Any construction work on the site, whether it is the erection of the foundation of the building, pouring screeds or the construction of the blind area, can not do without the use of concrete mortars. Wanting to save on construction, many craftsmen knead it manually. If for the manufacture of several liters of mortar you can do with manual physical labor and a regular shovel, then to obtain significantly larger volumes it is better to use a special mechanism - a concrete mixer. The mechanism of operation of such a device is quite simple. Thanks to the step-by-step instructions described in the article, anyone can understand how to make a concrete mixer with their own hands, and make the necessary device in the household in just one day.
Option # 1 - manual concrete mixer from a barrel
The simplest version of a concrete mixer is a device driven by manual force.
The manual unit in the process of operation involves the involvement of great muscle strength. However, if the tank is not full, the woman will be able to move the concrete mixer
Thinking of how to make a concrete mixer for home use, many owners are trying to choose an option that does not involve large financial costs. The best option is to make a device from a metal barrel and a frame welded from corners and rods.
A barrel with a lid with a capacity of 100 liters or more is perfect as a container. Holes are drilled from the ends of the cover to accommodate the shaft, and flanges with bearings are mounted to the bottom of the cover. After that, a hatch will be cut out on the side of the cylinder - a rectangular hole of 30x30 cm. It is advisable to place the hatch closer to the end face, which will be located on the bottom side during operation.
To tightly fit the manhole cover during operation of the device, soft rubber should be glued along the edges of the manhole. To fix the cut piece on the barrel, use loops on the nuts and bolts or any lock using hinges.
The shaft must be placed at an angle of 30 degrees, and the structure is fixed on a frame made of corners 50x50 mm. The finished structure must be dug into the ground or tightly fixed to the surface. The shaft can be made of two steel rods d = 50 mm.
The design is ready to go. It remains only to fill all the components into the tank, close it with a lid and use the handle to perform 10-15 revolutions
To unload the finished solution from the tank, it is necessary to substitute any container under the barrel and throw the mixed solution through the open hatch of the barrel turned upside down.
Option # 2 - making an electric concrete mixer
Electric concrete mixers belong to the category of more advanced models, they are driven by a motor.
Preparation of the main elements
To make a concrete mixer it is necessary to prepare:
- Metal tank;
- Electric motor;
- Drive shaft;
- Metal corners or rods d = 50 mm for blades;
- Two bearings;
- Elements for the frame.
Using a barrel with a capacity of 200 liters per load, it will be possible to get up to 7-10 buckets of ready-made solution, sufficient for one cycle of construction work.
For the manufacture of concrete mixers, you can use ready-made barrels, or weld a container of 1.5 mm sheet steel. However, for this you need to have certain turning skills.
To increase the mixing properties of the unit, the tank can be equipped with screw blades. You can weld them in their corners or rods, placing them at an angle of 30 degrees and giving them the shape of the inner contours of the tub.
For such a concrete mixer, you can use an engine from any equipment (for example: a washing machine). But when choosing a drive motor, it is better to choose one that is capable of providing a rotation speed of 1500 rpm, and the shaft rotation speed would not exceed 48 rpm. Thanks to these characteristics, you can get high-quality concrete mix without dry impregnations. For operation of the main power module, an additional gearbox and belt pulleys will also be required.
Assembly assembly
On both sides of the container, holes are drilled to connect the shaft to the drum. The arrangement of the tank hatch takes place according to the same principle as when assembling a manual concrete mixer. A gear ring is welded to the bottom of the tank, which acts as part of the gearbox. A gear with a smaller diameter is also attached there.
To turn a conventional tank into an electric concrete mixer, it is necessary to insert a bearing with a large diameter into a piece of pipe, which will subsequently be welded to the tank, and then connect the shaft to the engine.
Supporting structure - the frame can be made of wooden beams or boards, metal channels, pipes or corners 45x45 mm
To make the supporting structure mobile, it is possible to equip it with wheels, which are mounted on the turned ends of an axis made of reinforcement d = 43 mm.
To facilitate work with the device, it is desirable to equip the concrete mixer with a rotary device. To assemble it is quite simple. For this, by welding it is necessary to connect two metal pipes d = 60 mm with two stops and bearing housings. It remains only to weld plugs and tilting handles to the device fixed in the frame bearings.
To fix the rotary device in the working position, it is necessary to drill a vertical hole in the front ring and in the pipe wall adjacent to it, where a wire pin with a diameter of 8 mm will be inserted.
Video examples from homemade craftsmen
Finally, I would like to show a couple of video examples. Here is a manufacturing option using the engine from the washing machine:
But such a concrete mixer can be made if you attach a motor to an ordinary barrel:
