I need to mix 25 pounds of cement for a garden project ( a large stepping stone). In the past I have found it really difficult and physically tough to get the cement mixed relatively quickly to get the cement poured in the mold. I am mixing in a mop bucket. Does anyone have any suggestions to make this project easier?
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I usually find for small castings it works ok to start with water in the bucket, then add half a bag of concrete until it is thick enough. It's easier to add more mix to harden than more water too soften. How much water? The worry is you will add too much water to start with and not have enough dry mix to get a thick enough mix. Start by setting aside the max allowable amount of water. The instructions from quickrete say to start with 3 pints for a 40 lb bag, then add up to 1.5 more pints if unworkable. There is a chart for other bag sizes in the first link below. So if you start with 2.5 pints of water in the bucket and 2 pints of water set aside for contingency, then add the dry premix until happy it should be right around 25 lbs. But don't worry about being in a big hurry, the bag says one hour working time.
Use a wheelbarrow. Its durable enough to take it and it can quite easily be hosed cleaned afterwards. When mixing concrete you don't have to be too exact with measuring. Use a round top shovel and in a ratio of about 1:2:4 (1 cement, 2 sand, 4 stone). So you can try it with 2 shovel fulls of cement, 4 shovel fulls of sand, and 8 shovel fulls of stone. Blend together. Add water to the consistency you desire.
if you have a hand drill then get a cheep paint whisk if your whisking up a slip ... when mixing by hand I always mix on a sheet of plastic/ tarpaulin makes mixing a lot easier by holding the edges you can mix and folder over your cement real nice.... another way if mixing small amounts is to mix in a heavy duty rubble sack .....saves a lot of back pain with the shovel
I always mix in a wheelbarrow. It's shallow enough that you can get a shovel into all the concrete, and has no corners where you can't get at what you're mixing.
