Being Smart is Hard

Sometimes it is annoying being so smart. I miss the bliss of the ignorance.

I'm trying to mix a small bit of concrete. I got the container and read the directions. They make no sense at all, probably because I'm thinking about it too hard. I am supposed to mix 5-1/2 parts of the mix with 1 part water. I have 10 pounds of mix.

Sounds easy? Fine, you tell me if the "parts" are by volume or weight.

Do I take the ten pounds of mix and mix them with 1.8 pounds of water? Or do I completely ignore the fact that it weighs 10 pounds (then why include that information on the damn package) and pour the mix into a bucket to determine it's liquid volume, then calculate the proper ratio? And if it's the latter, why in all that is Holy couldn't they put the damn volume measurement on the package?

Posted by: Ogre at 02:53 PM

Comments

1 Sorry can't help you only to tell you that susposedly "simple" instructions get me all the time...I over analyze EVERYTHING...

Posted by: Jody at July 10, 2005 01:47 PM (CEHvj)

2 I honestly cannot figure it out. The dry mix sits in my garage while I continue to ponder...

Posted by: Ogre at July 10, 2005 02:33 PM (L0IGK)

3 I have been working on tile in my house; mixing mortar to lay the tile, then mixing grout once the mortar has had time to set and grouting it. The instructions are far clearer with that. Mix ___oz. of admixture (instead of water) with ____ lbs of mortar/grout mix.

My guess would be to mix them by volume, but that's just a guess, I take no responsibility for being wrong.

Posted by: Echo Zoe at July 11, 2005 09:56 AM (K+h36)

4 I even emailed the company and they haven't responded.

I'm guessing it's by volume, simply because I can't imagine most people being capable of determining the weight of water...so as soon as the storm gets through, I think I'm going to try it...

Posted by: Ogre at July 11, 2005 09:58 AM (/k+l4)

5 I surely hope you are joking about this?

Take a container, any container doesn't matter.

Fill said container 5 and 1/2 times and empty it into larger container. Fill said container once with water and empty that into the afore mentioned container that has the concrete in it.

Mix

Use as inteneded.

Your joking right?

Posted by: Machelle at July 11, 2005 11:52 AM (ZAyoW)

6 So what is the volumetric equivalent of 10 POUNDS? Why can't they simply put on the damn package: "mix with 2 gallons of water?"

Posted by: Ogre at July 11, 2005 11:56 AM (/k+l4)

7 Wouldn't it just be easier to measure it out in 5 1/2 containers and then add water then trying to rack your brain to figure out how much water to add to a 10lb bag?

Men, you make things so much harder.

Posted by: Machelle at July 11, 2005 12:04 PM (ZAyoW)

8 Being smart can truly be a curse.

And I don't have that many containers -- I want to use all the bag, so I don't know what size container will make 5.5 of them! I just want to dump the darn bag in a bucket and add some water!

Posted by: Ogre at July 11, 2005 12:51 PM (/k+l4)

9 Water weighs one ounce per fl. ounce, if that helps.

So figure 29 oz of water for the bag of cement.

I can't imagine that it'd be by volume of cement, since it's a powder & volume depends on how tightly it's packed.

Of course, I'm not a construction worker.

Posted by: Harvey at July 11, 2005 04:32 PM (ubhj8)

10 Well thanks for the tip!

As I read your comment, the nice people at Quikcrete mailed me back:

"You should use volume for mixture ratio. The instructions are a starting amount of water. You should add additional water as require to achieve a peanut butter consistency."

Now why couldn't they just add that sentence onto the darn package?

Posted by: Ogre at July 11, 2005 05:55 PM (L0IGK)

11 What the heck are you doing reading the directions for, anyway? Real men never read the directions, or ask for them, for that matter!

I made the same mistake once, trying to make some hamburger helper. It said to brown the hamburger. To me, brown runs the full range from light tan to just short of charcoal.

I stopped reading the directions and cooked it until it looked like cooked hamburger. It was just fine........

Posted by: Mr. Completely at July 11, 2005 07:24 PM (3mABg)

12 See what thinking will do for you?

I'm one of those odd types who reads all the directions so I am free to complain a LOT when it doesn't work like the directions say they were supposed to work!

Posted by: Ogre at July 11, 2005 08:39 PM (L0IGK)

13 All I know is, whatever is used to mix it, is history. (^__^)

Posted by: mensaB at July 11, 2005 11:35 PM (TOHVc)

14 Nah, you ever watch those cement trucks? If you just spend an hour washing the stuff off before it hardens and you're fine. However, the ground near where you wash it? That's a whole 'nother story...

Posted by: Ogre at July 12, 2005 05:11 AM (L0IGK)

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