What is the best way to mix cement?

[Wrecked944]

I want to mix and use about 250 lbs of cement in my basement. I tried mixing it by hand in a bucket. But it came out lumpy and poorly mixed - plus I could only mix about 50lbs at a time. Can anyone recommend a better method? I want to try some cement castings and maybe even pour a cement countertop to my workbench and/or kitchen. But in my initial experiments, the stuff has just been too unwieldy. Any ideas? Do I need to rent or buy a full-blown mixing machine? Is there a DIY trick to all of this?

[Rot 911]

Lowes sell a DIY cement mixer for about $200 that works really well. You can still only mix about 100lbs at a time, but you can mix and pour a lot faster than doing it by hand. It uses a plastic drum so it is pretty easy to move up and down stairs. A bucket would never work well. If you are mixing a bag at a time use a wheel barrow or get a concrete mixing tub for around $10 at Lowes and use a hoe.

[MikeSid]

+1 on wheelbarrow and hoe. Doesn't sound like the job requires a $200 investment at this point.

BTW...portland cement is an ingredient in concrete.

[craigster59]

I used a wheelbarrow and hoe (with a hole in the center) to mix and pour concrete in my basement, but the cops found the bodies anyway...

[Mule]

Dont beat on your counter!

[Superman]

Yes, cement is one of the ingredients in concrete. Different concrete formulations are for different purposes. I would hesitate to use it for a counter top or work bench top.

The easiest method is to have it delivered, mixed. But if you're only using a yard or half-yard, then rent or buy a portable mixer. It is NOT easy to mix with a stick in a bucket.

[Les Paul]

Get a 5 gallon bucket. If you have a good drill at least 1/2 inch high torque use it. Buy a mortar blade. They are about 2-3 feet long and the blade is almost as wide as a 5 gallon bucket. Put your mix in, water and mix it just like your wife might a cake batter. Works like a charm and will be a perfectly smooth blend. Way more portable than any other method.

[trekkor]

I have a portable electric drum mixer.

It will make 150# batches every 3-5 minutes.

It's great. I've had it about 7 years now.
I use it all the time.
I've run PALLETS of material through it.

250#'s is only a few bags depending on the size you buy. Seven max.

Wheel barrow and a long handled masonry hoe will work fine.
If you decide to do more than this, you'll want that mixer.

It's no fun when after mixing the concrete, you are too tired to work.


KT

[URY914]

If you get a Hoe, wear your personel safety protection.

[911Rob]

Make sure you buy a "Concrete Wheelbarrow" and not a garden one.
There's a big difference.
I'd go with the wheelbarrow and hoe too.

I've seen concrete countertops around here, and they look great!
You can buy concrete admixtures too, colour and texture.
Place poly in the form and the finish comes out shiny.
Have fun experimenting.

[Moses]

We used to use a tub like the one shown. Perfect shape for mixing good-sized batches with a hoe. In the old days, these were metal. Now they are plastic. They are cheaper and more durable and easy to clean.

If you go caveman on a batch of concrete in a wheelbarrow you WILL spill it. These tubs are just the thing.

[The Gaijin]

Moses is right. For 250lbs worth - get the tub. Clean all the tools before the stuff dries and you will be glad you did..

I was house lead on a Habitat house in India last year. The local laborers had the mixing job.. They would remove their flip-flops, stand in the dry mix and pray - and then mix a batch of mortar. Not too caustic, as the mix had very little lime in it.. They worked all day for about a US$1 buck..

[Wrecked944]

Thanks for the advice. That's why I hang out here - always smart people offering good advice. So far the hand mixing method was a total bust. I may buy one of Moses' tubs with a hoe and then throw in a bucket mixer for good measure.

And yeah, I've seen some of the stuff you can get for DIY cement kitchen counter tops. Really sweet. If I get the balls to do it, I'll probably start by doing the basement workbench in cement so I can screw it up a few times. In the meantime, I have some cement casting to do.

[HardDrive]

I used the tub Moses pointed out and a steel rake to mix 300+ pounds of cement this past fall. Its a work out, but it does work.

[RickM]

Check out Youtube for lots of DIY on concrete countertops.

[deanp]

Janus - I have a book by Cheng, design and construction of concrete counters, etc. Lot's of good info for you. I am heading out of town for a few days but can drop it off next week if you want.

[vash]

i was under the impression that the mix for a countertop is different than a standard driveway mix. isnt it more of a grout? (cement mix with only fine aggregates). i think concrete countertops are great looking. you can get funky shapes, and i have seen them polished like mirrors.

sounds like a great project.

[Flatbutt1]

I've used the tub and hoe method alot with very good results. I find that hollowing out a cone in the center of the cement and pouring the water into it works bestest for me.

[MFAFF]

Concrete countertops in the kitchen are great looking things.

However long term they do require more maintenance and 'care' than other materials. They are also more prone to 'hold' stains longer if not cleaned promptly. Even the best finish does not change the porous nature of the material which allows liquid to infiltrate into pores. Don't let the mirror finish fool you into treating it like a metal worktop or even for that matter a wooden one.

As for the concrete you use the mix is specific and any aggregate you do use has to be very fine. Mechanical mixing (either with a small rented mixer or the drill attachment) is a more reliable way of obtaining a consistent mix for this purpose. The manual mix with the hoe may give you inconsistent results.

In truth the tops (both kitchen and bathrooms) I have done like this tend to have a 'shortish' life span as the maintenance requirement to keep them looking immaculate is higher (may several orders of magnitude) and owners find it a bit of a pain. They then get covered by stainless steel...

[Wrecked944]

Originally Posted by deanp

Janus - I have a book by Cheng, design and construction of concrete counters, etc. Lot's of good info for you. I am heading out of town for a few days but can drop it off next week if you want.

Thanks Dean. But I am still so far away from actually attempting a kitchen countertop that I'd say we should wait on the book. I'm doing very basic cement casting right now and still trying to get the "hang" of it. I see a lot of trial an error in my future. Once I feel more comfortable working with cement, then I may try to do the workbench before attacking the kitchen - that way I can screw it up with minimal impact.

It's funny. I never expected I'd be playing so much with cement. But it started two years ago when the fieldstone foundation in my house began crumbling. I ended up putting 420 lbs of hydraulic cement into the foundation walls. And I found it was easy to do - you just add water and go nuts. But now that I have started more advanced projects with cement, I find that getting a nice, finished result is harder than expected.