Can you identify this Concrete Mixer?

[Herb]

Until a few days ago, I thought that all concrete mixers (apart from the mediocre plastic thing called an Odd Job Mixer) were powered, either by electricity or a gas motor.

But when I saw this one for sale, I decided to try it out. It's made like a conventional concrete mixer, but on a smaller scale - it will mix a good bucketful of concrete at one go - just the amount I need. You rotate the drum by grabbing either the rim or the handles at the base of the drum.

To my surprise, it worked (for concrete mix) very well indeed. I don't think it would be much good for Hypertufa, but then no concrete mixer is - the only way to make hypertufa is to put rubber gloves on & make like a pastrycook rubbing fat into flour).

It'd be interesting to find the name of the manufacturer, & when it was made, but the label on the drum is mostly worn off. Can anybody identify it?

Herb

[Herb]

A poster in another forum has written that it was made by a firm called Baromix.

Baromix, I've found, is an English company that manufactures a wide range of powered concrete mixers - but no longer makes this one, so I guess it's a kind of antique. Antique or not, it works very well.

Herb

[Linda P]

That looks to me like a lucky find! I remember seeing something like this in our neighborhood when I was a young'un. I hope you have many happy days mixing away to your heart's content!
Linda P

[Herb]

Thanks, Linda! It's so easy to use that it's made me decide to give up on Hypertufa (it needs such a lot of working with the fingers & that aggravates arthritis!). So I'm reverting to concrete.

The next project is a bigger Misaki-style lantern (in concrete of course).

Herb

[rakenleafs]

Herb,
Could you tell us a little about your concrete projects? I was playing with concrete all summer long and have made a few things, but I do not have any molds and they are very expensive, So I improvise.. how would you go about making the lantern without a mold, please elaborate..

Fran

[Herb]

Fran,

It would take many pages to describe everything at once. To make molds for a lantern that has no curved surfaces, I've usually used plywood. On the other hand, if the lantern's going to have, say, a dome-shaped roof, I've often started with a basin or a wok that seems to be close to the size & shape that I want. One of the most useful that I ever found was a nylon kitchen mixing bowl that I found at a Salvation Army Thrift Store.

You can find some descriptive articles that I wrote and a few pictures at Chris Haan's site - http://www.geocities.com/chris_haan/lantern/index.html

Herb

[Herb]

Fran,

Here's are some pictures showing the molds that I used to make a fairly small, simple lantern. I think they're fairly self explanatory.

Herb