacity (tank);
• bracket;
• source of vibrations;
• stock;
• working solution;
• vibrator.

As a generator of oscillations, a factory immersion vibrator or a perforator capable of operating without pressing the cartridge is used. The minimum power of the latter should be from 1300 watts. This factor is associated with the main drawback of homemade vibration equipment, which consists in high energy consumption compared with performance.Thus, the power of the unit of 1.3 kW is enough to prepare only 20 liters of solution at a time.

The height of the rod should be chosen so that the vibrator is constantly located in the center of the volume of the mixture to be filled.

The algorithm for assembling a vibratory mini concrete mixer is as follows:

• the capacity of a suitable size is selected in relation to the diameter of the vibrator, which is planned to be installed;
• the bracket is attached to the tank wall using a welding or bolting;
• a perforator is fixed on it with a rod with a vibrator at the end inserted in its cartridge in advance;
• make a frame with a tipping mechanism;
• set on the basis of made tank.

The vibrator should not be flat. Typically, it resembles the construction of 2 connected together on an axis bottom to the top of the plate. Vibrator diameter is determined from the power of the installed perforator: an approximate calculation is made from a ratio of 1000 W to 15-20 cm. The appropriate size of the barrel depends on the diameter of this part. If the vibrator is located in the center, then between its edge and the side wall of the container should remain a gap equal to the radius.The thickness of the layers of the mixture above the vibrator and under it should not exceed its diameter.

The process of making sand-cement mortar using a vibration mixer is easy to visually monitor. But mix to acceptable quality compounds containing crushed stone or gravel, will not work.

Work of a concrete mixer from a tractor

In addition to electric motors, equipment for mixing concrete solution is installed on internal combustion engines of suitable power. Inventors from the people invented a way to adapt the self-assembled concrete mixer to the tractor. The work of such an aggregate created based on model T-16shown in the video below.

The following video contains another variant of connecting the tractor (YuMZ-6) with a concrete mixer.

The craftsmen could even convert the tractor bucket into a forced-action concrete mixer. What came out of this is shown in the video below.

Conclusion

Starting to create concrete mixing equipment with your own hands, it should be borne in mind that the size of the fractions of fillers will depend on the principle of operation of the assembled unit. Equipment forced type it is capable to mix well construction solutions with small fractional inclusions. The maximum particle size of the filler for it does not exceed 5 cm.

Installations gravitational action for domestic use are a more versatile option. They allow you to prepare compositions with filler of different sizes. Self-made samples of vibromixers in performance and quality of mixing are generally inferior to gravitational and forced counterparts. In any case, it should be noted that for personal safety, models with an electric motor should be equipped with protection, for example, differential machine.

A self-assembled concrete mixer must be painted with a composition with enhanced anti-corrosion properties, this will prolong its service life.

It is also worth noting that despite all the advantages of a home-made concrete mixer and the fascinating assembly process itself, this can take a lot of time and effort. In the modern world, unfortunately, not everyone can afford it. Especially when carrying out repairs or construction. Or you may be faced with the problem of lack of materials and suitable tools, which greatly complicates the task.In this case, it is more profitable to buy a concrete mixer. For example, the company “Construction Resources” presents all types of concrete mixers for construction sites and repairs in residential premises. Accordingly, there is a concrete mixer for both professional and domestic use.