How to make a concrete mixer with your own hands - visual instructions and drawings. Homemade concrete mixer or making a solution playfully Simple do-it-yourself American concrete mixer

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How to make a concrete mixer with your own hands? What materials and tools are needed for this? Many people who need a homemade concrete mixer try to make one from what they have at home.

This unit is needed for carrying out concrete works on the summer cottage or during construction various buildings... Many people cannot afford to buy branded machines, so people make concrete mixers with their own hands. Some of these structures, which are relatively easy to manufacture, will be discussed below.

How does a homemade concrete mixer work?

In practice, 4 main methods of mixing the solution are used:

1. Gravitational.
2. Mechanical.
3. With forced vibration.
4. Combined.

In the first method, the container with the components rotates cement-sand mixture and mixing occurs under the influence of gravitational forces. With this method, a large volume of mortar cannot be kneaded, and the quality of concrete at the outlet is slightly more satisfactory. Therefore, this method is not widely used. But a do-it-yourself concrete mixer made using this method may well come up with a small amount of work.

With the vibration method of mixing the solution, the body of the machine does not move, and the mixer equipped with a vibrator creates a compression wave in the mixture of sand and cement. It turns out concrete High Quality... But this method also has a significant drawback - high energy intensity. For example, to get 18-22 liters of solution, you need a drive Electrical engine with a capacity of 1.3-1.5 kW.

Mechanical kneading of the pure material is not used, but is used in a combined method together with gravity. Such a homemade concrete mixer consists of a vessel that rotates in a horizontal or inclined plane. Projections are made inside the structure, which mix the solution. Such designs attract home-builders due to the ease of manufacture. Therefore, below are described mainly units of this type.

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How to make a simple manual homemade concrete mixer?

Its operation scheme is clear from Fig. 1. Any solution, even a "dry" solution, can be mixed in this design. It can be made by anyone who has experience in using simple tools... It takes 2-3 hours to assemble. Here is a guide to making such a unit:

1. An old milk can or boil is taken.
2. If there is a crack or fistula in it, then they are eliminated by electric welding.
3. A piece of pipe is threaded into the handle of the vessel lid and tied tightly to the handles of the can with a rope. You can also use a rubber band.
4. To fix the vessel on the axis, it is welded to it. If it is made of aluminum, then it is necessary to make the holding elements. For them, strips of metal with a thickness of 7 mm are used. The vessel is attached to them with screws.
5. Holes must be cut in the bed in the shape of the Latin letter "U".
6. The axis is laid in them.

If a barrel is used, then a horizontal unit can be made. To do this, a hatch is made in its lateral part for pouring the mixture, and the vessel itself is strengthened directly on the axis. The unit is installed on legs made of steel pipes.

Such a structure will rotate slowly, but the concrete will be well mixed. The only drawback that such a home-made concrete mixer has is the mixing time of the solution, from 4 to 20 minutes. Compared to the use of a shovel, this design has 4 times the performance. Rotating the axle manually is a little tedious, so you can connect an electric motor through a gearbox or belt drive. Its power should be 2.5 kW with a vessel volume of 50 liters.

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How to make a homemade forced mix concrete mixer?

This device will consist of such nodes as:

1. Bucket - made from old barrel, the walls of which must be rounded off with a sledgehammer. This is to prevent cement and sand from accumulating in the corners of the vessel. For small portions of the solution, a tub can be made from 2 basins. V general case you can also take plastic containers. They are fastened along the rim with a steel tape, which is tightened with a screw. The bottom of one bowl must be cut out so that the solution can be loaded and unloaded.
2. Steel gear ring (buy it).
3. Car flywheel.
4. Starter gear from the car.
5. Wheel hub.

Such a drive works like this. The flywheel rotates on an axle and the bucket moves with it. The other end of the axle is secured with a bearing no. 208-210, which is inserted into a clutch located in the hub. You can also make a vertical version.

To do this, a working vessel is bolted to the wheel with bolts, and the flywheel is welded to the hub. Then the clutch with bearings is attached to the flywheel, and you need additional detail for fastening the neck of the vessel.

This structure can be connected through a gearbox to an electric motor - the result is an electric concrete mixer. The rotation speed is selectable in the range of 25-55 rpm. As the speed increases, the solution may spray out. The engine power is selected as follows: 20-25 watts per liter of solution. To ensure these indicators, you can use a belt drive. If we assume that the bucket has a volume of 200 liters, then an electric motor with a power of 1.3 kW is needed. Such an aggregate gives a good quality concrete mix and allows you to greatly speed up the process. construction works.

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How to make a concrete mixer from a washing machine?

Any old car can do this. It is important that she has an activator at the bottom of the case. It must be replaced, mounted on a shaft of suitable size. There is a thread inside the washing tub. Brackets (nuts), which are made in the form of the letter "P", are fixed on it. You also need to make a structure from a steel strip with blades that are rotated 90 degrees. All these parts must be arranged symmetrically so that there are no beats during operation. The drain hole must be plugged. Such an electric home-made concrete mixer has a low productivity, but it is quite suitable for small jobs. If desired, you can also make an inclined unit. For this, a frame made of steel pipes is welded, which has an inclined platform. Channels are welded onto it, and a washing machine is bolted onto them. The construction works in the same way as the vertical version.

Many people like it on their own personal plot do it yourself repairs. To fix the foundation of the house, to fill in the paths, to put a fence on the posts, you need an aggregate such as a concrete mixer. There is no point in acquiring an industrial model, because it will be very expensive. In this case, making a concrete mixer with your own hands would be an excellent solution, for which large financial costs are not required. So how do you make your own concrete mixer? Thanks to the video presented, you can clearly see the entire process of such manufacturing.

What is a concrete mixer for?

Many people think that a small amount of mortar can be easily mixed with a shovel. However, this results in a very poor quality mixture. The fact is that it is very difficult to stir the solution in the trough with a shovel. Not everyone can do such physical activity, therefore easier to install concrete mixer collected by hand from a barrel. In addition, if you knead a large amount of the mixture, then in the end the composition will turn out to be dry. The solution begins to lose moisture much faster than it can be stirred to the required consistency.

Good quality concrete will not work even if you use a drill. When fastening it to the bracket, lumps of sand remain in the mixture. The drill should not only rotate, but also move back and forth and in a circle. Often the tool cannot withstand such stress and breaks.

To understand the principle of operation of a homemade concrete mixer with your own hands, which is made for a small amount of work, it is necessary to consider the process of stirring the solution. There are 3 ways:

• gravity method;
• vibration method;
• mechanical method.

Gravity method... In industry, this method is not used because the resulting cement is of poor quality. As a result of gravitational mixing, the container rolls over, the components begin to "flop" on top of each other and mix into a relatively homogeneous mass.

Vibration method... Counts the most reliable production method concrete in the industry. In the fixed bucket, the vibrating mixer starts to move, resulting in a high-quality solution.

Mechanical method... Used only in conjunction with gravity. In this case, either the mixer begins to rotate in a stationary bucket, or a bucket with protrusions inside rotates.

Concrete mixer manufacturing technology

There are a large number of home-made units that are adapted for the manufacture of concrete. The most simple design can be made from an ordinary milk can, a large saucepan, old boiled water. Its drawing is quite simple, and the manufacturing technology is even simpler:

• the container is welded to the axis;
• a stick, a piece of pipe or a rubber band is pushed into the lid and very strongly attracts the lid to the handles;
• to simplify the design couplings do not use, and the arcuate grooves are cut into the bed and the axis is laid on them.

To make a more practical unit, you need to use other drawings.

Stages of making a concrete mixer with your own hands

Making a container

Before you start creating a concrete mixer with your own hands, you should choose a container. Best used for this metal barrels that can hold at least 200 liters. Exactly this volume is considered optimal in order to knead required amount concrete at a time. It is better not to use plastic tanks, as they will not last long.

To make a concrete mixer, you will need a barrel with a lid and a bottom. If the container does not initially have a lid, then it should be welded by cutting it out of a sheet of metal. After that, flanges with bearings should be attached to the bottom and lid of the barrel. A hatch is cut out in the side, through which the components of the solution will subsequently be poured. It is best to make such a hole closer to the end of the container, which will be lower during the operation of the concrete mixer. The cut out part of the barrel will be used as a hatch cover. It is fixed with hinges and some kind of locking device.

To better mix the solution, blades are welded onto the inner walls of the barrel at an angle of 30 - 40 degrees. The angle of inclination is calculated in such a way that the concrete can be “pushed out” during mixing. Moreover, such the blades can be fixed not on the walls, but on the very shaft of the device.

If you cannot find a suitable container, then you can do it yourself. To do this, you will need the following tools and materials:

• sheet metal with a thickness of 1.5 - 2 mm;
• welding machine;
• rollers;
• wooden mallet or hammer.

Before you start cutting metal, should prepare drawings indicating the required dimensions. To make a concrete mixer body, you will need a central circular section, a tank bottom, and two truncated cones that make up the bottom and top of the structure. Parts cut according to the markings must be bent into rings. It is more convenient to do this with the help of rollers. After adjusting all parts, the seams are welded securely.

Base installation

Homemade concrete mixer must have a solid and stable base. Otherwise, the structure may overturn during operation. If it is not supposed to load a large amount of concrete into it, then the skeleton is better made from a square timber , having a section of 10x10 or 15x15 cm. So that the base of the structure could not suffer from vibration during operation, you should use connections of the "half-tree" or "thorn" type. After assembly, all joints must be properly glued and tightened with self-tapping screws.

If you want to create a more reliable and durable unit, you should give preference to a frame that welded from metal corner not less than 45x45 mm in size. You can also use a channel. If there is no gas welding machine, then the frame is fixed with rivets or nuts and bolts.

If there is such a desire, then the base can be equipped with wheels. This requires an axle without bearings and the wheels themselves. This concrete mixer is easy to turn and move. When assembling the base, it is imperative to provide handles. With their help, the device can be moved.

During the assembly process, the frames must provide a place for the engine. Also a counterweight will be needed so that the structure does not topple over when unloading the concrete. If it is planned to unload the solution with a shovel, then in this case the counterweight will not be needed. All these points must be provided during the creation of the drawing.

Engine mounting

To make the mixer more efficient, any single-phase motor is required, the rotation speed of which is no more than 40 rpm.

Many masters who create homemade construction, it is advised to use electric motors from old out-of-order washing machines, such as "Volna" or "Chaika". Such motors are capable of operating long time and not overheat. When choosing an engine, it should be remembered that optimal speed bucket rotation is 20 - 30 rpm. To do this, use various gearboxes... However, optimal and simple option is the use of a pulley and a drive belt.

Instead of an engine from washing machine, you can use a motor from a motorcycle or a gas-powered moped. In this case, the concrete mixer will not need power supply and can be used in any conditions. The motor is mounted with 4 bolts to the bracket or frame, which are welded to the gearbox housing.

However, a home-made concrete mixer is capable of working with manual control... In this case, neither electricity nor gasoline is needed for it. Such a simple device is mobile, easy to assemble, and anyone can operate it. Its only drawback is the presence of an assistant for mixing the solution.

Finally, a shaft is threaded through the container of the structure. To make the device more stable, it should be dug into the ground at an angle of 30 degrees.

Thus, to make a concrete mixer with your own hands, no special skills are needed. The manufacturing process can be seen more clearly in the video. Before you start assembling such a device, you should use the drawings. They will help you correctly and accurately create a homemade design without serious financial investments.

For this, various cement mixtures as the most affordable building material today. If the volume of work is small, then you can prepare a cement mortar construction mixer or in a small bucket, stirring it with a shovel.

But if you need in front of the house and walking paths, build a stone shed or make a fence with concrete base and brick posts, then it is advisable to have on hand a mechanism that will ensure the preparation of a cement or concrete mixture. In we will talk about how to make a concrete mixer with your own hands and what materials are required for this.

Existing types of concrete mixers

The main types of devices for cooking cement mortar or concrete are determined by the mixing method.

He can be:

1. gravitational, based on a simple overturning of the constituent components of the mixture;
2. mechanical, which resembles gravity, but additional dissecting elements have been added to the structure to improve mixing;
3. vibration, in which the mixture is prepared thanks to a vibrator immersed in it;
4. combined, where two or three mixing methods are used simultaneously.

Each type of concrete mixer has its own positive and negative qualities, which depend on the cost of materials, the complexity of manufacturing and the required level of quality of the concrete solution prepared in them.

Gravity type mechanisms

This is the simplest manual concrete mixer do it yourself, requiring a minimum of cost and effort in the manufacture. However, the quality of the prepared mixture in such a device can be called no more than satisfactory, and it will not be possible to make large volumes of solution in it.

And yet, with relatively small needs for mortar, given the simplicity and low cost, such a do-it-yourself concrete mixer is quite widely used when performing construction work on personal plots.

Structurally, its scheme is a horizontally located, closed container with an opening door through which the components are fed.

For more convenient use of the gravity-type concrete mixer, it is installed on a welded support frame.

A metal can or an ordinary steel barrel can be used as a container. After bookmark necessary materials through the door, it is tightly closed, and the container begins to rotate with the handle. After mixing, the gravity-type concrete mixer is rotated with the door downward, and the ready-made mortar is poured out through it into a substituted pallet.

Mechanical mixers

A self-made concrete mixer with your own hands of a mechanical type looks very similar to a gravity one. The main difference lies within her.

These are guide and shearing blades welded to the inner walls of the container. They direct the fall of the overturned layers, dissecting them into separate parts.

In this case, you will dare to get better quality and in a shorter time. The presence of blades changes the very principle of gravitational mixing. Therefore, the working container can be placed not only horizontally, but also at an angle, which makes it possible to more efficiently use the volume of the concrete mixer and makes the work more convenient.

Schematic representation mechanical concrete mixer.

In addition, the working container, installed at an angle to the horizon, no longer requires a closing hermetic lid, and the ready mixture can be dumped through a permanently open opening, turning the working container itself.

Manufacturing of a working container

You can also use a steel barrel as a working container, for inner walls which steel blades should be welded at an angle of 30-35 degrees. The height of the blades should be equal to a quarter of the barrel diameter. It is possible to weld the blades to the rotating shaft passing inside.

A more difficult option would be to make a container. own design, a sort of homemade product. To do this, you need a piece of steel thin-walled pipe with a wall thickness of 2.5-3.5 mm, a diameter of at least 800 mm and a length of at least a meter.

The base frame is best made of steel shaped pipes.

One side of the pipe is welded with a steel circle. On the other hand, 4-6 triangular segments are cut, which are folded to the middle and welded together. The result is a container that resembles a pear. Blades are welded inside the pear, and in the center, with outside bottom, - a steel axle for the subsequent fastening of the drive pulley.

They are less susceptible to bending than a corner and are relatively light in weight. The frame design should provide for the installation of support wheels on which the container will lie, and a platform for installing the electric motor.

The frame itself should be in two parts:

1. supporting, on which the entire structure will be supported;
2. rotary, on which the working container will rest.

Support frame with handle and castors.

The supporting and rotating parts of the frame are connected to each other through short shafts fixed in bearings or bushings.

A transverse handle must be welded to one of the shafts to be able to tilt the rotary part of the frame, and with it the working container, which will lie on the frame, resting on the wheels.

Mechanical concrete mixer drive

The drive for rotating the mixer in devices of this type is extremely rare and only with a small volume of the working vessel. Usually, an electric motor is used for rotation, connected to the mixer through a belt drive.

It is even better to connect the electric drive through a gearbox, but a self-made concrete mixer in this case will be too expensive in terms of the necessary components. In factory designs, you can see the gear train from the engine mounted on the side of the tank, in the place largest diameter but at self-production such a solution is feasible only theoretically.

Vibrating type concrete mixer

Vibration devices are widely used in the industrial preparation of mortars and concrete mixtures, since they provide best quality final material. They are very simple in design, and then making them with your own hands is quite easy.

During operation, the components begin to actively mix, and water is gradually added until necessary degree the density of the solution. At the end of the process, a hatch opens at the bottom of the container, and the finished mixture falls into the pallet or car body.

Structurally, such a concrete mixer is a fixed container located vertically. In the upper part, the necessary components for the preparation of mortar or concrete are loaded, a certain amount of water is added and a submersible vibrator is lowered into the middle.

If you already have your own submersible vibrator or you have the opportunity to purchase it, then making such a concrete mixer yourself will not be difficult. There are no moving or rotating parts, no need to invent a drive and a pivoting frame structure, but simply install the improved barrel design on the base frame and position the receiving pan underneath.

The main difficulty in operating such a structure is the need to ensure a stable position of the vibrator. In order for the finished mixture to be of high quality, it is necessary to place the vibrator strictly in the center of the volume occupied by the prepared solution, and mix it all at the same time.

On the industrial enterprises for this, a special lowering structure is used, on which the working mechanism is fixed.

If you decide to use a steel barrel as a working container, then, first of all, you need to remove the bottom and lid from it. After that, you need to make a truncated cone from steel sheet, the larger diameter of which should be equal to the diameter of the barrel, and weld the opening gate to the smaller diameter. It can be bought or made from existing corners and a steel plate with a handle - then you will get it for free. Weld the made cone to the barrel, and the working container will be ready.

Now you need to install the container on a support frame, the height of which will ensure the possibility of placing the receiving pallet under the concrete mixer. It is best to install it with a slight slope or feed the solution into it along the receiving chute, and install the pallet itself next to it.

Finally

When deciding to make a concrete mixer with your own hands, you need to understand that for its manufacture you will need to perform a large number welding and locksmith works. You must have these skills or have an assistant who can do it. It would also be nice to have a look on the net. additional photos and video materials, having familiarized themselves with the experience already accumulated by other people.

The work should begin by identifying the materials already available. On the basis of such an audit, it is necessary to make drawings or a sketch diagram of the future device. After that, purchase all the missing materials and tools, and then start manufacturing.

For the improvement of the site, either mortar or concrete is often needed. Kneading it by hand is difficult and time-consuming, and the quality of the solution is far from the best: it is difficult to achieve homogeneity. But not everyone wants to buy a concrete mixer for its periodic use. A good solution is a do-it-yourself concrete mixer. You need a little money, in terms of performance, home-made units are no worse than Chinese ones, and sometimes even better.

Manual concrete mixer

There is not always electricity at a construction site, and large volumes of mortar and concrete are also not always required. The way out is to make a concrete mixer of a small volume, which will rotate manually (with a manual drive). The designs of these models are simple and straightforward.

From a milk flask

The simplest hand-held concrete mixer can be made with an ordinary metal flask (before, milk was sold in such a bottle). You will also need pipe trimming or some other scrap metal. The design is simple, such a do-it-yourself concrete mixer is realized in a couple of hours. The main thing is to weld the frame. The assembly of the concrete mixer itself will take a couple of tens of minutes on the strength.

You make a bed, bend a handle from a round pipe. At the top of the bed, weld two water connectors (for example). Their inner diameter slightly larger than the diameter of the pipe used for the handle. The pipe is passed through a flask, welded to the body.

To make the barrel spin easily, you need to find the center of gravity. To do this, you can put it on some thin object, and move it forward / backward to find this very center. It is through it that you will need to pass the handle. Having passed the handle, it is attached to the walls of the case. This is where difficulties can arise: flasks are usually made of aluminum alloy, and the handle can be made of steel. It will not be possible to connect from by welding. The only available exit is cold welding... It is quite real to itself. The rest of the modes - with bimetallic gaskets or argon-arc welding at home are not implemented. Another way out is to weld plates onto the handle, which are riveted to the sides of the flask.

So that the handle does not play much and does not fall out during operation, nuts are welded to it on both sides of the coupling.

In general, this is all about making a manual concrete mixer with your own hands. For one batch of 40 liter can you can get 2.5-3 buckets of solution. For use in the country or on the site near the house (without a construction site), more than enough.

If there is no can, you can adapt the barrel (thick-walled). Then the problem with welding the handle disappears, but you have to come up with a system for fixing the lid. You can do something similar to the one that the can has.

The video shows an example of a hand-made homemade concrete mixer from a milk flask. The design is slightly different, but not too different. There is interesting idea- Dividers are welded to the pipe inside the container, which accelerate mixing.

From a barrel (manual and electric)

The author called this construction "drunken barrel" - because of the peculiar trajectory of movement. The whole point is that the axis of rotation goes obliquely through the container. Because of what the solution waddles from one wall to another. The design is also simple and effective. Importantly, there are no problems with welding dissimilar metals. A drawing of a manual concrete mixer from a barrel is shown below.

In the upper part of the frame, bearings are installed in the center, into which the handle is threaded. Thanks to them, the 200 liter barrel turns easily. Just choose a container with thick walls - it will last longer. Inside, no additional blades are welded: they only trap the components, interfere with mixing and complicate unloading.

V original design loading / unloading hatch is located in the bottom. This is a cut off part (about 1/3), attached with loops to the bottom, equipped with a sealing rubber around the perimeter and closed with two locks. When loading, the barrel is turned so that the hatch is at the top. When unloading, turn down. The solution moves by gravity into the substituted container, and the adhering one can be removed by knocking on the body with a hammer or sledgehammer.

This design served the author for 10 years, although it was made for a one-time job, but it turned out to be very successful: 2.5 buckets of solution are well mixed in 20-30 revolutions. During this time, it was repeated and improved by neighbors and acquaintances. Basically, the alterations concerned the hatch. Experimentally, its most successful design has been revealed - similar to the one used in a milk flask. This "neck" is welded to the barrel from one side (see the photo above). They also make handles on both sides - for the possibility of working together.

This design easily converts into an electric home-made concrete mixer. Not very well placed powerful engine- 1 kW for a barrel of 200 liters is enough, to the axis of which a small sprocket is attached, a larger sprocket is welded to the pipe axis (to reduce the number of revolutions), they are connected using a chain (from a scooter, for example).

Do-it-yourself electric concrete mixer from a barrel and a washing machine engine

This concrete mixer is gear type. To make this model, you needed:

• galvanized steel barrel for 180 liters (diameter 560 mm, height - 720 mm);
• washing machine motor - 180 W, 1450 rpm;
• flywheel and starter gear from Moskvich 412;
• two pulleys from a washing machine with a diameter of 300 mm and 60 mm;
• garden cart wheels;
• scrap metal for the frame.

Gears, wheels - everything is old, everything was in the garage

First of all, we clean everything from rust, treat it with a rust converter and cover it with soil.

We cook the frame from pipes, channel. The corners of the frame are reinforced by welding metal plates. Everything has to be tough and reliable. We make the crossbar serious: a barrel of solution will "hang" on it, and even everything will vibrate and spin.

The frame is the basis of the structure. The pipes are almost new))

We weld the pins seat under the gears of the transfer. We clean it from rust, treat it with a rust converter, prime it.

We fasten the wheels from the trolley. They are with wide treads and justified themselves: it is not difficult to drag the concrete mixer even just across the site.

We also cook constructions from pipes for an emphasis and installation of the entire "filling".

The second is for greater stability

We begin to assemble the drive. First, we put the large gear on the previously welded pin.

We install the assembly in the seat - a small gear connected to a wheel for a belt drive.

We attach the engine to the pre-welded plate.

We suspend it so that the two wheels of the belt drive are on the same level. It is also necessary to ensure the correct tension of the belt.

It remains to attach the barrel. In it in the center we make a hole for a large pulley, we drill a hole for fasteners. We put it in place.

Only the electrical part remains. We connect the cable through

Several photos of the main units. Maybe someone needs to look closer.

The second transfer option is from a car drive

The barrel is 200 liters, its edges were cut, bent and welded, forming the usual "pear".

They made a "pear" from the barrel

The car rim was bolted to the underbody (with rubber pads). It was selected so that a recess for the belt transmission was formed. The hub was pre-attached to the disk.

Blades were welded inside the barrel for more efficient mixing of the solution.

All this economy was attached to the frame.

Where the plate is welded is a place for the engine. We set it so that the belt runs smoothly. Power was supplied through a toggle switch, a timer from the washing machine from which the motor was removed was switched on in series.

In general, the rotation speed turned out to be 35-40 rpm. Should be enough.

Homemade stirrers in the video version

If clear general principle of how to make a concrete mixer with your own hands, you can modernize and alter it, adjusting it to the existing parts. Help in this video collected in this section.

Crown type

Another option, only not a gearbox, but a crown type. The crown, by the way, can be bought (cast iron or plastic) and installed on a barrel.

With rollers as support

Can you imagine a construction site that lacks even a small concrete mixer? Without such an aggregate, the preparation of a good cement slurry becomes almost impossible. When the need arises to build small building or just "patch up" something, concreting becomes a demanded task. Here is just a short list of situations in which this tool cannot be dispensed with: garden paths, arrangement of the foundation for the gazebo, installation of a fence, and so on. In short, concrete is needed everywhere - the only difference is in the scale of the event. For household needs, buying an industrial apparatus is pointless - the purchase will cost you prohibitively expensive. An alternative solution would be a homemade concrete mixer with your own hands. Thanks to this article, you will learn how to make it yourself from scrap materials.

The four principles of mixing concrete

Homemade concrete mixer

In fact, you can prepare your own solution without special devices. Many people even like to work “according to the old method”. But how much do you manage to 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 mixed in a container that is motionless. For this, a mechanical drive is usually used. In this case, the working drum can be located vertically or horizontally.

Horizontal concrete mixer drawing

Despite the fact that even a small forced-action concrete mixer can be very effective, it also has its drawbacks:

• "Dead zones" appear in the container. This is especially true for space near walls.
• The complexity of the design. The rotation units must be hermetically protected from 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 way rarely used, as it takes a lot of time and effort. Barrels 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 advantages:

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

The fourth principle of mixing is called vibrational. V Lately some craftsmen are engaged in mixing the solution using vibration. When it comes to large-scale volumes, the results can be the most overwhelming. Usually the vibratory mixing principle is used when it is necessary to make precise reinforced concrete structure with good performance characteristics.

Under normal conditions, the gearbox and drive replaces the most powerful rock drill (permissible minimum 1.3 kW). Its vibrational action must be independent. You do not need to press down on the chuck.

Concrete mixer gearbox photo

In general, vibratory kneading creates an almost ideal concrete mix... However, for the preparation of a "heavy" solution, it is also not optimal.

Concrete mixer from a milk can (flask)

DIY concrete mixer from a milk can

It should be understood that not every summer cottage has access to electricity. Therefore, it would be quite logical to make a hand-made homemade product and a small volume. A do-it-yourself concrete mixer from a milk flask is a very simple and uncomplicated 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 welding of the frame.

• Taking round tube, bend the handle as shown. Weld the plumbing sleeves at the top. Their inner diameter must exceed the diameter of the pipe that is used for the handle.
• Pass the tube through the flask making holes and then weld to the body.
• It is extremely important to find the center of gravity of the concrete mixer with your own hands so that it is easy to twist. To simplify the design, you can dispense with the clutch. Cut arcuate grooves in the bed and place the axle on them.

The unit, although simple, is not the most reliable. Therefore, it is better to use some other blueprints for manufacturing.

Big barrel

Concrete mixer from a large barrel of 200 liters

More practical option is considered a concrete mixer from a 200 liter barrel. 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 last you long.

A homemade concrete mixer from a barrel is made as follows:

• Preparing a drum 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. Homemade option is in no way inferior to the factory barrel. You will need thick sheets of metal with a thickness of 1.5 to 2 mm, rollers, an efficient welding machine and a wooden hammer.
• We attach flanges with bearings to the cover and bottom. We cut out a hatch on the side, where the solution components 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 in the process of scrolling.
• 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). This angle is extremely important so that the contents are "pushed" outward during mixing. In principle, you can also attach the blades to the shaft.

How do professionals make a base for a concrete mixer?

Naturally, a hand-held concrete mixer with your own hands must have a stable base. This is necessary so that the structure does not start to turn over during mixing. With a small load, a frame made of a wooden beam will be quite enough (a section of 10 by 10 or 15 by 15 cm). Optimal options connections: "in a thorn" or "in a half-tree". They are necessary so that the structure does not get damaged by vibration. When the assembly is complete, all joints are glued and tightened with self-tapping screws.

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

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

As for the engines, a do-it-yourself concrete mixer from a barrel can be equipped with a motor from a scooter or a car. A good option there will also be a concrete mixer from the 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 see the photo of the drawings, allowing you to do everything yourself:

Drawing of a homemade concrete mixer from a barrel

How fast should the concrete be stirred?

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

That is why the reducer "washing machine" is better conventional motor from a scooter or car. It can withstand almost any load and can operate at low speeds. 25 complete cycles (revolutions) per minute is sufficient.

To provide this amount, the gearbox can have a different scheme. Simplest, typical variant when the gearbox is made up of a belt and a pulley. A do-it-yourself concrete mixer with a motor differs from a moped in mobility. The gearbox is convenient and compact; no electricity is needed to operate. Even if you have a large territory, the made device moves through it without unnecessary worries and hassles.

The gearbox in this case must be chain, otherwise the structure will function poorly.

Concrete mixer drawings video

Four common mistakes when making a concrete mixer

When creating an aggregate such as a manual concrete mixer, people often make mistakes. The most common ones are:

1. Capacity. Needless to say, it should be not only voluminous, but also of high quality. Any holes, holes, 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 a metal frame with cast iron. You will significantly complicate your hard work.
4. Do not overload the structure with excess weight. If you intend 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 building materials, tools, a little care and resourcefulness. AND last advice in conclusion. If there is such an opportunity, it is advisable to involve one more (or preferably two) people in the work. Some steps need to be performed at a time, but doing it alone is not very convenient.

Homemade concrete mixer from a barrel video