Bucket Lid Type Mortar Mixer

[Sue Wilkinson]

I once saw lime mortar being mixed in a builders bucket by a device that was literally a rubber lid that fitted onto the bucket with an electric engine on top driving a couple of paddles attached to the lid that extended down into the bucket.

Ideal for mixing smaller quantities. I'm struggling to cope with the mixing, it does my back in. Can't afford a proper big orange mixer, but perhaps one of these would do me. But what are they called? Anyone know? Anyone know where I might get one from?

Sue

 

[Gervase]

You can get one online from somewhere like Machinemart, like this.
They're not cheap, though. If you've got a decent powerdrill, why not just use a plaster mixer? It'll do the job reasonably well - I use one to make a mixture wet enough to fit into a pointing gun for stabilising/grouting really manky stonework, and it works a treat. It's also the best thing there is for mixing limewash.
Or you could get a heavy duty purpose-built mixer.

 

[R King]

Gervase - Could you let me know where you bought your pointing gun from? We are about to remove all the nasty cement ribbon pointing from our stone built house and repoint using lime. Any hints/tips greatfully received!

 

[Gervase]

Most builders' merchants will sell them or do them to order. Ty Mawr also sell them. To be honest, it's something I really only use for deep grouting large voids in rubble-stone walls, as I like to use a stiff mortar for ordinary pointing - too stiff to work in a pointing gun - and it needs to be compacted very firmly with a pointing iron.
If you get the mix right, use a hawk and a good trowel (I find a 'leaf and square' double-ended job one of the most useful there is) you can do the job just as quickly and certainly more thoroughly than someone with a pointing gun.

 

[Sue Wilkinson]

Thanks for the tool tips. I don't think my drill would be up to one of those plaster whisks in the stiff course mix mortar. The drum thing is what I have seen in use, but that's too expensive for me at the moment. So it's back to the spade I guess.

Sue

 

[Gervase]

Mixers don't have to be exorbitant. Have a look here and you'll see some go for quite affordable prices.
It's also something a lot of people tend to have tucked away in a garage or barn; bought for a specific project and then mothballed. Put out some feelers on the local grapevine...

 

[Sue Wilkinson]

I thought ordinary cement mixers were not good for lime. I'd heard it just sticks to the sides. Is this not the case?

Sue

 

[Penners]

Sue - I know what you mean about manually "knockin' up some muck". It's a killer.

I have a feeling that somewhere I saw an ad for a cement mixing bucket. You put the ingredients in, screw on the lid (which has some "paddles" moulded into it) and then roll the thing around the yard, to mix it up.

Trouble is, I can't remember where I saw it (which isn't much help to you)! I'll rack my brains and post back if the light comes on.

I should add that, as Gervase advises, I use a plaster mixing thingy to make small quantities of mortar. It hasn't burned out my (mains power) electric drill yet!

 

[Gervase]

Shh! Don't tell mine, or the mortar might start sticking :wink:
Seriously, an ordinary mixer is absolutely fine for mixing mortar. If you use putty and sand it will almost never stick, and if you used bag lime and sand, make sure you mix the stuff dry in the mixer before adding the water.
And if you're making limecrete, you can either start with a good bucket-ful of water in the mixer and add equal quantities of aggregate and lime before topping up with more aggregate to the desire guage, or start with a dry mix as you would with bagged lime.
Either way, it doesn't stick.
If - and it's a big if - you get some sticking, a squirt of water directed to the back of the drum will invariablly free it.
If you're not sure, hire a mixer for the day from your local Jewsons or hire place and give it a try.

 

[Schoolmarm]

Or you could hire a mixer, mix tons at once and keep in black bins until you need it.

 

[biffvernon]

Look here you guys and gals. Just try this this once. An experiment. Get a bag of lime from the builders merchant. Mix it 1:3 with your dry sand using a shovel. Takes 2 minutes for a barrowful. Then add water. Another 5 minutes mixing. Then use it. Neat for bricklaying, or add hair or straw and another couple of minutes mixing for plaster. Go on. I dare you.

 

[Gervase]

You put the ingredients in, screw on the lid (which has some "paddles" moulded into it) and then roll the thing around the yard, to mix it up!

Blimey - that sounds exhausting. Meanwhile, I'm thinking that there must be some way of harnessing the excess energy in a Jack Russell. Mine's surely got enough to mix a few cubic metres of render. Trouble is, I have to keep the bundles of hair away from him, as he tends to nick it a spread the stuff everywhere, and he doesn't like fresh limecrete (the poor devil had to be plonked in a bowl of water so his pads could cool down. He enjoys the building site life, but sadly there aren't any site boots suitable for terriers!).

 

[GK]

Or you could hire a mixer, mix tons at once and keep in black bins until you need it.

Dead right. I usually mix about a quarter of a tonne of lime putty and three times as much sand at once (well, it doesn't all go in the mixer at once).

I have a mortar paddle mixing thingy for knocking it up if it doesn't get used for a year or so though.

The next run down manor house I buy (ho,ho) I'll be trying Biff's hydrated method.

 

[MDE]

I find that a plaster whisk and electric drill works fine for small quantities (< 10L) of most mixes except a really dry coarse mix - I even use my cordless on slow speed and it is fine (gets through battery recharges though...). Now, I like the idea of a bucket you roll around. I live on the side of a hill, so I could drive up to the top and roll it down. Not sure how I'd stop it though, and as for meeting the farmer coming the other way with his bull, it doesn't bear thinking about :shock:

 

[MDE]

I've tried Biff's method and it works fine. However, I would like to see him mix a standard sized bag of lime with 3 parts sand in 2 minutes - he must be an amazingly fast worker and enveloped in clouds of lime dust. Also he must have an enormous barrow. Truly a giant of a man!

 

[Penners]

I've heard that the size of Biff's equipment is legendary.

 

[Penners]

there must be some way of harnessing the excess energy in a Jack Russell

Man has walked on the moon, but he has yet to discover how to exhaust a Jack Russell. However, you may be on to something...

 

[Sue Wilkinson]

Look here you guys and gals. Just try this this once. An experiment. Get a bag of lime from the builders merchant. Mix it 1:3 with your dry sand using a shovel. Takes 2 minutes for a barrowful. Then add water. Another 5 minutes mixing. Then use it. Neat for bricklaying, or add hair or straw and another couple of minutes mixing for plaster. Go on. I dare you.

Biff, I'm not averse, and I will try this, trouble is that at the moment I have a lot of ready mixed mortar lying around that's been here for a year or so, so it needs a good knocking up, and last week I soaked all my hydrate in tubs, so I don't actually have any dry stuff left and I need to use up the soaked putty.

But I promise that once I've used the soaked putty on the garden wall the next thing will be to try your method as it sounds so much easier and I'm all for that.

But, everything I read about hydrate says that its an inferior mix, so for clients I'm thinking I'm stuck with mixing putty. Is this not your experience?

Sue

 

[Sue Wilkinson]

I've heard that the size of Biff's equipment is legendary.

Wow! Which other forums are you reading?

Sue

 

[Sue Wilkinson]

I have a feeling that somewhere I saw an ad for a cement mixing bucket. You put the ingredients in, screw on the lid (which has some "paddles" moulded into it) and then roll the thing around the yard, to mix it up.

I saw something similar this afternoon on ebay, but it was tiny! For mixing small repairs it said. About the size of a biscuit barrel. Would mix enough plaster for 2 coats on a postage stamp.

But I saw lots of other mixers on Ebay, so I'm keeping my eye's open. Storage space is also an issue for it of course, so I don't want a massive thing. (But that might start you off again, so I'd better be careful).

Sue