longtomsilver Posted May 20, 2016 Share Posted May 20, 2016 I needed a concrete base for a shed and the local builder quoted me £400 to do a 6ft x 8ft (3 inches) and thought I could do better so.... Bought a cement mixer from Screw Fix £199 and materials for £130. I started at 10am this morning and finished about an hour ago and the results aren't too shabby... see photo. It's such a breeze and as I've acquired a new toy was thinking I could put it to good use and make it pay. £250 for the one shown in photo for example and work backwards/forwards depending on size. Would this be viable. 25 year guarantee (I won't be around that long). 3-4 jobs a month on top of pulling pints 15 hours a week and I'd be happy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
knock out johnny Posted May 20, 2016 Share Posted May 20, 2016 I hope your workmanship is better than your picture posting skills Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
longtomsilver Posted May 20, 2016 Author Share Posted May 20, 2016 I hope your workmanship is better than your picture posting skills Hold your horses... file size too big. Compressed and voilà Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest eight Posted May 20, 2016 Share Posted May 20, 2016 Do you charge extra if there's a body involved? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SarahBell Posted May 20, 2016 Share Posted May 20, 2016 Looks OK. What mix did you use? What weight ratio.It's the tax, insurance, vat, extra vehicle costs, road tax, petrol, clothing, new boots, etc etc that'll make the difference? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CunningPlan Posted May 20, 2016 Share Posted May 20, 2016 Best vote Brexit. I am sure the regulations around this kind of thing will kill your plan stone dead otherwise. Other than that what have you got to lose? A few postcards in the local shops, a post or two on the local facebook/streetlife page and see what happens. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justthisbloke Posted May 20, 2016 Share Posted May 20, 2016 You've bought a concrete mixer to build a shed - in which to keep your concrete mixer. It's people like you who keep our economy moving! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ntb Posted May 20, 2016 Share Posted May 20, 2016 Perfectly viable if there is the demand. Are you sure you will be as enthusiastic when its 3 tons of ballast through a house, up and down garden steps and along a 200ft garden path? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
longtomsilver Posted May 20, 2016 Author Share Posted May 20, 2016 Perfectly viable if there is the demand. Are you sure you will be as enthusiastic when its 3 tons of ballast through a house, up and down garden steps and along a 200ft garden path? It's 4 to 1 mix (ballast/cement) as luck would have it this was through my house so 25kg bags... A van will be fine and all other costs incidental. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
longtomsilver Posted May 20, 2016 Author Share Posted May 20, 2016 Do you charge extra if there's a body involved? PM me. edit: oh gaw'd... I was saying that in jest - you didn't have to and the answer is no I won't do it not even for the £5k you offered. Erghh! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CunningPlan Posted May 20, 2016 Share Posted May 20, 2016 It is sort of amusing that Long Tom Silver is thinking of burying some pieces for Eight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest eight Posted May 20, 2016 Share Posted May 20, 2016 PM me. edit: oh gaw'd... I was saying that in jest - you didn't have to and the answer is no I won't do it not even for the £5k you offered. Erghh! If you tried something like this round here you would be treading on the toes of a certain community who assume that this sort of cash in hand manual work should remain their sole preserve. So there probably would be a body involved - yours. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ntb Posted May 20, 2016 Share Posted May 20, 2016 It's 4 to 1 mix (ballast/cement) as luck would have it this was through my house so 25kg bags... A van will be fine and all other costs incidental. It starts to get old real quick with bigger quantities. I hope you're a big strong lad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest eight Posted May 20, 2016 Share Posted May 20, 2016 It is sort of amusing that Long Tom Silver is thinking of burying some pieces for Eight. Too good! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
council dweller Posted May 20, 2016 Share Posted May 20, 2016 2 of sand and 1 of cement ? I`ve just been laying some slabs in front of my shed. A six inch step up (to park motorbike) was too much.. 3 inches is better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
longtomsilver Posted May 20, 2016 Author Share Posted May 20, 2016 2 of sand and 1 of cement ? I`ve just been laying some slabs in front of my shed. A six inch step up (to park motorbike) was too much.. 3 inches is better. No sand just ballast 4 to 1 cement. It is 3.5 inches thick. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreenDevil Posted May 20, 2016 Share Posted May 20, 2016 How many bags (25kg) total did you use? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankief Posted May 20, 2016 Share Posted May 20, 2016 I'm sure you compacted the ground underneath with a wacker plate? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
longtomsilver Posted May 20, 2016 Author Share Posted May 20, 2016 32 bags (total) and I used a slab to compact the ground. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
long time lurking Posted May 20, 2016 Share Posted May 20, 2016 Ready mix about £130-160 ish c15 a cubic meter far better to handle once than twice Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrPin Posted May 20, 2016 Share Posted May 20, 2016 You are all so blokey, knowing all about concrete! I am in awe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OnionTerror Posted May 20, 2016 Share Posted May 20, 2016 Should have hired the mixer...only about ten quid a day... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whitevanman Posted May 20, 2016 Share Posted May 20, 2016 Should have hired the mixer...only about ten quid a day... When you go into HSS don't ask for a mixer, ask for an Irish tumble drier. Re. earning extra cash laying concrete: hard work, not that lucrative, quite satisfying work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happy_renting Posted May 20, 2016 Share Posted May 20, 2016 3D print them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monkey Posted May 20, 2016 Share Posted May 20, 2016 Did you put some mesh in? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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