it's all in a 5 gallon bucket and the cement is level with the top. I plan on moving in the next 6 months so the pole needs to be mobile.
also depends on the air temp.the hotter it is the quicker it will dry
If what you are asking is how long before I can move the bucket and pole? The answer is about two days after it was installed. Cement setting or curing is a chemical reaction and the majority of it is done within two days of mixing and pouring. It will reach approximately 85 to 90% of total cure in about one week, but for it to be totally cured could take years. Ten year old cement is harder than eight year old cement which is harder than four year old which is harder that one year old, etc. In the remodeling business, old concrete stairs and porches are a pain in the *** to remove. Most of the time if we thought that they were more than ten years old we would call in the back hoe to tear them out, other wise we used sledge hammers.
The cement should have started to set by now and should continue to rapidly hydrate over the next 24 hours if not protected. The slower it hydrates the better and should be kept damp and covered while curing. Burlap or a plastic vapor barrier work well. It will be hard by the next day but wont be fully cured for 7 to 28 days depending on the type of cement used. A fast setting type will set in a couple of days and is generally more expensive. If it is a slower setting cement it could take 28 days.
