| The recipe for making concrete is very simple. | | | | buy,at somewhat higher cost,prepackaged mixes. |
| The ingredients are Portland cement,sand,gravel | | | | These contain the right proportion of ingredients |
| and water. Sand and gravel are referred to as | | | | to which you only need to add water. |
| aggregates. Sometimes other aggregates such as | | | | Concrete can be mixed by hand on a plywood |
| crushed stone or cinders are used. | | | | sheet at least 4 by 6 feet. It can also be mixed |
| When Portland cement is mixed with water a | | | | on aconcrete sidewalk or driveway. Mix the |
| chemical reaction takes place which makes the | | | | cement and sand till completely blended then add |
| cement harden. In doing so it binds together the | | | | the gravel and mix till coated with cement. Make a |
| sand and gravel mixed with it to become one solid | | | | crater in the middle of the pile and pour in about |
| rocklike mass. | | | | half the measured amount of water. Rake the |
| Many varieties of cement are made of which five | | | | sides of the pile up and into the water. When all |
| are commonly used and available at most | | | | the water is absorbed make a new crater and |
| suppliers. | | | | add the rest of the water. |
| STANDARD CEMENT. This is ordinary grey | | | | Mixing large amounts of concrete by hand is hard |
| cement. Used for all general construction. If you | | | | work. It is better to buy or rent a concrete mixer |
| don't specify otherwise this is what you will get | | | | if you need a lot of concrete. These instructions |
| when you buy cement. | | | | for how to make concrete are very simple and |
| WHITE CEMENT. Similar in all properties to | | | | will provide you with good concrete. |
| standard cement except that it is white in color. | | | | You can also make your own concrete blocks |
| Used to mix light colored concrete and mortar | | | | using hand made molds. This is a great home |
| and for making colored cement. | | | | business opportunity. Concrete blocks are always |
| HIGH EARLY STRENGTH CEMENT. Hardens and | | | | in strong demand everywhere and you can have |
| develops strength much faster than standard | | | | a home part time business supplying them to |
| cement. Allows quick use of driveways and walks. | | | | building supply stores or directly to consumers. |
| AIR ENTRAINED CEMENT. This is not as strong | | | | Working from your garage your costs are very |
| as standard cement but has high resistance to | | | | low and you can turn out a quality product at a |
| frost and salt. Useful where salt is applied for ice | | | | very competitive price. When you reach the |
| and snow removal. | | | | stage of needing increased production you can |
| MASONRY CEMENT. A special mixture for use | | | | build a concrete block making machine from auto |
| with sand to make mortar. Has more | | | | parts and sheet metal |
| plasticity,water retention and ease of handling. | | | | This home built concrete block machine can turn |
| The type of concrete mix is expressed by three | | | | out 800 or more blocks per day and is every bit |
| numbers such as 1:2:4 which means 1 part | | | | as good as a commercial model which costs |
| cement, 2 parts sand and 4 parts gravel or stone. | | | | thousands of dollars. Plans and instructions for |
| To make good concrete you must measure | | | | making the machine and the hand molds are |
| ingredients accurately. | | | | readily available. |
| If you don't want to mix your own you can | | | | |