The instructions with my concrete mixer recommend adding the water first to prevent the aggregate sticking to the sides of the drum. The trouble is I have ended up with some sloppy mixes particularly small mortar mixes and although I have added more aggregate to get the mix right I have ended up with more mix than I needed. I have not been able to find any info on the proportions of water, I know it can vary due to how wet the sand is already but a ball park figure would help?

Richard

Tricky Dicky Wrote in message:
The instructions with my concrete mixer recommend adding the water first to prevent the aggregate sticking to the sides of the drum. The trouble is I have ended up with some sloppy mixes particularly small mortar mixes and although I have added more aggregate to get the mix right I have ended up with more mix than I needed. I have not been able to find any info on the proportions of water, I know it can vary due to how wet the sand is already but a ball park figure would help?

Richard


Small mixes best on board with shovel/trowel.

Cement :total water ratio should be at maximum equal.
Can use less water with plasticisers (no fairy liquid please).

Put some water in first saving rest til it's mixing & add
judiciously to get what you want. After a few mixes you get to
know what's needed that day with that sand/aggregate & you can
just hoy it in. Sounds like you're not doing that much
though?
--
--
Jim K


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On Mon, 2 Jul 2018 16:51:42 +0100 (GMT+01:00), Jim K
wrote:

snip

Cement :total water ratio should be at maximum equal.
Can use less water with plasticisers (no fairy liquid please).

On this subject ... What type of sand (if any) and ratio of cement
(and what kind) would you typically use if casting / forming a garden
planter?

Cheers, T i m

T i m Wrote in message:
On Mon, 2 Jul 2018 16:51:42 +0100 (GMT+01:00), Jim K
wrote:

snip

Cement :total water ratio should be at maximum equal.
Can use less water with plasticisers (no fairy liquid please).

On this subject ... What type of sand (if any) and ratio of cement
(and what kind) would you typically use if casting / forming a garden
planter?

Cheers, T i m


Typically?

I'd start my trials with a strong concrete mix with small
aggregate (angular not pea gravel think granite chippings)
--
--
Jim K


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On Mon, 2 Jul 2018 18:07:21 +0100 (GMT+01:00), Jim K
wrote:

T i m Wrote in message:
On Mon, 2 Jul 2018 16:51:42 +0100 (GMT+01:00), Jim K
wrote:

snip

Cement :total water ratio should be at maximum equal.
Can use less water with plasticisers (no fairy liquid please).

On this subject ... What type of sand (if any) and ratio of cement
(and what kind) would you typically use if casting / forming a garden
planter?

Typically?

A bit vague I accept.

See if this puts more detail in the

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tWGzwCG7qkA

I'd start my trials with a strong concrete mix with small
aggregate (angular not pea gravel think granite chippings)
--

I can see how that would be idea for something chunky you were going
to cast but for the 'poured' process shown above, I'm thinking it
would be too lumpy?

Didn't I read here possibly something about some types of cement
having fibers in it to make it stronger when used with just fine sand
or somesuch?

Cheers, T i m

On Monday, 2 July 2018 18:25:07 UTC+1, T i m wrote:
On Mon, 2 Jul 2018 18:07:21 +0100 (GMT+01:00), Jim K
wrote:

T i m Wrote in message:
On Mon, 2 Jul 2018 16:51:42 +0100 (GMT+01:00), Jim K
wrote:

snip

Cement :total water ratio should be at maximum equal.
Can use less water with plasticisers (no fairy liquid please).

On this subject ... What type of sand (if any) and ratio of cement
(and what kind) would you typically use if casting / forming a garden
planter?

Typically?

A bit vague I accept.

See if this puts more detail in the

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tWGzwCG7qkA

I'd start my trials with a strong concrete mix with small
aggregate (angular not pea gravel think granite chippings)
--

I can see how that would be idea for something chunky you were going
to cast but for the 'poured' process shown above, I'm thinking it
would be too lumpy?

Didn't I read here possibly something about some types of cement
having fibers in it to make it stronger when used with just fine sand
or somesuch?

Cheers, T i m

plastic fibres increase tensile strength greatly, which is what you need to stop breakage of planters. You can buy the fibres, or just stick a bit of synthetic carpet through a shredder.


NT

On 02/07/2018 18:25, T i m wrote:
On Mon, 2 Jul 2018 18:07:21 +0100 (GMT+01:00), Jim K
wrote:

T i m Wrote in message:
On Mon, 2 Jul 2018 16:51:42 +0100 (GMT+01:00), Jim K
wrote:

snip

Cement :total water ratio should be at maximum equal.
Can use less water with plasticisers (no fairy liquid please).

On this subject ... What type of sand (if any) and ratio of cement
(and what kind) would you typically use if casting / forming a garden
planter?

Typically?

A bit vague I accept.

See if this puts more detail in the

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tWGzwCG7qkA

I'd start my trials with a strong concrete mix with small
aggregate (angular not pea gravel think granite chippings)
--

I can see how that would be idea for something chunky you were going
to cast but for the 'poured' process shown above, I'm thinking it
would be too lumpy?

That looks like they are using a dryish "building" or "soft" sand... The
"concrete" looks like a fairly strong mix of cement and the same sand.


Didn't I read here possibly something about some types of cement
having fibers in it to make it stronger when used with just fine sand
or somesuch?


Yup you can add fibres - they give extra tensile strength which is handy
for applications like that.


--
Cheers,

John.

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On 02/07/2018 16:38, Tricky Dicky wrote:
The instructions with my concrete mixer recommend adding the water first to prevent the aggregate sticking to the sides of the drum. The trouble is I have ended up with some sloppy mixes particularly small mortar mixes and although I have added more aggregate to get the mix right I have ended up with more mix than I needed. I have not been able to find any info on the proportions of water, I know it can vary due to how wet the sand is already but a ball park figure would help?

You read the instructions??? Good God man. What's wrong with you? ;-)

I would say Jim has it about right. Add some water, less than you need
and add the rest later.

That's the way I have to do it.




--
Adam