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Homemade concrete mixer. Do-it-yourself homemade concrete mixer. Complete guide. Forced mixing principle

With a limited budget, buying equipment that is needed for only one construction is unprofitable. If firms offering tool rentals have not yet opened in the neighborhood, a do-it-yourself concrete mixer made by yourself will be a great way to save money! If you approach homemade device with care, it will last more than one year.

Types of concrete mixers

Having previously studied the mechanism of operation of concrete mixers and their characteristics, it will be possible to choose a design that is suitable for the needs of a particular construction. After all, why complicate your work if you can manage with a simple mechanical device?

On the other hand, loading the concrete mixer to capacity, it will not be possible to finish pouring the foundation faster - this will lead to a banal overload of the engine and its imminent failure.

Mechanical or electrical?

Choosing the design of the future "assistant", you should immediately decide on the way it works:

• mechanical concrete mixers - they work from a manual drive, when mixing a large amount of concrete, you need to turn the gate together;
• electric concrete mixers - work from the network, but connecting the motor requires good knowledge of auto mechanics.

If several strong and hardy people are involved at the construction site, you can get by with a manual concrete mixer. The ingredients of the mixture are loaded either simultaneously or one by one. The only inconvenience is that designs with a movable barrel, and not an internal shaft, do not allow adding water during the mixing process. The barrel must be stopped, the hatch opened and water filled. The hatch closes and the mixture mixes again.

Electric concrete mixers allow you to mix large volumes of concrete in the shortest time, one person does a great job. Please note that high power motors require three-phase network, therefore, when choosing the volume of the tank, the motor power should also be calculated in advance. If only a 220 V line is connected to the yard, you will have to forget about heavy solutions.

Forced, gravity or vibration?

The design of the concrete mixer will also depend on the principle of operation:

• forced-action concrete mixers are distinguished by a fixed tank in which the blades mounted on the shaft rotate;
• gravitational concrete mixers mix concrete due to the rotation of the tank itself, in which the blades are rigidly fixed to the walls;
• vibratory concrete mixers can not boast of high productivity, but they provide a high-quality and homogeneous mixture without bubbles.

At the same time, both gravity and forced action concrete mixers can be both mechanical and electric. All the difference is that mechanical concrete mixer forced action has a horizontal axis, and the electric one can also have a vertical one.

For their manufacture, you need a metal container. The most elementary option is a metal barrel with walls from 2.5 mm thick.

Vibrating homemade concrete mixers are available to every owner of a hammer drill. And although it will not work to fill the foundation with their help, it is quite possible to make a filler floor in the bathroom or mix the tile mortar. At the same time, the design is nowhere simpler and does not require direct human participation. So even a woman can do the job.

Concrete mixer volume

An important selection criterion is the capacity of the future concrete mixer. For example, for work on pouring the foundation, a minimum capacity of 200 liters is required. At the same time, it should be taken into account that ready mix it will turn out 15-25% less - depending on the possibilities of loading.

Manually, such a volume of concrete can be kneaded, although it is quite difficult - the hand will get tired.

A home-made device has another significant drawback - the mixture is often discharged in full. Therefore, it is better to take care of a wheelbarrow of the appropriate capacity in advance. If it is possible to make a partial reset mechanism, it is better not to take the time to create it. This will greatly simplify the operation of capacious electric concrete mixers and allow you to work together, loading two wheelbarrows.

Drawings and arrangement of simple concrete mixers

If the volume of construction is small, you can get by with simple concrete mixers, the creation of which does not require serious labor and financial costs.

Vibratory concrete mixer from perforator

The presence of a mixer attachment is a must for any construction works. But holding a drill while it kneads the solution in a bucket is hard and time is wasted. If you have a perforator with manual activation of the percussion mechanism, you can quickly make a vibratory concrete mixer:

1. You will need a puncher with a power of 1-1.3 kW. Less powerful ones will be ineffective.
2. A vibrator is being made - the main operating part of the concrete mixer. An improperly made vibrator simply won't mix the concrete. Its shape should resemble a biconvex lens - flat edges and a convex middle. For example, it can be metal plates stacked together and fixed. The disk diameter is calculated based on 20 cm per 1 kW. For a 1.3 kW rotary hammer, you will need a vibrator with a diameter of 25 cm.
3. A round container is selected. The distance from its walls to the vibrator should be equal to its radius. So, for a vibrator with a diameter of 25 cm, you need a container with a diameter of 50 cm.
4. Mounting bracket for perforator. The position of the vibrator is calculated so that its distance to the bottom is equal to its diameter, in this example it is 25 cm. The amount of solution above the vibrator should be the same.

The readiness of the solution during the operation of such a concrete mixer is determined by the absence of rising bubbles and the formation of small waves on the surface. If the cement or sand is of poor quality, the solution may not form waves. The mixture is ready when it stops stirring and gurgling.

Concrete mixer with manual drive from the barrel

You will need a 200-liter metal barrel itself, a metal pipe with a diameter of 2-3 cm, flanges, a grinder and a welding machine:

1. A loading hole is cut in the barrel and two opposite holes for the pipe, which will be the axis. The axis can be threaded both through the center of the barrel and diagonally. In the second case, the mixture will mix better.



2. From the inside of the barrel, 2-3 blades are welded to the walls - so that the mixture does not stick to the walls and mixes better. The blades should run along the entire barrel, but not close to the walls - otherwise the solution will constantly accumulate in the seams.



3. A pipe is threaded, its ends are welded and fixed with flanges.
4. A stand for a concrete mixer is being made. Its height should be such that it is convenient to load the ingredients of the mixture without raising them too high, but also so that it does not have to interfere, bending over three deaths. On the supports under the axle, you need to make oarlocks that will allow the axle to spin freely. You can use both a hollow tube of a larger diameter and bearings.



5. It is imperative to provide a wide, strong and stable base connecting the legs of the supports. This will prevent the concrete mixer from swaying during operation.
6. The levers are welded to the axle. Do not forget that they should be located opposite each other. The longer the lever, the easier it is to move the barrel. But too long a lever is not convenient to use, so you should stick to the golden mean.



7. The lid of the loading hatch must be tightly closed - so that the mixture does not leak out. Can cut cover bigger size from the same barrel and glue around the perimeter with thick rubber. And you can use the part from the same barrel, left over from cutting the loading hole. To do this, you just need to weld a centimeter metal strip along the edge and also seal it with rubber.

Similar design and concrete mixer open type. Only instead of a movable barrel, blades are spinning inside, which are also driven by human effort. For its manufacture, you will need the barrel itself, and pipes of a round and rectangular section. The barrel is laid on its side, the top is cut off from it. It is better to leave as much of the barrel as possible - so that you can knead large quantity concrete.

Holes for the shaft are cut on the sides. But, unlike a gravity concrete mixer, the blades are welded onto the shaft itself. You can use any parts, even blades from a combine!

The mixture is also unloaded by turning the entire barrel.

Such concrete mixers are very a budget option, but requires the constant participation of two workers. If you have to work alone, you will need a device with an electric motor. For example, an open type variant can be quickly improved by connecting a motor to it.

Electric drive "factory" concrete mixers

Without confident welder skills, it is better not to try to repeat the factory models of concrete mixers yourself. But with an experienced neighbor, you can make excellent equipment from almost nothing! At the same time, such a concrete mixer will last more than 10 years, helping in the construction of the entire holiday village.

Homemade gravity concrete mixer from scrap metal

After that, you will have to travel to recycling centers and car dismantling in search of the necessary parts:

• sheets of metal with a thickness of 2.5 mm for the walls and 5 mm for the bottom of the pear;
• a flywheel from a car, for example, from the Volga or MAZ, a hub and a bendix - for the pear rotation mechanism;
• bearings for tipping the pear (you can get by with the “pipe-to-pipe” system, generously lubricating the oarlock);
• metal pipes of square section and different diameters - for the base, seat and swivel wheel.

When all the materials are collected, you can proceed directly to the manufacture of the concrete mixer:

1. The body elements are bent and welded together. You can bend steel with a sledgehammer, even if the individual parts do not turn out to be perfectly even, when welded together, they will take the desired shape.



2. While the pear is not welded together, a rotation mechanism is attached to the lower part of it, cut from 5 mm steel. It is advisable to make it removable - it is easier to transport a collapsible concrete mixer.



3. Pieces of pear are welded together. First, the central and lower parts are combined. To do this, the edges of the central rim are notched and bent inward - to limit the exit of the lower part. Through the top, the lower part is inserted into the central rim and, with the help of tapping with a sledgehammer, it is pressed all the way down. When the edges are aligned, they can be welded.



4. The upper part of the pear drops into the central one, the edges of the central rim are also cut and bent inward. With the help of a nail puller, the top is also “picked out” to the stop and also welded.
5. From the inside of the pear, blades are welded to help mix the mixture. To prevent the solution from accumulating in the seams, the blades are attached at a small distance from the walls.
6. You can start making a seat that ensures the tipping of the pear. Considering big weight even an empty container, you need to take care of the high reliability and strength of the frame.



7. The overturning mechanism must be done on a flywheel with a gear - so even one will be able to overturn the full capacity. You can weld a hex wheel or fit any other.



8. A gearbox is being made, which will transmit torque from the engine to the pear. The pulleys on the shaft and the motor are calculated so that up to 25 pear revolutions per minute are obtained.



9. To prevent large parts of the mixture from falling into the rotation mechanism, a strip can be welded over the crown, but this stage is optional.

In principle, the concrete mixer is ready. If desired, it can be painted - to protect the metal from corrosion, although during operation it will still acquire a classic gray color.

Forced-type concrete mixer from a tin pan

If it is not there, you can order a pan with a diameter of 60 cm and a depth of 50 cm from a familiar tinsmith. After that, it remains only to fit the mechanism, the blades and make the hatch:

1. The center of the container is marked - this is where the shaft will be located. A hatch is cut out for unloading the mixture. It is easier to cut a rectangular one, but then the whole mixture will break into a wheelbarrow. It is better to make a rotary semicircular hatch.



2. To do this, a rod is welded in the center of the cut out semicircle, on which the hatch will turn. To prevent the mixture from flowing out, a strip is welded over the cut of the hatch, under which the curtain will move.





3. In an inverted state, an engine with a gearbox is mounted on the installed bearing. To securely fix the engine and ensure the necessary belt tension, the engine is installed on rails welded to the bottom of the tank.



4. To reinforce the frame of the container made of steel 2 mm thick, a rim of a steel bar or pipe must be welded along the upper edge. You can also make stiffeners on the sides and bottom of the container.



5. After the wheels, support and rotation mechanism are installed, the entire structure can be turned over. The blades are attached to the shaft and everything is fixed with one bolt - so that the design is easily collapsible. It is important to think over the position of the blades-blades correctly - one should remove the solution from the walls, the second should separate it from the bottom, and a few more should mix the middle.





6. You can get by with a construction of scrap and a cross from a water flange. If the blades are made movable, their position can be adjusted depending on the type of mixture.

The forced action concrete mixer is ready! You can mix almost any mixture in it, make them liquid or dense, add crushed stone of large and small fractions. The same concrete mixer, but of a horizontal type, can be made according to the drawing.

The process of assembling a concrete mixer from a steel barrel is clearly shown in the video:

This is one of the easiest ways to make the necessary construction equipment at a minimum cost!

Can you imagine a construction site without even a small concrete mixer? Without such a unit, the preparation of a good cement mortar becomes almost impossible. When it becomes necessary to build a small structure or just “pat up” something, concreting becomes a popular task. Here is just a short list of situations in which this tool cannot be dispensed with: pouring garden paths, arranging the foundation for a gazebo, installing a fence, and so on. In a word, concrete is needed everywhere - the difference is only in the scale of the event. For domestic needs, it is pointless to buy an industrial apparatus - the purchase will cost you prohibitively expensive. An alternative solution would be a do-it-yourself homemade concrete mixer. Thanks to this article, you will learn how to make it yourself from improvised materials.

Four principles of concrete mixing

Homemade concrete mixer

In fact, you can prepare your own solution without special tools. Many even like to work “according to the old method”. But how much can you do this way? Create a dry mix for construction using conventional drill or a mixer, you can still. But when it comes to sand and cement, they are powerless.

The simplest and most common mixing principle is called forced mixing. All components are kneaded in a container that is stationary. For this, a mechanical drive is usually used. 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 drawbacks:

• There are "dead zones" in the tank. This is especially true of the space near the walls.
• The complexity of the design. The pivot points must be hermetically sealed against the action of the solution, which can be aggressive.
• It is practically 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 that are made of metal are most often used as containers. How they are made, how to make a stand, will be described below.

Most modern concrete mixers use a combined principle that combines the first two methods. They have the following benefits:

• Strict sealing is not required. The drum is open at the top, there is no need for rotation nodes, since any contact with the solution is excluded.
• Parts wear out much less often.
• Simplicity and reliability of operation.
• There are no restrictions on the composition of the solution either - it can be gravel, expanded clay, gravel, and so on.

The fourth mixing principle 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 vibratory mixing principle is used when it is necessary to produce an accurate reinforced concrete structure with good performance.

Under normal conditions, the gearbox and drive are replaced by the most powerful hammer drill (permissible minimum 1.3 kW). Its vibrational action must be independent. It is not necessary to press the cartridge.

Concrete mixer gearbox photo

In general, vibratory mixing allows you to create an almost perfect concrete mix. However, for the preparation of a "heavy" solution, it is also not optimal.

Concrete mixer from a milk can (flask)

Do-it-yourself concrete mixer from a milk can

It should be understood that not everyone has access to electricity. suburban area. Therefore, it would be quite logical to make a hand-made type and a small volume. A do-it-yourself milk flask concrete mixer is a very simple and straightforward option. You will need the can itself, pipe cuttings, or any other similarly shaped scrap metal. It can be done in 2-3 hours, the main range of work falls on the cooking of the frame.

• Taking round pipe, bend the handle as shown in the illustration. Weld water couplings at the top. Their diameter inside must exceed the diameter of the pipe that is 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 in order to turn it easily. To simplify the design, you can do without the use of a coupling. Cut arcuate notches in the frame and lay 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 a concrete mixer from a 200 liter barrel is considered. Why exactly two hundred liters? This volume is considered to be optimal for mixing concrete at a time. The plastic option is swept aside immediately - such barrels will not serve you for a long time.

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 a container? You can make it yourself. The homemade version is in no way inferior to the factory barrel. You will need dense sheets of metal with a thickness of 1.5 to 2 mm, rollers, an efficient welding apparatus and a wooden hammer.
• We attach flanges on which there are bearings to the lid and bottom. On the side we cut out the hatch, where the components of the solution will be backfilled. A little trick - for a concrete mixer 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 establish proper mixing of the solution. To do this, the blades must be welded to the walls inside (angle from 30 to 40 degrees). Such an angle is extremely important so that the contents are “pushed” out during the mixing process. In principle, you can also fix the blades on the shaft.

How do professionals make the base for a concrete mixer?

Naturally, a do-it-yourself manual concrete mixer must have a stable base. This is necessary so that the structure does not begin to roll over during mixing. With a small load of a skeleton from a wooden bar, it will be quite enough (section 10 by 10 or 15 by 15 cm). Optimal connection options: “in a thorn” or “in half a tree”. They are necessary so that the structure does not receive damage from vibration. When the assembly is completed, all joints are glued and tightened with self-tapping screws.

Need a stronger, more durable unit? Then a frame made of a metal corner will definitely suit you. Not everyone has a welding machine, but you can fix it with rivets or bolts.

If necessary, wheels are screwed to the base. Such a device of a concrete mixer will allow you not only to turn it over, but also to move it.

As for engines, a do-it-yourself barrel concrete mixer can be equipped with a motor from a scooter or car. good option there will be a concrete mixer 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 get acquainted with the photo drawings that allow you to do everything yourself:

Drawing of a homemade concrete mixer from a barrel

How fast should concrete be mixed?

We will not consider in detail the process of mixing concrete - this is the topic of a separate article. We only note the fact that the moment of torsion plays an important role.

That's why the "washer" gearbox is better than a conventional 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 sufficient.

To ensure this amount, the gearbox may have different scheme. The simplest, typical option is when the gearbox is made of a belt and a pulley. A do-it-yourself concrete mixer with a motor from a moped is characterized by mobility. The gearbox is convenient and compact, it does not need electricity to operate. Even if you have large territory, the made device moves along it without unnecessary worries and hassles.

reducer in this case must be chain, otherwise the design will not function well.

Concrete mixer drawings video

Four Common Mistakes in Concrete Mixer Manufacturing

When creating such a unit as a manual concrete mixer, people often make mistakes. Here are the most common ones:

1. Capacity. Needless to say that it should be not only voluminous, but also of high quality. Any holes, openings, corrosion are excluded.
2. Instruction. We told you about what the manufacturing scheme should be. Follow it carefully to get the desired result. Any deviations in work can lead to the fact that even a home-made concrete mixer from an old washing machine will turn out to be of poor quality.
3. Frame. Don't even try to weld metal frame with cast iron. You will significantly complicate your hard work.
4. Do not overload the structure with excess weight. If you plan to mix a small amount of concrete, you definitely do not need a 300-liter barrel.

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 a minimum of building materials, tools, a little care and resourcefulness. And one last piece of advice. If there is such an opportunity, it is desirable to involve one more (and preferably two) people in the work. Some steps need to be done at the same time, and doing it alone is not very convenient.

Homemade concrete mixer from a barrel video

In the construction business, starting from laying the foundation of a future building, interior decoration and building walls, the key building material is precisely concrete mix, and the strength and durability of the buildings under construction directly depend on the quality. As for the definition, concrete is a material obtained from a mixture of cement, water, sand and crushed stone, which tends to turn into a durable stone when solidified, and just from the right amount constituent parts and quality mixing depends on the hardness and durability this material. And if the implementation of the first point is entirely entrusted to the initiator of this construction action, then the last - mixing, it is better to provide a special machine called a concrete mixer. This article will show you, among other things, how to make do-it-yourself concrete mixer if finances or personal preferences do not allow you to purchase this equipment in a store or rent it.

Interesting fact:Concrete was first made in ancient Mesopotamia many thousands of years ago. It has been used for three thousand years, having lost its original recipe after the fall of the Roman Empire.

Preliminary preparation.

First of all, before you start creating your own concrete mixer, first evaluate the amount of planned work. If the amount of work is insignificant, for example, strengthening existing structures, then think about whether it makes sense to spend your time and effort on creating such a device, or is it better to use the good old bucket and mixer drill. Or vice versa, if you are planning the construction of a residential building of impressive size, then would it not be better to rent special construction equipment than to spend effort on creating a home-made alternative.

Helpful advice:At the planning stage, decide what kind of concrete composition you need for your construction. Based on this, you can calculate the time required for mixing until it solidifies. It will be incredibly disappointing if, having decided to leave for a well-deserved break, upon returning you will find a frozen stone in the concrete mixer.

If, after drawing up a plan for the upcoming work, you found it necessary to create a home-made concrete mixing machine, then let's not waste time and get to work.

Classifications:

To begin with, let's analyze general principle the work of concrete mixers in order to more clearly depict the processes occurring inside this mechanism. This will help you decide on the choice of machine, based on your tasks.

There are four ways to mix and then get concrete mortar:

• Mechanical - a method that combines a bucket, a mixer and physical strength, which has already been described earlier. In our case, ignored.
• Gravity - a type of mixing in which the solution, as the name implies, is affected by gravity, being in a moving container constantly rotating and falling, and at the same time mixing. This mixing method gives a satisfactory result and is not suitable for the production of large volumes of concrete mix.
• Vibration - a method used in industry, since it gives out best result. From concrete mixed in a vibrational way, there are the most durable structures. It is based on the principle of vibration of an interfering mixer - a concrete mixture is poured into a container, in the center of which a vibrating element is located, after which the mixer creates vibration waves in the thickening mass that mix the solution. The method is effective, but energy-intensive, and building a concrete mixer of this kind will take you more time than building a gravity or mechanical alternative.
• Combined - combines elements from the two previous mixing methods. The process of creating a concrete mixer of this classification is even more complicated than a vibration one, since it is the same thing, only the container is also moving.

Since many home craftsmen want to create a concrete mixing machine without spending large sums of money, we will consider two options for creating this machine - manual, working with physical strength its owner, and electric. Both of these options are classified as gravity.

Helpful advice:When creating a manual concrete mixer, consider the amount of work and your own physical capabilities. There will be no use in the car if you cannot move it from its place, thereby stirring the hardening composition.

Concrete mixer with manual drive.

The mixer, used by our distant ancestors, consists of a container of the volume you need, for example iron barrel with a volume of one hundred liters, closed on both sides (or a large can), a lever, when exposed to which the barrel would begin to rotate. Also necessary element is the frame on which the entire structure is firmly located. Here is an algorithm of actions describing the method of manufacturing this mechanism:

1. First of all, drill holes, which will house the driving shaft. Be sure to install flanges with bearings to the joints - this will prevent damage to the container.
2. Then position the base and cut out in a metal container cover, through which the mixture will be supplied inside and ready-made concrete will be poured out (if it is not already provided for by the design, as in the case of a can). To do this, a hatch should be cut out in the barrel, and then the folded part should be fixed on iron hinges, similar to those that are installed on doors and windows. It is not recommended to expand the hatch to the size of a football field, nor should one go to extremes, the main thing is not to forget to put a latch or some other kind of limiter so that the concrete does not spill over the yard during the rotation of the mechanism.
3. Position the drive shaft at an angle to thirty degrees and install the entire structure on a durable metal frame, capable of providing immobility to the concrete mixer and, preferably, for additional reinsurance, dug into the ground.

Remember that you yourself will have to set the mechanism in motion, so make sure that the shaft is placed at a suitable height for you and that it is convenient to rotate it. At this stage, the construction of a manual gravity concrete mixer is being completed. Now let's move on to creating a more complicated device, however, capable of freeing the owner from the exhausting hardships of physical labor.

Helpful advice:When working with a concrete mixer, do not forget to wear personal protective equipment and follow safety precautions. Before starting work, make sure that the mechanism is securely fastened and properly prepared for the tasks assigned to it. When operating the concrete mixer manually, adequately assess the forces so as not to pull the muscles and not overstrain.

Electric concrete mixer.

In the process of creating an electric gravity concrete mixer, we will need electric motor. Remove this device from an old washing machine or other equipment, the main thing is that it can provide the necessary speed of rotation of the drive shaft, namely no more than forty-eight revolutions per minute, without overheating and without destroying other structural elements. Do not forget to supply the motor with drive belts and check the electrical wiring for damage - it will be a shame if, after completing the creation of the concrete mixer, it turns out that the wires in the motor have burned out and you have to disassemble everything.

In addition to the motor, we need:

• Metal container of the required volume.
• driving shaft
• Toothed ring placed on the bottom of the tank
• Bearings and gears
• Metal frame capable of supporting the full weight of the movement
• Welding machine
• Helical mixing paddles
• Nuts, bolts and other consumables

The principle of creating an electric concrete mixer is similar to the process of building a manual one, however, instead of physical force, the necessary work will be performed by a motor connected to the driving shaft using drive belts. Below is the algorithm of actions:

1. Drill holes on both sides of the metal tub to later connect the drum to the drive shaft.
2. Install the hatch according to the same principle as for a manual concrete mixer.
3. Weld the ring gear to the bottom of the tank and attach the gears, thereby creating a mechanism that transmits torque from the engine to the shaft and blades.
4. Insert a bearing with a large diameter into a piece of pipe, weld it to the tank, and then connect the driving shaft to the electric motor, and also do not forget about the helical blades.
5. Create supporting structure strong enough to support the weight of the mechanism and the concrete that will be stirred up inside. For more productive work, you should also equip the mechanism with a rotary device.

In conclusion, it should be noted that any raw material suitable for your needs will do as a metal container, for example gas bottle or a railroad car. Properly approach the process of concrete production, take into account the features of the structures you create, and also do not forget to manually check the quality of the mixture, since any machine can fail and cause unnecessary complications, and an inquisitive human eye, attentiveness and concentration can turn routine work into an unsurpassed masterpiece. We wish you good luck in home construction and, during operation, do not forget to observe safety precautions.

A do-it-yourself concrete mixer helps save time and makes heavy light work. From the article you will learn from what and how to make this unit yourself.

Concrete mixer: what is it for and how to assemble it?

Why do you need a homemade concrete mixer? The title already has the answer. This is a unit that is designed to mix sand and cement with water to produce concrete. Why concrete is needed, every schoolchild knows about it today. You can’t do without this material if you are going to start building a house, or, say, to ennoble the territory - so that there is a clean yard and smooth paths.

Of course, you can arm yourself with a trough with a shovel and make concrete manually. But why do you need Sisyphean labor when you can use a special machine for this? There is no point in buying a concrete mixer if you do not intend to take on construction contracts. It is much more interesting and economical to assemble it with your own hands. Moreover, an old two-hundred-liter barrel will do for this purpose.

The website site masters have prepared a special calculator for you. You can easily calculate right amount concrete.

The device that you end up with is reliable and easy to use. All that is required of you is to fill the drum with ingredients in certain proportions and add water. The ratio of components depends on what you need the solution for. Usually, in order to get high-quality concrete, they take one part of cement and add one share of sand and screenings (small pebbles) to it. It is possible, and in some cases even necessary, to replace the components with a sand-gravel mixture (SGM).

Homemade concrete mixer from a barrel - advantages and disadvantages

The undoubted advantage in making a concrete mixer with your own hands will be a significant savings in money on buying a factory model. In addition, have you seen the technique that most sellers offer? Even if you have extra thousand twenty rubles, you are unlikely to want to give them for a Chinese product of dubious quality. And then, if the Chinese can, then why are you worse? Not the gods burn the pots. Your unit will serve faithfully not only to you, but also to your grandchildren.

The disadvantage here will be, especially if you are not a techie by education, the lack of experience in the manufacture of such mechanisms. But if you are stubborn and love to craft, then you will certainly cope. Good, necessary details lying literally under their feet. Of course, they won't come to you on their own. You will have to rummage through a garage or even a junkyard in a pile of scrap metal.

But don't be so scared. To make a concrete mixer at home, you will need: a container (in your case, an old barrel) in which the mortar will be mixed, an axis of rotation, an electric motor (if you are not going to rotate the drum with your hands) and a base frame on which it will all be mounted . As you can see, all ingenious is simple. And how to prepare and what tools you will need to implement your idea, you will learn in the next section of this article.

Preparation and tools

Before you start working on a concrete mixer, you need to make a drawing or at least a sketch of the future project and prepare the workspace. A garage or shed is best suited for this. The main thing is that electricity be connected to it, because in business you will need power tools. Yes, and the occupation itself with metal is quite noisy and dirty. Agree that a comfortable apartment is not the place where you can engage in such creativity.

Well, the drawing is ready, and you have prepared the place: you have removed everything that is not relevant. Now let's see what you need from the tools. A welding machine, if you do not own this craft and will assemble the entire structure on bolts, you will not need it. But you definitely can't do without a drill. You will also need a set of screwdrivers and a hacksaw. And, of course, the main detail of the future concrete mixer is a two-hundred-liter barrel.

It will be great if the bottom of the container is non-removable. Otherwise, it may simply fall off during the mixing process. The frame can be made from a metal corner. It is more convenient than pipes when bolted together. As an engine that sets the torque, you can install a gasoline engine or a motor from a mixer drill. The main thing is that its power should be at least 1.3 kW. And do not forget to think over and install spatulas inside the barrel for the most efficient mixing of the components.

Important: the top cover of the barrel must be securely fastened, otherwise you risk throwing concrete over the entire area.

In addition, even at the stage of development and preparation, think about what kind of concrete mixer you want to see - mobile on wheels or stationary. Then you do not have to hastily correct the drawings and make changes to the almost finished design. If you have everything ready, then you can already proceed to the most interesting thing - to make a concrete mixer with your own hands.

How to make a concrete mixer - let's start manufacturing

Let's take a look at the key steps.

1. We assemble the frame of the future unit. It must be durable, because it will have to withstand enormous loads. For the base, a steel corner of 130 mm is best suited. Since you have decided to do without welding machine, then it will not be superfluous to say which bolts to choose for frame assembly. The best option would be bolts with a diameter of 27 mm. The angle of inclination of the barrel to the base should be 35 degrees. If you have not found a suitable motor, you can make the drive manual. Of course, you will have to make some efforts, but it will still be better than mixing concrete with a shovel in the trough.
2. Before you put the barrel on the gearbox (a device that converts the high angular speed of rotation of the input shaft into a lower one on the output shaft), you need to attach, say, a ring gear (hardened steel disk with teeth) from the Volga engine to its bottom. Practice has shown that it is optimally suited for this purpose: it is made of hardened metal and has teeth on the outside.
3. If there is welding, then attaching the crown is as easy as shelling pears. But we decided to assemble a concrete mixer without using a welding machine. Therefore, we will attach the crown to the bottom of the barrel with bolts. Turn the barrel upside down and attach a crown to the bottom. Make a core (a special rod with a sharpened end) marks on the bottom of the barrel. Simply insert the core into the hole with the sharp end and hit the blunt end with a hammer. Then remove the crown and drill holes with a drill strictly according to the marks made by the core. Place the wreath back on the bottom of the barrel so that the holes line up. Insert the bolts and tighten the nuts on them with wrenches.
4. We put the gearbox on the frame. We do the same as with the crown. We mark the place for the holes on the frame with a core, drill, bolt the gearbox to the frame, and install the barrel itself on it, without first forgetting to make blades in it in order to. Making them is also easy. You can simply fix three corners along the length of the barrel with bolts at an equal distance from each other. We replace the small pulley of the gearbox with a suitable gear. It is she who will set in motion a heavy container with concrete. In order not to suffer for a long time and not reinvent the wheel, a small gear can be taken from the starter bendix (the bendix is ​​the starter anchor shaft) of the same Volga.

The most important part of the whole car is the engine. It must be securely attached to the bracket on the frame.

For tipping a barrel of concrete, a steering wheel is suitable, and not just a handle. It's not that hard to make it. In fact, you can take a sleeve (a piece of pipe) and screw the rods into it radially. Then put on an additional gearbox and secure. But if such a design makes it difficult for you to develop drawings, then you can simply take the finished solution from the container with a shovel. Just do not forget to turn it off before this and wait until it stops.

Although you yourself will assemble an apparatus that helps to knead concrete, this does not mean that elementary safety rules can be neglected. Yes, they have already set everyone on edge, and nevertheless, traumatology statistics show that not everyone observes them. Memorize them well, but rather write with bright paint on your concrete mixer:

• Under no circumstances should you climb inside a rotating barrel.
• If you have assembled a unit with an electric drive, make sure that the power cord is in good condition.
• Keep small children away, even when the machine is not running.
• If you have made a mobile structure, put an emphasis under the wheels before you start using it.
• When mixing concrete, strong vibrations occur. Therefore, monitor the condition of the screw connections and tighten them in time.
• If possible, wear work gloves or work gloves. cement can cause allergic reaction hand skin.
• And never leave the equipment turned on unattended.

Remember that you are responsible for your own health and the safety of those around you! So, making a concrete mixer with your own hands is not difficult at all. In this case, the main thing is the presence of all necessary tools, materials and definitely desire. But you will have an inexpensive and excellent tool that can be useful to you more than once. By the way, you can rent your concrete mixer to neighbors and get a good salary increase from this.

As a rule, construction works rarely do without the use of concrete. It is quite difficult to knead the solution with one's own hands, using only a large container and a shovel, and with a significant scale of the forthcoming work, it is not at all advisable. It is much more convenient to mix concrete with a concrete mixer. Such a unit can be purchased at any specialized store, but still, many, trying to save money, try to make it on their own. Do-it-yourself concrete mixer is a great opportunity acquire such a useful device at minimal financial cost. How it can be made, and will be discussed in today's article.

Popular do-it-yourself concrete mixer designs

Consider a few simple options which are the most popular.

Option number 1. Mechanical

You can see the design of this simple mechanical mixing unit in the image below. The main advantage of such a concrete mixer is that it has an impressive volume. As for the drive, in this case it can be either manual or electric. To unload concrete, the bucket must be tilted to one side.

But there is also a minus inherent, in principle, to all units with a tub of cylindrical shape - this is poor-quality mixing in the corners. The mixture is also sprayed if the speed is more than 35 revolutions per minute. But the second problem can be dealt with if, upon completion of the assembly, that part of the barrel that was cut off is welded back into place and a hatch is made in it.

Note! Such a concrete mixer with its own hands kneads a simple solution for no more than 5 minutes, and a dry one - 1-12 minutes.

Video - Manual concrete mixer with a cylindrical bucket

Option number 2. Horizontal combined design, which is equipped with combs

This design, as well as the one described above, can also be both manual and electric. The advantages include high homogeneity of mixing, as well as high speed and the quality of the process. A similar concrete mixer is made from old barrel, but its quality is not much inferior to the best modern models for industrial use. Tellingly, the mixing speed is determined by the number of revolutions, and not by time (to prepare the solution, you need to rotate only three or four times).

Although there is a minus - it consists in the fact that the design is quite complicated. For making even manual option you will need several dozen different elements. Wherein Special attention should be given to the unloading hatch - all seals, bolts with hinges must be of exceptionally high quality and reliable. However, if you have a lot of work to do in a record a short time in a place where there is no electric power, then such a concrete mixer is very useful. Finally, we note that similar structures are also manufactured on an industrial scale.

Option number 3. Electrical design

This is perhaps the most common option, which in most cases is copied by home craftsmen. Therefore, there is no need to explain anything in particular. You can find the diagram in the image below. There are many varieties that have certain design differences, and finding detailed drawings is not difficult. In short, here are just a few explanations.

• The neck and bottom of the container must be reinforced with strips welded crosswise.
• The most suitable in this case is a frame mixer, which is welded to the axis.
• It is recommended that the container rotate with the axis - this way the frame design will be more complicated, but you will not have to seal the shaft in the bottom (the latter is one of the reasons for the short service life of the agitators).

Video - Concrete mixer assembly process

Option number 4. Vibrating unit

Quite often, people, having a hammer drill with a power of 1-1.3 kilowatts with an impact mechanism that is forced on, tried to make a vibratory concrete mixer on their own, but in most cases they did not get the desired result.

Let's take a look at common mistakes.

1. First of all, this wrong selection containers. The latter should only be round, not too wide, but high.
2. The vibrator is not positioned correctly. It should be placed on the axis of the container, and the distance from it to the bottom should approximately correspond to its radius. Above the vibrator itself there should be a solution with a height not exceeding its (again) diameter.
3. A flat vibrator is used. The fact is that if it is made of a sheet of metal, it will not be able to excite the required system of waves in concrete. It is important that the profile of the element be at least approximately the same as shown in the image. The best option- a pair of saucers or plates (it is better to give preference to metal), which are stacked together.
4. And the last one is a vibrator too big size. Its diameter should be 15-20 centimeters per kilowatt of power. Simply put, if the power of the perforator is the same 1.3 kilowatts, then the device will cope with plates with a diameter of 25 centimeters. If the diameter is large, then the concrete mixer with its own hands simply will not be able to "rock" the solution.

If you follow all these requirements, you can get concrete of excellent quality.

Video - Making the original concrete mixer

Making a concrete mixer - step by step guide

To make the design described below, you will need, first of all, patience, since you will have to work hard. The process consists of several successive stages, consider the features of each of them.

Stage one. Capacity

To make a mixing bowl (also known as a pear), prepare a ready-made tub or the materials from which you will make it. There is a mass options- a drum from a washing machine, an old can, a barrel. Although if you put forward special requirements for the future design, then it is preferable to make a pear with your own hands. Prepare sheet metal (not new) with a thickness of 2 to 2.5 millimeters. Then get to work.

Craft 3 or 4 constituent elements future capacity. A pair of truncated cones (this will be the bottom and top), the base (in other words, the lowest part), and also the fastening of the cones in the center (if such a thing is necessary at all).

After that, weld all the elements together to get a pear (it, in accordance with preliminary calculations, has a volume of about 200 liters). In addition, it is desirable that at each attachment point there is a double weld. It is worth noting that often craftsmen are advised to fix metal rivets between a pair of welds to increase reliability, although this moment is optional.

Stage two. Body and base

As for the case, it is often made of wood, but if you are serious about durability, then it is better to use metal corner. Give preference to durable material with a minimum of rust (if scrap metal is used), also take care of the design of the most convenient base. The future body must withstand the planned weight with a margin of 20-50 percent, since during vibration and mixing, the load, respectively, will only increase. Moreover, keep in mind that in addition to the concrete weighing 100-200 kilograms, you also need to hold the container itself, and with the necessary additional accessories.

All fasteners are carried out by welding and auxiliary bolted connections. At the same time, it is recommended to take care of the practicality of the future unit in parallel. The concrete mixer can be piled on a frame with wheels for more convenient transportation of the “miracle of technology”. You can also take care of a convenient handle, with which the body will move around the construction site.

Stage three. Engine

This stage is rightfully considered the most difficult, since it is quite difficult to calculate what characteristics and parameters the future equipment should have. Therefore, the power should be determined based on the requirements for the volume and weight of the mixed concrete, as well as the ability to extract one or another engine. Some use a motor from a washing machine or scooter for these purposes, while others prefer less expensive equipment (for example, a motor from an electric drill or any similar tool).

We also note that both the power and the speed at which the concrete mixer will rotate with its own hands should be taken into account. It is important that it is not very high - say, about 15-20 revolutions per minute. There are several ways to adjust the speed - automatic, gears with shafts, makeshift fixture and also the use of belts.

Stage four. Direct assembly of the concrete mixer

The assembly procedure itself is nothing complicated and includes several sequential steps. Let's consider each of them in more detail.

Step one. First you need to make sure that all connections - both pears and cases - are strong enough. Fasteners should be provided in advance, the same applies to the connection and installation of the motor.

step two. After that, you need to install the engine and gearbox on the frame, and then fix all the parts of the rotating mechanism with high quality.

Step Three. The next step is to install the container on the axle and base. This should be done so that the pear is located at an angle of 35 degrees.

Step Four. Now it remains only to check how the concrete mixer turns on / off, whether the fasteners are reliable, how well the rotation occurs. To adjust all parameters, gears or a belt are used.

Note! The procedure described above is more clearly demonstrated in the thematic video below. After looking at it, you will finally understand how to manufacture and run the device described in this article.

Video - Homemade concrete mixer

It is worth noting that any of the designs described above can be a good alternative to expensive "shop" equipment. Although, of course, in the absence of the required Supplies the cost of such budget equipment can increase markedly; although the experience is in any case very interesting. In addition, the design of the concrete mixer can be reduced in cost, and the principle of its operation can be simplified. This can be done, for example, by replacing automatic rotation with manual rotation. In this case, instead of dozens of complex parts, you will need only bearings, a handle, a lever, as well as a “comb”, which will be located inside the pear.

Another option for making a concrete mixer

The construction presented below is very similar to that described in the previous section, and therefore some detailed explanations are not required here. The manufacturing procedure itself can be understood from the given step-by-step illustrations. We only note that in this example, a ready-made 200-liter barrel, 250-watt Electrical engine at 1430 rpm, a motorcycle wheel, a pair of rings welded together. The finished pulley will be welded to the bottom of the tank. You will also need a pair of belts, a channel and pipes 59 for the frame.

Decision feasibility

So we found out that cement mortar required for almost all construction work. And if, for example, it is advisable to use a purchased ready-made mixture for pouring the foundation, then in the case of work involving the periodic use of relatively small portions of the mixture, it is advisable to rent / buy a concrete mixer (you can use a manual one, but better an electric one).

Of course, for kneading, you can use the same trough with a shovel, but this approach, in addition to labor costs, has other disadvantages. The quality of concrete in this case will not be high, the mixture will turn out to be heterogeneous, which, in turn, will lead to excessive consumption of dry cement and low strength characteristics of the finished concrete.

Note! The term "concrete mixer" refers to a number of special building mixers (manual / electric), that is, devices designed to obtain a homogeneous cement-containing mixture by mixing ingredients with heterogeneous fractions.

As a rule, dry cement is mixed with water, special additives and fillers (the latter can be: sand, expanded clay, screenings, gravel).

How is a concrete mixer built?

Standard design includes:

• frame (it can be both on the chassis and stationary);
• kneading working bodies;
• a container in which the mixing process takes place directly;
• unloading mechanism;
• transmission;
• driving unit (it can be, for example, gasoline or electric).

Let's get acquainted with each of the constructive components in more detail.

1. So, the bed is a structure made of profiles / pipes and is intended to connect all parts of the concrete mixer into one system. If the unit is small, then the frame can be equipped with two / four wheels to make it easier to transport.
2. Blades, augers and other parts that act directly on the ingredients of the concrete being kneaded can often be referred to mixing bodies.
3. A container is an element in which all these ingredients are mixed. Its volume and dimensions depend mainly on the performance of the concrete mixer.
4. Unloading mechanism - it, as the name suggests, is intended for the extraction of concrete for the purpose of further use in construction work. It can also be different.
5. Finally, a transmission with a driving unit is needed to convert this or that energy into the movement of a kneading body. As noted earlier, the engine is electric (used most often) or gasoline.

The main types of concrete mixers

There are several classifications of the unit described in the article, according to which it is divided according to one or another parameter. So, according to the principle of their action, there are five varieties of concrete mixers.

1. Gravitational. They differ in that the drum for mixing the solution rotates under the influence of gravity. The best option for the preparation of viscous and rigid concrete.
2. Forced. A more difficult to manufacture do-it-yourself concrete mixer, where the container does not move, and the blades inside it mix the components of the mixture. Such units are used in private construction infrequently.
3. Periodic. They are characterized by low power, and therefore need frequent stops. But for private construction, this is a completely acceptable option.
4. Gear (better known as crown).
5. Permanent. Such concrete mixers, judging by the name, operate continuously, and therefore are used mainly for large volumes of work.

In addition, according to the type of concrete produced, the equipment can be of two types

• mortar mixers;
• concrete mixers.

Let's consider each of these options in more detail.

Option number 1. Mortar mixers

Simple equipment, designed for private construction. Designed for mixing components, the size of the fractions of which is more than 2 centimeters. Also, the units can be industrial (if the volume does not exceed 1200 liters) and for private use (over 30 liters).

As a rule, all ingredients are mixed in mortar mixers in a forced way, for which a horizontal screw is used, which rotates in an immovable container. If the volume of the unit is more than 100 liters, then it must be equipped with dispensers. And if the volume of equipment exceeds 250 liters, then it, as a rule, will include the following elements:

• engine;
• mixing container;
• drive unit;
• rotating shaft having blades.

Note! Small mortar mixers with a volume not exceeding 65 liters are emptied by tilting the drum. If the volume is larger, then a hatch is used for this, which is located at the bottom of the device.

Option number 2. concrete mixers

They are designed for use with components with a fraction size of no more than 7 centimeters. All units of this type are classified in the same way as described in one of the previous sections of the article.

In addition, according to the features of the installation, they can be:

• mobile (this includes both concrete mixers with a chassis and units without it);
• stationary (often for industrial purposes, characterized by increased productivity);
• automotive.

We also note that, depending on the type of drive and energy source, all concrete mixers are divided into several more varieties.

• With manual drive. They are characterized by the fact that they are able to convert the muscular efforts of a person into the rotation of a kneading organ. The transmission is in most cases chain gear or belt. Such concrete mixers are not very common, since their volume is insignificant, and they do not facilitate labor very much.
• With motor drive. A concrete mixer (including a do-it-yourself one) of this kind operates on a diesel / gasoline engine.
• With pneumatic and hydraulic drive. The kneading organs in this case move due to the conversion of the energy of compressed air or liquid, which are supplied under high pressure. Such equipment is exclusively for industrial use, since it needs powerful additional devices.
• Electrical. The most popular types of concrete mixers today, not only industrial, but also household purpose. The range of such units is quite extensive, and their volume varies from 30 to several thousand liters.

Benefits of using

There are several of them, let's take a closer look at each of them.

• Manual-type units, in fact, are completely autonomous.
• But the crown mixer is quite easy to use and, if necessary, repair.
• Motor-driven equipment is also quite autonomous, as it only needs fuel.

Application Disadvantages

• At electrical appliances this is the opening of the hatch some time after the interruption of the supply of electricity and, as a result, the discharge of concrete (otherwise it will harden).
• In addition, concrete mixers, in principle, are seasonal. For the most part, they (especially small units) cannot be used when sub-zero temperature. As a result, in winter it is necessary to additionally use a steam generator.
• Separately, it is worth highlighting the disadvantages of motor-driven devices - this is the high cost of the fuel used, the high level of noise during operation, as well as the toxicity of exhaust.
• A simple mortar mixer capable of operating at a temperature not lower than +2 degrees does not have equipment that provides heating of the mixture.
• The performance of manual units is quite low, while the labor intensity of mixing, on the contrary, is high.

As a conclusion

As you can see, the independent manufacture of a concrete mixer is nothing complicated, you can deal with it. And the costs are fully justified, since the speed of any construction work with such equipment will increase significantly. That's all, good luck with your work and warm winters!