Bucket Lid Type Mortar Mixer

[Sue Wilkinson]

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.

There is a racehorse trainer down the road. He has a large round structure, solid at the base with bars higher up so the horse can see. There is something else in the middle, not sure what, but you put the horse in the track around the outer edge and the thing in the middle moves to keep the horse moving.

Hours later horse is exercised and no one had to bother riding it. I've thought before that surely you could attach something to this contraption and harness the energy. So you need a small version for the Jack Russell and attach it to a little generator, attached to your mixer! Job done. If you can't find boots, then a small cap will make him one of the boys.

Sue

PS How were the expat Essex lads today?

 

[Gervase]

PS How were the expat Essex lads today?

*groan* Whingeing and belly-aching as much as ever, I'm afraid. Anyone would think they'd been asked to work with anthrax spores rather than lime!

Trouble is, I have to bite my lip when the client asks how things are going. It's a tricky ethical issue - so far we've had one 250-year-old wall demolished as a result of carelessness and a few other things with which I'd take issue, but as I'm not project-managing this job and am on an equal footing with them, I find it hard to know how to deal with such ethical dilemmas.

Thus, so far, I've tended to take the cowardly way out and stay schtum. I just hope they don't do anything else that's 'iffy', as I can't keep my lip buttoned indefinitely, and the client's interests are the most important thing here.

That's the problem with arriving late on site, though - the client has already appointed the main contractors and they're forging ahead with what they want to do, so it's not for me to say "Aargh, these guys are the wrong ones, you really need X&Y...".

I like the dog-walker idea. Sounds like the old jack-spit turner they had in grand houses, where some poor mutt spent the day fruitlessly chasing a bone around a wheel to turn the roast. Sadly, I think my dog would see through that ruse.

 

[biffvernon]

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.

No, that's not what I said - it's a standard size barrow so that's just a bucket of lime.
Penners, behave.

 

[Schoolmarm]

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

Are you?.........Sorry I didn't get over to your open day. When is the next? x

 

[Penners]

Sorry I didn't get over to your open day. When is the next?

Yes, GK, I missed it too. Are you exposing yourself to the thronging masses again in the near future?

 

[Sue Wilkinson]

I'd love to have a look around too. I've studied all the photo's.

Sue

 

[GK]

Sue, Schoolmarm, Penners, it's open day whenever you wish. You would be made very welcome anytime you're visiting East Yorkshire. Just drop me a message.

 

[Schoolmarm]

Aww, thankyou

 

[Penners]

That's very kind, GK. I confess I thought you were further south than Yorks, but if/when we're up your way...

Thanks again.

David

 

[Sue Wilkinson]

To all those of you who have offered advise and wise words, I'm typing this whilst making a mug of tea. Outside on the drive a drum cement mixer is making my mix!! I'm as excited as a kid with a present.

I found someone in the village with one and I've been able to borrow it. I tried to buy a couple on Ebay, but either lost out because it went above my price, or I couldn't afford to ship it.

Still, its not far up the road to borrow this one and its making light work of the job.

Sue

 

[tumbledown]

Biff, how much water would you normally add using your bagged lime method?

Also, what type of sand would you use - sharp sand?

Finally, how much hair would you add per bag of lime?

This method sounds very easy, so I'm keen to give it a go - although I seem to remember reading somewhere that it is inferior to using lime putty - does this only apply to outside or have you never experienced any problems using this method?

 

[Sue Wilkinson]

In case anyone is interested in the results of various mixes and the use of the mixer versus by hand here are some thoughts on what I've been doing..

Dry bagged lime mixed with dry sand in the cement mixer or in my plaster mixing bath, easy and quick.

Add water to the mix in the drum mixer and it first balls and then sticks to the sides. Still OK provided you are prepared to stand there with something like a hoe and keep it pulled off the sides.

Dry hydrate soaked to a putty and sand in the mixer, sticks like mad and doesn't mix that well, but can with patience be OK. Basically put the sand in first and a bit of putty at a time.

Trying to use matured fat lime putty and sand with hair in the drum to form a base-coat plaster was not that great. It gives an initial mix, but soon sticks to the side more than ever and is very hard to get off as its such a sticky mix. Ended up having to beat it anyway, so not sure I saved any energy that way.

Comparing dry hydrate and sand mixes to matured putty mixes on my garden wall, you can feel the difference when you work with it. The first is much grittier the latter more sticky. But once the initial set is in place and it comes to brushing up to get the aggregate to show up there is little to tell between the two.

The lack of stickyness would put me off using dry hydrate for internal plaster. I lime my plaster mix to be as sticky as possible to stay where I put it.

To conclude on the mixer front, I'm not sure I'd buy a drum mixer just for lime. Borrowing one is great, but the expense versus the not quite right mixing action would put me off. I've yet to dry the bucket type mixer. Obviously a pan roller mixer is the jewel in the crown for this sort of work, but rather pricy.

Sue

 

[biffvernon]

Biff, how much water would you normally add using your bagged lime method?

As little as possible to make a workable mix. Go slowly - it's easier to add more water than to suck it out again.

Also, what type of sand would you use - sharp sand?

I just use what I dig up. It's 'well graded', i.e. a mix of particle sizes from fine silt to large oyster shells. I use a garden sieve for when I don't want big bits. If you are buying sand, then ask for 'sharp'.

Finally, how much hair would you add per bag of lime?

Hmmm, well you add a bit, mix it up and take a trowel full and look at how many hairs there are sticking out. I don't really know what's best but I like to see a hair every few millimetres. Or use straw, which is much cheaper.

This method sounds very easy, so I'm keen to give it a go - although I seem to remember reading somewhere that it is inferior to using lime putty - does this only apply to outside or have you never experienced any problems using this method?

I'm only claiming that dry hyrdrated lime is better than putty in the sense that vin de pays is better than appelation controlle. More pleasure per euro.

 

[geoff]

On the pointing gun suggestion, I got one but found it utterly useless - no matter what consistency or mix of mortar I tried, pressing the plunger just resulted in dirty water being forced out of the nozzle in a trickle, leaving the now dry(ish) mortar ingredients in the barrel.

 

[Gervase]

Sorry, I should have mentioned - you need to use a finer grade of sand with a pointing gun - a seive is a good way of sifting the stuff - as the usual 6mm and down sharp sand can stick.

Apropos drum mixers, you'll notice a big difference if you can change the angle of the drum. Some, like the Belle, are too 'laid back' to cope with lime when they're standing on the level, as the stuff needs to drop off the paddles and slap against the sides to get knocked up. You'll need to put a baulk of timber under the legs of the mixer to get a more horizontal position for the drum. That's where the cheapo Clarke mixer scores, in having an adjustable drum.

 

[MDE]

Comparing dry hydrate and sand mixes to matured putty mixes on my garden wall, you can feel the difference when you work with it. The first is much grittier the latter more sticky. But once the initial set is in place and it comes to brushing up to get the aggregate to show up there is little to tell between the two.

The lack of stickyness would put me off using dry hydrate for internal plaster. I lime my plaster mix to be as sticky as possible to stay where I put it.

Did you use the mortar made with bagged lime straight away or did you mature it? I left my 3:1 mix a couple of weeks (at least), then thoroughly worked it up (in a bucket with a drill mixer) and it seemed to be reasonably sticky. I haven't tried it for plasterwork yet, but I suspect that in a 2:1 or 3:2 mix, the extra lime will make it stickier.