Question about hand mixing mortar back in the day

I once saw my uncle try to mix a batch in a wheelbarrow during a downpour, ended up with cement soup. Now with the mixer, that whole mess is just a wild memory.

3 comments

3 Comments

the_morgan29d agoMost Upvoted

I thought hand mixing was fine... until hearing about cement soup.

ericmason24d ago

But have you ever actually tried to mix a small batch by hand? I mean, for a garden wall or setting a post, it's totally doable. You just add the water slow and keep turning it over with a hoe. It's not that hard to get it right if you pay attention. I've done it a bunch of times and never ended up with soup.

the_jade29d ago

What was your uncle's plan, fight the rain with a trowel? Trying to mix mortar in a downpour is basically signing up for a batch of weak, watery concrete. So much for that patio slab, guess it's a foundation for puddles now.