My Favorite Concrete Equipment
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Kreg Pocket Jigs (www.kregtool.com):
Jerry Kelly of Corvid Supply in Tucson, AZ said, "I like the pocket jigs for putting screws in so you can put them in at an angle when you're making melamine boxes. Typically what everyone does is to drill in from the top but if you use the pocket jig it comes in from the side. This keeps the concrete out of the screw holes."
Perles Mixers (www.perlesusa.com):
Perles, a Swiss company, which makes several models of single and double paddle mixers that can mix fine aggregate mixes. "I really like their egg- beater mixers for small batches," says Jerry Kelly of Corvid Supply in Tucson, AZ.
Kelly's partner Kim
Bergman and his
Festo plunge saw |
Festool (www.festool.net):
Jerry Kelly of Corvid Supply in Tucson, AZ said that they also really like Festo Tools—a German company which has now changed its name to Festool—for drills, routers, plunge saws, and other woodworking tools.
Porter Cable Spray Gun (www.deltaportercable.com)
Porter Cable's PSH2 spray gun has separate fluid and air controls to allow fine adjustments. "I really like this air gun," Ben McCarthy of McCarthy Concrete in South Windsor, CT said. "I use it for all of the water-based stains."
Vibrating Darby :
Finding unique solutions to life's challenges is something Bright has a knack for. (He currently has a patent for an ergonomic laptop stand at www.keynamics.com). So when the solution wasn't readily apparent in the industry, Bright got creative and created his own vibrating darby.
Bright says, "I haven't seen anything else like it out in the industry, but it takes the vibrating screed to the countertop level. I simply mounted an in-line air sander to the top of my wooden darby, but there could be several methods for making the darby vibrate," he says.
The video below shows Bright's first attempt at using the vibrating darby, using a 2 x 6 piece of lumber as the screed.
Length: 00:35
"It proves very useful, when you can't get much "stroke" on a cast in place countertop which has a wall on the backside, using a board mounted on the wall as a screed support. I even use it when we add aggregate to the mix. It seems to help push down the aggregate and bring the cream to the top,' he explains.
Machine Technologies'
pumps are ideal for
applying concrete to
vertical surfaces. |
Machine Technologies Mortar Pump (http://machine-technologies.com/):
For applications where Tajmawall sprays concrete, Sellon recommends the P-25 mortar pump from Machine Technologies. "I'm skeptical about pumps because they can be a nightmare," he says." I own two plaster pumps. They are difficult to clean up and with the cheaper ones you have to water the material down to get it through the pump. With the P-25 you can dump right out of a mortar mixer into the hopper. It has an agitator in the hopper to keep the material stirred up and an electric motor which is nice since one of the problems with pumps through the years has been that the vibration of the motor will settle out the aggregate and clog the hose. This one has a 220-volt, 5-horsepower 3-phase motor that you can plug into a dryer outlet."
Sawtec (www.sawtec.com):
To make the decorative cuts on the Byrd project, CSolutions workers used the Sawtec Crac-Vac. The Saw-Tec Crac-Vac Decorative Kit is designed for saw-cutting artificial grout lines or decorative cuts into stained or overlay-finished decorative concrete floors. The kit includes the saw mounted on a dolly, six feet of hose, a reusable dust collection bag, and a bag shoulder strap. The saw cuts to a depth of 1 1/8 inches and it controls dust during cutting for faster cleanup and to allow other trades to also work in the area. Find Concrete Saws & Saw Blades
Sprayers:
When I asked Tim Blankenship, CSolutions, Atlanta, GA, if he had a favorite sprayer, he said, "not really," but noted that they have been using "the standard Graco sprayer you can buy at Home Depot. Wherever we go we can pick up the same one or pick up parts. It's more of a convenience thing than a favorite, but convenience is good."
Makita (www.makita.com):
As with most concrete guys today, Karmody likes cordless tools and he chooses Makita. "On site my best friend is my Makita angle grinder with a 4 inch diamond blade." Find Concrete Saws & Saw Blades
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