Manual Concrete Mixer

Prepared cement mortar needs constant mixing, otherwise it hardens quickly. But that is easier said than done; doing this work by hand is extremely tiring — it is hard to lift a shovel full of mortar. How can one try to use one’s strength more efficiently? That is how this labor-saving device appeared in my household.

The design of the hand concrete mixer is extremely simple: four boards (of hardwood) are fastened in a T-shape with bolts and joined together by a bottom — a sheet of tin 1.5 mm thick. At the top of the uprights, notches are cut for a pipe rod 30 mm in diameter. Two chains 800 mm long are attached to the latter with hooks; the chains, in turn, end in loops for the handles of ordinary shovels. The hooks and loops are twisted from 6 mm wire, and the loops have at least three turns (so as not to damage the handle) and are locked with one thick nail.

It is best to work in pairs, from opposite sides, mixing the mortar at the same time and moving from one edge to the other. But one person can also do it — alternately from both sides. The chain, whose length is adjusted with the hook, provides additional support. Thanks to the lever effect, using the shovel is much easier: you only need to press on the handle and tip the mortar over.

To keep the tin from deforming under the weight of the mortar, it is advisable to sink the bottom into the ground or place a row of bricks or boards under the edges.

And finally: when turned upside down, my concrete mixer serves as a shelter for building materials.

“Modelist-Konstruktor” No. 7’97, G. KUNAEV