scorpionleather wrote:
"HeyBub" wrote in message
m...

We can do some back-of-the-envelope calculations. Cement (according
to Google references) is about 5,300 lbs/cu yd, or 200 lbs/cu ft.
You've got 900 pounds of stuff, plus water, call it 1000 pounds.

That's five cubic feet of cement.

Still, I'd check the set-up time for the concoction (maybe it's on
the bag). I don't think I could slather five cubic feet of cement
before it became unworkable.

Maybe you could start with a small batch and see how it goes?

Thanks Bub, I did a different calculation and it matches your results
at 5 cubic feet.

The company that made up the formula told me it would take 1.5 to 2
hours before it hardens and gets unworkable with the trowel. Does
that sound about right for white portland cement plus coarse sand?

Dunno. I'm barely an apprentice amateur mason trainee. You could simulate
your proposed activity thusly:

Kitten in the left hand, skinning knife in the right... No wait...

A. Start stop watch.
B. Pick up invisible brick with left hand, get load of invisible cement on
trowel in right hand.
C. Butter invisible brick, place invisible brick in poisition, fiddle with
it
D. Admire work, polish results
E. Repeat steps B - D ten times.
F. Stop stopwatch.
G. Divide results by ten. This is time to lay one brick.

Figure out how many bricks are required and multiply by time for one brick.
Add some amount, say 20%, for overhead (getting more bricks, having beer,
etc.).

Is the result less than 1.5 hours?