I am trying to mix the right quantities of sand, cement and lime to produce
a 5:1:1 mix. I have 25kg bags of cement and lime. The lime (hydrated) bags
are slightly bigger than the cement bags and I am having difficulties
getting the right quantities to mix.
Using a half bag of cement is approx 3-4 shovel loads and using a half bag
of lime I get approx 4-5 shovels but I expect will be lighter than the
cement since it is denser.
Ideally I would like to do this by the half bag to make the mix accurate.
How many shovels of the sand should I be using? Someone recommended 10
shovels to 1/2 bag of cement & 1/2 bag of lime but in volume (i.e. not
weight) this doesn't seem right to get a 5:1:1 mix.
Incidently I'm using a 100ltr electric mixer to mix it all up.
Thanks
Paul

The message
from "paul" contains these words:

I am trying to mix the right quantities of sand, cement and lime to produce
a 5:1:1 mix. I have 25kg bags of cement and lime. The lime (hydrated) bags
are slightly bigger than the cement bags and I am having difficulties
getting the right quantities to mix.
Using a half bag of cement is approx 3-4 shovel loads and using a half bag
of lime I get approx 4-5 shovels but I expect will be lighter than the
cement since it is denser.
Ideally I would like to do this by the half bag to make the mix accurate.
How many shovels of the sand should I be using? Someone recommended 10
shovels to 1/2 bag of cement & 1/2 bag of lime but in volume (i.e. not
weight) this doesn't seem right to get a 5:1:1 mix.
Incidently I'm using a 100ltr electric mixer to mix it all up.

AFAIK quantities for mixing mortar have traditionally always been by
volume. While the actual ratio is probably not critical shovelfulls are
a pretty inaccurate way of measuring volume. FWIW I usually use 3 gallon
black plastic work buckets as a way of measuring volumes both for mortar
and concrete.

--
Roger Chapman

paul wrote:

I am trying to mix the right quantities of sand, cement and lime to produce
a 5:1:1 mix. I have 25kg bags of cement and lime. The lime (hydrated) bags
are slightly bigger than the cement bags and I am having difficulties
getting the right quantities to mix.
Using a half bag of cement is approx 3-4 shovel loads and using a half bag
of lime I get approx 4-5 shovels but I expect will be lighter than the
cement since it is denser.
Ideally I would like to do this by the half bag to make the mix accurate.
How many shovels of the sand should I be using? Someone recommended 10
shovels to 1/2 bag of cement & 1/2 bag of lime but in volume (i.e. not
weight) this doesn't seem right to get a 5:1:1 mix.
Incidently I'm using a 100ltr electric mixer to mix it all up.
Thanks
Paul

1:1:6 by volume is the standard mix. The other well known non-equal
lime:cement mixes fail prematurely. To convert to weight ratios I guess
you'd just need to measure the densities and work it out.

I'm wondering what youre using 1:1:5 for though, its not a mix I know
of any application for.


NT

VisionSet wrote:
"Roger" wrote in message
k...

AFAIK quantities for mixing mortar have traditionally always been by
volume. While the actual ratio is probably not critical shovelfulls are
a pretty inaccurate way of measuring volume. FWIW I usually use 3 gallon
black plastic work buckets as a way of measuring volumes both for mortar
and concrete.

Yep by volume, the real question is do you measure the lime before or after
you've puttied it? I assume before since how do you account for a varying
water content?

When making cement & lime mortar its used dry.

NT

"Roger" wrote in message
k...


AFAIK quantities for mixing mortar have traditionally always been by
volume. While the actual ratio is probably not critical shovelfulls are
a pretty inaccurate way of measuring volume. FWIW I usually use 3 gallon
black plastic work buckets as a way of measuring volumes both for mortar
and concrete.

Yep by volume, the real question is do you measure the lime before or after
you've puttied it? I assume before since how do you account for a varying
water content?

--
Mike W

On Sun, 30 Jul 2006 22:30:36 GMT, "VisionSet"
wrote:


"Roger" wrote in message
. uk...


AFAIK quantities for mixing mortar have traditionally always been by
volume. While the actual ratio is probably not critical shovelfulls are
a pretty inaccurate way of measuring volume. FWIW I usually use 3 gallon
black plastic work buckets as a way of measuring volumes both for mortar
and concrete.

Yep by volume, the real question is do you measure the lime before or after
you've puttied it? I assume before since how do you account for a varying
water content?

You dont need to putty the lime for a mortar of this ratio. The lime
is just being used as a plasticiser and all the setting is done by the
cement, so the amount of lime is not critical

Anna
~~ Anna Kettle, Suffolk, England
|""""| ~ Lime plaster repair and conservation
/ ^^ \ // Freehand modelling in lime: overmantels, pargeting etc
|____| www.kettlenet.co.uk 01359 230642

wrote in message
oups.com...
paul wrote:

I am trying to mix the right quantities of sand, cement and lime to
produce
a 5:1:1 mix. I have 25kg bags of cement and lime. The lime (hydrated)
bags
are slightly bigger than the cement bags and I am having difficulties
getting the right quantities to mix.
Using a half bag of cement is approx 3-4 shovel loads and using a half
bag
of lime I get approx 4-5 shovels but I expect will be lighter than the
cement since it is denser.
Ideally I would like to do this by the half bag to make the mix accurate.
How many shovels of the sand should I be using? Someone recommended 10
shovels to 1/2 bag of cement & 1/2 bag of lime but in volume (i.e. not
weight) this doesn't seem right to get a 5:1:1 mix.
Incidently I'm using a 100ltr electric mixer to mix it all up.
Thanks
Paul

1:1:6 by volume is the standard mix. The other well known non-equal
lime:cement mixes fail prematurely. To convert to weight ratios I guess
you'd just need to measure the densities and work it out.

I'm wondering what youre using 1:1:5 for though, its not a mix I know
of any application for.

The mix I'm using is for a Bulwell stone wall which is also a retaining
wall, i.e has earth behind it all the way to the top of the wall which is
approx 2.5m high. It was recommended by a builder I had round, having said
that the next guy I had round recommended a lime:sharp sand mix without
cement.
Paul

paul wrote:
wrote in message
oups.com...
paul wrote:

I am trying to mix the right quantities of sand, cement and lime to
produce
a 5:1:1 mix.

I'm wondering what youre using 1:1:5 for though, its not a mix I know
of any application for.

The mix I'm using is for a Bulwell stone wall which is also a retaining
wall, i.e has earth behind it all the way to the top of the wall which is
approx 2.5m high. It was recommended by a builder I had round, having said
that the next guy I had round recommended a lime:sharp sand mix without
cement.
Paul

This is a soft stone, a limestone, so should be done in lime mortar
rather than cement. Cement will work, but when it finally comes apart
it pulls the edges and corners off the stone with it, which does not
look good. Lime also has the advantage of being able to accomodate
limited movement, unlike cement.

The standard lime mortar is 3:1, this is 3 parts sand to one lime
putty. The putty is made by mixing bagged hydrated lime with water to
make a paste, and storing it airtight for a few weeks. Cement and lime
mortar is not lime mortar, or anything like it.

I know someone who uses bagged hydrated lime, mixes with sand, adds
water and uses it without storing first, and says he gets good results.
Ive not tried that.

The downside of lime is its slow setting. You dont want to build 8' in
a day, must let the bottom section set first. Also, just like cement,
dont use a bag of lime thats sat around forever. Cement wont mix in the
first place, old lime will, but it wont set. IOW if your lime is old,
test a bit sets ok before use. Unsetting lime is a rare problem.

Finally with lime you can make it more decorative by adding crushed
black stone or coal to the mix, white with black flecks.


NT

wrote in message
oups.com...
SNIPt.

I know someone who uses bagged hydrated lime, mixes with sand, adds
water and uses it without storing first, and says he gets good
results.
Ive not tried that.
SNIP
NT


When I went to bricklaying classes years ago we always used dry lime /
sand mix as the mortar. It worked very well and in theory was knocked
down at the end of each session. In practise is was amazingly solid
even after only 4 hours of standing.

AWEM

In article ,
"Andrew Mawson" writes:

When I went to bricklaying classes years ago we always used dry lime /
sand mix as the mortar. It worked very well and in theory was knocked
down at the end of each session. In practise is was amazingly solid
even after only 4 hours of standing.

This is training mix. It behaves like mortar and even appears to set
as it dries out. However, it doesn't really set and is ground down
and rewetted for reuse. If you left it long enough, the lime would
actually set (turn to chalk), but not noticably in a week or so that
training projects exist before being demolished.

--
Andrew Gabriel

paul wrote:
wrote in message
oups.com...
paul wrote:

I am trying to mix the right quantities of sand, cement and lime to
produce
a 5:1:1 mix. I have 25kg bags of cement and lime. The lime (hydrated)
bags
are slightly bigger than the cement bags and I am having difficulties
getting the right quantities to mix.
Using a half bag of cement is approx 3-4 shovel loads and using a half
bag
of lime I get approx 4-5 shovels but I expect will be lighter than the
cement since it is denser.
Ideally I would like to do this by the half bag to make the mix accurate.
How many shovels of the sand should I be using? Someone recommended 10
shovels to 1/2 bag of cement & 1/2 bag of lime but in volume (i.e. not
weight) this doesn't seem right to get a 5:1:1 mix.
Incidently I'm using a 100ltr electric mixer to mix it all up.
Thanks
Paul
1:1:6 by volume is the standard mix. The other well known non-equal
lime:cement mixes fail prematurely. To convert to weight ratios I guess
you'd just need to measure the densities and work it out.

I'm wondering what youre using 1:1:5 for though, its not a mix I know
of any application for.

The mix I'm using is for a Bulwell stone wall which is also a retaining
wall, i.e has earth behind it all the way to the top of the wall which is
approx 2.5m high. It was recommended by a builder I had round, having said
that the next guy I had round recommended a lime:sharp sand mix without
cement.
Paul


I used a mix in my wall varying from about 1:1:5 cement/lime/sand to
1:1:8 when I got a bit low on sand and cement to 3:1:15 when I nearly
ran out of cement.

The more cement the harder and the faster it sets. The more sand the
more porous and crumbly it is when it sets.

But really, none of it is THAT critical. What is more critical is tying
the whole thing together when you use any cement, to make sure it
doesn't crack.

In article ,
The Natural Philosopher writes:
I used a mix in my wall varying from about 1:1:5 cement/lime/sand to
1:1:8 when I got a bit low on sand and cement to 3:1:15 when I nearly
ran out of cement.

The lime:cement ratio is important. At most ratios, they
interfere with each other and result in much reduced strength.
However, the 1:1 ratio happens to be good.
There's a BRE report on this.

--
Andrew Gabriel

Andrew Gabriel wrote:
In article ,
The Natural Philosopher writes:

I used a mix in my wall varying from about 1:1:5 cement/lime/sand to
1:1:8 when I got a bit low on sand and cement to 3:1:15 when I nearly
ran out of cement.

The lime:cement ratio is important. At most ratios, they
interfere with each other and result in much reduced strength.
However, the 1:1 ratio happens to be good.
There's a BRE report on this.

The other issue is premature failure. Lime:cement mixes of other than
1:1 commonly fail prematurely.


NT