Making a vibrating poker ?

[flanajb]

I have some concrete casting to do and I was going to try and make a vibrating poker that I can use with an electric drill. I have trawled the interweb, but have been unable to find anything.

Just wondering whether anyone may have an idea. And before any clown suggests it, the Wife's vibrator would not be powerful enough!

Thanks

 

[troppo]

How big are the casts you are doing? I`ve done some small ones using an orbital sander, just gaffer tape the sander side on to the side of the box and it will vibrate the hell out of it. Though it can be hell on the sanders lol

 

[flanajb]

How big are the casts you are doing? I`ve done some small ones using an orbital sander, just gaffer tape the sander side on to the side of the box and it will vibrate the hell out of it. Though it can be hell on the sanders lol

The casts will be 200mm * 200mm * 1000mm. Do you think that will be too large ?

 

[Shox Dr]

Just layer it tamping down especially around the edges. All you want to do is remove any air trapped in the mix, You if are not careful, using a poker can cause more problems than cure. ie separating the aggregates

 

[flanajb]

Just layer it tamping down especially around the edges. All you want to do is remove any air trapped in the mix, You if are not careful, using a poker can cause more problems than cure. ie separating the aggregates

I really want the external surfaces to be blemish free ?

 

[Pete.]

I really want the external surfaces to be blemish free ?

That's why we have concrete finishers. I've never seen a perfect concrete pour yet but I've seen some pretty fantastic ones, it's not something a novice gets right without a good deal of luck. Tamp it, let it cure then apply a finish to it afterwards.

 

[Shox Dr]

Use a slurry mix firs to coat the faces, then pour the mix. It will help but is no guarantee. Good tamping is the key

 

[pedrobedro]

Just wondering whether anyone may have an idea. And before any clown suggests it, the Wife's vibrator would not be powerful enough!

Thanks

That's the one she shows you Are you casting these items in boxes, which way up are they etc? If you are making them on their side like square posts a vibrating table would be an option.

 

[awemawson]

small electric motor (1/3rd hp or so) with a slightly off centre weight on the shaft. Easily made by fitting a standard aluminium pulley, but drill a hole through the face of the pulley and securely fix a nut and bolt so it is slightly unbalanced. fix motor to your mould or the table you use.

 

[flanajb]

Thanks for your posts here. I will have a look at the vibrating table option. I wish I had not sold that old morticer now, could have used the motor off of that.

 

[Aus-Fitter]

At work, we built a vibrating table for the custom furnace bricks we make.

Consists of 2 RHS frames, both the same size with 4 'legs' that pivot at each end.

The bottom frame has subframe for an electric motor, and a mount at 1 end for a pair of springs.

The top frame has 2 cross beams that hold another mount about half way along its length, to which the other end of the springs from the bottom frame.


For the vibrations, a slightly eccentric bush was turned to fit over the motor shaft and to have a generic size ball bearing fitted to the O.D.

The OD of the bearing runs against the mount that hangs down from the top frame.

When the motor is run, the now eccentrically mounted ball bearing runs against the top mount which vibrates the top frame.

The top frame has 4 or 5mm steel plate as the table top and is drilled/tapped for the clamping of various moulds.