Dan Musicant wrote:
This is my first crack at concrete. Small job and I figure I'll need a
bit over 1.5 cubic feet, and I'm planning to do the work this
afternoon. I've almost finished my forms and am reading the
instructions in my Reader's Digest Complete DIY book.

I read the instructions on the bag of Quickcrete (60 lb.) I bought,
and it says to use 4 quarts of water with it, maximum 5 quarts.
There's no mention of how many cubic feet (or inches, I figure a
cubic foot is 1725 cubic inches) I can expect to get out of a 60 lb.
bag. I don't want to mix much more than I'll need, and figure a sure
don't want to mix less. How do I determine how much to mix?

To extend the mix, I figure to put in some crushed concrete or rocks I
have. I have tons of that stuff around (maybe literally!), and figure
I'll crush some with a sledge hammer. Not much, just some near the
bottom of the pour.


Get another bag. Mix up one bag. If it's not enough, mix up the second.

Unmixed concrete doesn't keep very long. It sucks the moisture out of the
air.

Hint 1: A wheelbarrow makes an excellent mixing venue.
Hint 2. Start mixing with much less water than you think you'll need. Add a
little bit at a time. It is VERY easy to use too much water.