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Have you ever seen a concrete mixer in someone ’s chiliad and wonder , “ Why would anyone really own one of those ? ” Or , perchance you buy one for a projection ages ago , thinking it could occur in handy in the future , only to see it now seat sleeping in the back of the shed . Look at your concrete social from another view and that seeming single - tasker could prove much more versatile than you think .
Aconcrete mixercan make a surprising assortment of job easier . Ahead , we ’ve identified some of the most ingenious tasks that concrete mixers can tackle in improver to call forth up concrete mix . If using a charter sociable , just ensure you strip the mixer cautiously before returning it and do not damage the equipment .
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1. Make a custom-blend homemade potting soil.
gardener and farmers have discovered several option uses for aconcrete mixerfor mix heavy materials together . pot soil is made of various bulk organic ingredients that should be worked into a consistent premix . The turning activity of the concrete sociable ’s brake drum cook it perfect for meld homemade potting territory . It keeps the textile strike steadily , and the built - in paddle break up clumps .
Of course , the actual mix formula depends on the intended plants or purpose . Regardless , if you contrive to fill several container or a raise bed , you could save money and ensure tone by merge your own soil in a concrete mixer . A good ecumenical - purpose potting premix includes 6 parts peat moss ( plus 1 tablespoon of garden lime per congius of peat moss ) or coir fiber , 6 parts screen elderly compost , 4.5 parts perlite , and 0.5 part constitutive balanced organic fertilizer ( 5 - 5 - 5 , or similar ) . Turn on the machine , load up the ingredient , and let it mingle for about 5 second .
2. Mix mortar for working with bricks, blocks, and stone.
While it is similar to concrete , mortar differs in terms of ingredients , grain , and program . Mortaris the adhesive material used to hold masonry textile like brick , concrete block , and stones together , it ’s made of 1 part cementum , 3 parts Baroness Dudevant , and 1 part H2O .
Although a mortar mixer is specifically designed for the task , with desegregate boat paddle that spread out inside a stationary drum instead of the concrete social ’s fixed paddles inside the rotating metal drum , a concrete mixer can do a fine job with mortar . Turn on the mixer , then contribute water , cement , and sand . Let it run for 5 to 10 moment , until the trench mortar has the consistency of peanut butter .
3. DIY a custom-blend fertilizer.
Farmers and gardeners swear on soil test results to guide their plant food software . Unfortunately , premixed fertilizers only come in a few range of N ( N ) , phosphorus ( P ) , and potassium ( yard ) ratios that might not align with recommendation based on dirt examination . The good tidings is that you may buy fertilizer ingredients such as blood meal , bone meal , and caustic potash , and use a concrete social to blendhomemade fertilizerat the recommended ratio for your 1000 or garden .
This undertaking might acquire junk , so you will need to fashion a material or wooden cover for the barrel and wear a dust masquerade . Add the dry ingredients to the metal drum , then cover the top and conflate for 5 minutes .
4. Build a DIY compost tumbler.
The worst part about makingcompostis turning the pile . This exhausting and clip consuming physical process , once done by pitchfork , was simplified with the excogitation of hand - crank compost tumblers . you may take it a stride further by converting an old concrete sociable into an galvanizing DIY compost roller by either substitute the drum with a perforated one , or by drilling drainage holes into the base of the existing drum ( if you do this , it will no longer be suitable for merge concrete ) . A magnanimous capacity mixer of 6 three-dimensional feet or more , will give expert effect .
After modifying the drum , stretch it with kitchen chip , garden debris , shredded paper , and other compostable material , dampen the mixture , and rotate the barrel a few turns daily . You could even set it on an electrical timer to automatically turn a few time at the same time each 24-hour interval . Under ideal condition , it will process a batch in 4 to 6 week .
5. Make a metal tumbler to remove rust and scale.
The gyration of a concrete mixer is also ideal for tumbling metal parts toremove rust . The process is extra loud , so be sure to limit up where garish noise is acceptable . It might be a good idea to wrap the exterior of the drum in overweight - duty felt or froth to damp the sound .
Load the drumfish with the parts to be make clean , along with small metal chip such as nails , steel punch drop , nails , jailor , weld rod terminate , etc . Alternatively , seal off these materials inside a alloy container that can be wrapped in haphazardness - soften stuff and place inside the mixer drum . twist on the mixer to excite the rusting out , discipline after several hours ; some items will take longer than others .
6. Make sea glass for crafting.
Sea glass is the event of rugged bit of bottle , beauty , and other glassware that has tumble among the sand and waves for many year . beachcomber bonk collecting the fluid , colored souvenir , and crafters turn ocean glass into jewelry or home base interior decoration . If you love the look but can not get to thebeach , you’re able to use a concrete social to replicate the ocean undulation and make false ocean looking glass .
Break colourful ice into pieces of various sizes , but not too small since acrobatics will make them modest . cautiously bestow a generous amount of broken glass to the social drum , cover the deoxyephedrine with water , and pitch in a few cups of crystal grit or silicon carbide acrobatics gumption . function the sociable for a few mean solar day or a calendar week , the longer the better . The deoxyephedrine will come out smooth with a lusterlessness finale , just like at the beach .
7. Build a rotary compost sifter.
Sifted compost is one of the best fixings for seed starting and potting filth . Most gardener sift their compost to take out large pieces of junk by placing it on wire mesh mounted on a build , and escape from it back and forth over a barrow . It work , but it ’s a toilsome and meter - consuming process . If you have a concrete mixer , you could speed things along with just a few modification .
expend an old washing machine drum , a steel mesh trash can to make a trommel , or rotary sifter fond regard for your concrete social . Depending on the sociable you ’re working with , you may mount the trommel over the mouth of the existing drum , or remove the concrete drum to mount the trommel on the sociable ’s ringing gear .
Once the unexampled hardware is install , grade a tarpaulin or wheelbarrow below the trommel to captivate sifted compost , change by reversal on the automobile and load up it a shovel load at a time . Return the common material to thecompost binfor further processing . The same setup forge expectant for sifting rocks from land for garden bed homework .
Photo: Debbie Wolfe for Bob VIla
8. Mix custom feed blends for livestock.
commingle your own customanimal feedcan be a money saver and can be better for the creature too . blend livestock provender by script is not uncommon , and may work finely when you have just a few small fauna . As the flock raise , powering the process with the help of a concrete mixer provide you to spend more time with the creature and less time on feeding logistics .
Good blend ensures a precise proportion of factor in each pocket of the final mixture . lend grains and seeds such as edible corn , flaxseed , oat , pea , helianthus kernels , and wheat in the desired proportion to the social , turn it on , and let it unify for 5 minutes or so . You ’ll get braggart quite a little that are blended quicker and more evenly than when mixing by paw .
9. Mix hypertufa for handmade garden planters.
Hypertufa is a lightweight throw medium made of cement , fine totality , and organic matter . gardener use it to createcustom plantersthat propose an ideal growing environment for alpine plant , succulent , and annuals . Once cured , the material withstands freeze temperatures , and gives the look of concrete or instinctive Oliver Stone at a fraction of the weight and price . It even take on a mossy patina in just a season or two .
To mix a batch of hypertufa , one part of Portland cement with 1½ parts perlite or grit and 1½ office peat moss . lend some water to the concrete mixer first , then add together hypertufa mix . There is no strict urine - to - hypertufa commixture proportion because perlite , sand , and peat moss hold varying amounts of moisture . The final mix should seem somewhat like dry cooked oatmeal . If you’re able to squeeze a orchis together and it cohere without wringing out much urine , it ’s about veracious . Let it rest for 5 moment or so and thenuse it to satisfy forms . you could also purchase one of these plantation owner to try before you spend clock time crafting ; theround hypertufa planter by DeJardinCreationsis usable at Etsy .
10. Mix concrete for countertops, fence posts, and other midsize projects.
Of naturally the elemental job for a concrete sociable is to immingle water with ironic concrete mix . But you do n’t have to pull it out only for large projects . The mixer is a great alternative for quick repairs or projects that call for more concrete than a pail or garden cart can hold . When completing small- to medium - size projects — particularly those that need a consistent mix for strength or coming into court — you ca n’t beat the use of a social rather of hand - stirring or using a drill with a mixer attachment .
The mental process is simple-minded : call on on the simple machine , contribute water system ( about 3 quart per 80 - pound base of mix ) , add together dry mix , let it touch and tumble for 3 to 5 minute of arc , and pour . For multiple runs or multiple - Clarence Shepard Day Jr. projection , some users buy bulk ingredients to make their own concrete ironic mix . A in effect general - purpose dry mixing let in 1 part cement , 2 character sand , 4 parts gravel , and 1.5 to 2 parts water .
This Is the twelvemonth for a Kitchen Renovation
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Whether you ’re sell or staying , everyone can get something out of a kitchen update . Learn why we consider this renovation the Most Valuable Project of 2025 and how to stay on budget .
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Photo:DeJardinCreationsat Etsy
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