how to get off old cement from cement mixer

[diesel7.3]

I have a stow cement mixer i bought used it has a lot of old dryed cement on the barrel outside and inside also on the wheel nuts can't change the tires on it because of all the cement on them .Does anyone know the best way other than sand blasting to get the old cement off the mixer.Any help would be great thanks.

 

[Egon]

Hammer!

 

[studor]

Hydrochloric or phosphoric acid will remove cement (especially when coupled with scraping, hammering, brushing, etc).The solution can be relatively weak -- you just need to be carefull as to where you apply it

 

[EddieWalker]

Hammer!

I agree, it's the fastest, easiest way that I know of. Once you get a few key pieces off, the rest sort of comes off real easy.

Eddie

 

[actionaj]

TNT

 

[ragkar]

Mythbusters tv show busted the myth that a stick of dynamite will do the job.

 

[Blagadan]

X3 = Hammer

Followed by air gun needle scaler if you're really fussy and maybe thinking about repainting and want virgin steel to work with....

**NEW TOOL ALERT**

Northern tool Item# 15763. 40 bucks. lol

 

[Lasgambler]

I cleaned and repainted my Essick Plaster mixer with a angle grinder with a wire brush on it. Muratic Acid will cut it, its a slow process if you don't get most of the big stuff off.

 

[aczlan]

I vote for a hammer, hit the metal though, not the cement. that will cause the metal to vibrate and make the concrete fall right off.


Aaron Z

 

[Willl]

Safety glasses would be a must.

 

[diesel7.3]

just want to say thank you guys for all your help i will give them all a try and see what works the best.thank you.

 

[Defective]

Safety glasses would be a must.

Hearing protection too...

 

[weedpharma]

The best way is not to get it on in the first place. To this end, only lend the mixer to those you trust absolutely not to leave cement in the mixer. I lent mine once. After stressing that it is to come back totally clean, I was dissapointed to find it dirty when returned. The only reason I did not follow my no lending euipment rule was that it was for the school.

Now I do not lend most of my equipment (except to very limited few) but will usually operate the equipment for them.

Weedpharma

 

[FredH]

Years ago when I was a Volunteer Firefighter / EMT , We had a Learn To Burn or was that Vice Versa . Anyway , The Property next door to this building was you might say a pile . For 3 Days we built partitions through out this building and during that same 3 days , the old cogger who owned property next door was out there with a hammer and chisel inside a mixer that came off the back of a cement truck . No hearing protection , no eye protection , no breathing protection . Thung !!! Thung !!! Thung !!! All day long !

Every couple of hours he would climb out and head for the house to use the boys room , since there were so many people standing around not 40 feet away , otherwise he likely would of just stood there in place . Come back , climb inside and Thung ! Thung ! Thung ! All over again .

Don't Know if he ever got it cleaned out or what his intentions were for its use , But I sure marveled at his Tenacity .

I will second the idea of its best to keep it clean from the get go , but owning a cement mixer and letting others borrow it , it has a tendency to came home not in the same condition it left in . Hammer , chisel and wire brush has usually done the trick .

Fred H.

 

[4720 OWNER]

Rapid fire automatic BB rifle, maybe not as fast or effective as some of the other methods mentioned, but sounds lots more fun!!

 

[wedge40]

Rapid fire automatic BB rifle, maybe not as fast or effective as some of the other methods mentioned, but sounds lots more fun!!

A quote from "A Christmas Story - You'll shoot your eye out"

Wedge

 

[Knotbored]

I got a used cement mixer in that same condition for $35 because of the inch or so of concrete layer cured in it. I banged it around some loading it and by the time I got it home about 1/4 was loose in the bottom. A half hour of pounding with a ball peen hammer on the outside eliminated all but a couple of thin spots sticking to the stiring spachulas- and 10 minuted spinning some driveway gravel eliminated that.
Its the vibrating metal that broke it loose-not hammering like you would do with a chisel. Another thought-a little heat with a oxy welding tip would expand the metal and release it from the cement also-I didn't try that but I think it would work if a really thick layer of concrete was stuck in there.