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Posted: Mon Feb 06, 2012 10:49 pm
by Bob_A
dig dug dan wrote:my grandad years ago brought a device which was basically a 25litre plastic barrell with moulded paddles inside. Idea was you put all your ingrediants in, shut the lid and rolled it about on the floor.
I have to say, it did work well, and ideal for him as he was in his 80's at the time, so hand mixing was hard work.
you don't see them around now though
for me, it is the mixer, or for putting in the odd post, a barrow and a shovel
I've got one of those devices in the loft. I think it's called an Oddjob, not used it in years.
Posted: Tue Feb 07, 2012 9:48 am
by dig dug dan
I've got one of those devices in the loft. I think it's called an Oddjob, not used it in years.
thats it! you should get it out and post a photo on here!
Posted: Tue Feb 07, 2012 12:45 pm
by ringi
Thanks everyone,
I think part of it is that anyone doing DIY is a lot slower laying brick/blocks/pointing etc., so don’t need as much mortar at a time. Likewise mixing on a board does take a bit of skill to stop the water escaping and going everywhere, also a large mixing board needs to be stored somewhere that may be a pain for the odd bit of DIY.
That fact that they are used more in oz, maybe is down to the heat, if you’re mortar goes off in half an hour and you have to clean the mixer after every batch, would you still use a mixer?
I recall I have one of these http://www.amazon.co.uk/Potting....&sr=1-6 Potting Tray in the garage, so that is what I will use for small batches, I am picking up a MinMax 150 I got on ebay at the weekend for large batches.
It is a pity that the “25 litre plastic barrel with moulded paddles inside“ that “dig dug dan� granddad used is no longer about, as in my case I would be able to put all the ingredients in it in my garage, then just role it to the work site, by then it would be mixed and ready for use – match quicker than setting up a mixer.
(As I am doing DIY, I am likely to be doing no more than few hours at a time for some of the work, so any “fixed� overhead at the start or the end of the session has a high cost.)
Posted: Tue Feb 07, 2012 4:25 pm
by lutonlagerlout
right tool for the right job ringi
a potting tray is as good as an ashtray on a motorbike for knocking up mortar
buy a cheap mixer of ebay,use for the duration of your job
then resell on ebay
simples
you can knock up a bucket or wheelbarrowful in a mixer
also have a good read of the main section of this website
cheers LLL
Posted: Tue Feb 07, 2012 7:17 pm
by London Stone Paving
not knocking it for a DIYer and I'm sure it does the job ok but can you imagine taking one of them tarps onto a site. You'd be laughed off the place 
Posted: Tue Feb 07, 2012 7:38 pm
by Bob_A
dig dug dan wrote:I've got one of those devices in the loft. I think it's called an Oddjob, not used it in years.
thats it! you should get it out and post a photo on here!
Too bloody cold to go into the loft so I've found a picture here
http://www.leevalley.com/us....p=10338
Posted: Tue Feb 07, 2012 7:42 pm
by dig dug dan
thats it! well done for finding it. i couldn't!
Posted: Tue Feb 07, 2012 8:48 pm
by London Stone Paving
Looks like a great idea, wonder why they have never taken off?