Easy DIY CONCRETE MIXER - Step by Step

[floridagunrat]

A couple of pieces of advice.
For starters, square your form up by measuring corner to corner as someone else said. We use the 3-4-5 method to check our 90s, but on any square or rectangular, poor we just X it and pull the longside dimension corners in until we get things to match. It's really pretty quick and extremely accurate. Next, get your forms staked off and level first before you start laying out your rebar. Stepping over rebar is a pain and it is a real trip hazzard, additionally, the rebar should be properly and evenly spaced from the form and if the form's not in the right place, once you get it adjusted now you have to go back and readjust the rebar. Third, the jiggling you were referring to with your screed board, we call "juking". Yes, generally speaking, juking is the best way to get your mud level. Sometimes we will use sweeping motions when its a little wet. It's also important to lean the screenboard back so that the front edge is raised up. This will help to push the aggregate down into the cream. Fourth, you didn't finish the slab after screeding. It should be bullfloated, and then either steel troweled, which can be done with a Fresno or by hand on skis or a broom finish for better traction. Fifth, when doing complex formwork, we will use a release agent or form oil on our forms. On simple work like this we don't bother. The 2 x 4 can be popped loose easily while the concrete is still green. When you were referring to tapping the form boards with a hammer, this needs to be done immediately as you are screeding or right after you screed. it was too late when you were showing on the video. At that point, the concrete was already set up, and voids known as honey comb were not going to be removed by tapping. Also, you should use an edging tool. That puts a slight radius on the top edge of the slab. It will prevent chipping and give a better-looking finished product. This is a smaller slab, but one last thing to consider is typically that afternoon or the next day, depending on the weather conditions, you should saw-cut control joints in the slab. There are two things that I can guarantee you about concrete. It will get hard, and it will crack.
Saw-cut control joints will allow it to crack in an acceptable manner that will not be unsightly. I hope all this helps!

[toddfriley]

Very cool tool. FYI you are intermixing the words concrete and cement and they are different.

[BrentLink]

The rebar is a bit overkill.
6x6 wire mesh would be sufficient.
Also, any metal reinforcement should be a minimum of 2 inches from the top, bottom or edge.

Another suggestion is to edge the concrete. This will minimize trapping water on the slab. 😊

[andys]

Dude, get a dust mask. Watching you breath that concrete dust made my lungs hurt.

[edensgardenshed]

Will that dump right into a wheel barrow or is it too low?

[abedetesfa]

Very helpful info. Thank you and God bless!

[mygardenofthings]

Wow, seamless shift - didn't see that topic change coming at all😉👍

[Devilracer]

How long did it take to pour the slab with the mixer

[elenarepka]

Thank you for showing this tool. For newbies like me, this will be super helpful.

[hogue]

Awesome video. What does one do with a large concrete slab after it dries?

[chrisspencer]

If you have a metal rake or something you can hook on the rebar you can just pull it up an inch or so and it will stay in place mid pour vs trying to chair it.

[Tony_Fot]

To square a frame, measure from one corner to the far opposite corner and then take another measurement between the other two corners (measure in an "X"). If both measurements are the same AND you are sure that your boards are of correct length and not warped, then you will have a perfect rectangle. If the measurements don't match, push together the two corners of the longest measurement to bend the shape, then re-measure. Your " 3/4/5" solution is far more time consuming.

Also, why buy wire supports and an $8 tool when you can just make a bunch out of old coat hangers and bailing wire?

[ToddsDiscGolf]

Putting in your own disc golf course? 😋

[tomg]

The forms need to be level not the ground.

[upholsteredhero]

This machine really needs an in line pressure regulator for use on well supplied sites. Would be cool if the manufacture could design and source an inline pressure regulator to include in the machine. They should do this if for no other reason than to reduce the opportunities for customers to experience issues and blame the machine.

[jeremiahbullfrog]

title says DIY concrete mixer but you use a commercial tool?

[fromcitytowild]

$3, 500 😮 we'll stick with dry pouring but cool product for sure!

[andrewblack]

First of all that mixer sucks. Secondly that isn’t real cement buddy

[joelkreuzer]

Great instruction video. Invite me up for your next video. Would love to build something together