connor Posted May 8, 2019 Report Share Posted May 8, 2019 Has anyone used a pugmill to mix and extrude concrete before? I know pug mills are used in both ceramics and concrete industrial to make RCC and permeable concrete utilizing a paddle pugmill (at a much larger scale). But I didnt know if running a premix low slump through the pug would act as an ad hoc tybe extrusion for a unique concrete delivery experiment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benzine Posted May 8, 2019 Report Share Posted May 8, 2019 I don't know of anyone, who has ever tried it, but I'm going to say, go ahead and not do that. Even if the concrete doesn't have a lot of larger aggregate, the hard bits, like the sand is going to tear up the inside of the pug mill. Sure, some clay has grog, but that's generally a lot finer than the sand in concrete. On top of that, concrete is slightly caustic, which could pit the inside of the pugmill, more than clay would. Then there's the issue of cleaning it fully, so the dried concrete doesn't ruin it... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fergusonjeff Posted May 8, 2019 Report Share Posted May 8, 2019 Seems like a bad idea. Concrete mixers are cheap compared to just about any pug mill. I have heard of folks using concrete mixers for mixing clay bodies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benzine Posted May 8, 2019 Report Share Posted May 8, 2019 If you are trying to create decorative, concrete designs, you'd be better off using molds/ forms. And I've also seen masons use templates, to form the concrete, in place, once it has set up a bit. So if they are creating the base of a column, they apply the concrete, in the basic shape, then use the form to scrape across it, to create the specific contour. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark C. Posted May 8, 2019 Report Share Posted May 8, 2019 Wrong motion-I own two concrete mixers at the moment. Mixers spin the mix and its abrasive and caustic . The mix falls on itself. Thats how it mixes. In a pug mill the motion is not that at all.-It also would mean a complete clean out and it will abrade the interior.The aggregate is very abrasive in cement. really bad idea. Instead how about using ready mix in bags and mixing in a wheelbarrow -use a hoe to mix the water in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rae Reich Posted May 15, 2019 Report Share Posted May 15, 2019 I think OP wants to use the pugmill as a sort of extruder. Perhaps a simple extruder would work as well and be much easier to clean. However, cement/concrete sets up so quickly, relative to clay, that I think there would be many other technical difficulties with such a process. I know that in the big concrete mixer trucks, they don't dare stop the barrel's rotation or the concrete hardens and the driver has to climb inside and hammer-and-chisel it out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark C. Posted May 16, 2019 Report Share Posted May 16, 2019 If the op wanted extruded concrete then I suggest a hand wall mount extruder so when it sets off they only lose 500$ not 5K. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rae Reich Posted May 16, 2019 Report Share Posted May 16, 2019 On 5/8/2019 at 6:44 AM, fergusonjeff said: Seems like a bad idea. Concrete mixers are cheap compared to just about any pug mill. I have heard of folks using concrete mixers for mixing clay bodies. The Soldner mixer is like a concrete mixer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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