Remember when we used to mix mortar by hand in a wheelbarrow?

Back in the early 2000s on a big job in Tacoma, we'd spend the first hour just mixing 20 bags by hand for the crew. It was a workout and the mix was never exactly the same. Then around 2010, the boss finally got a portable mixer and it cut that setup time down to 15 minutes. The consistency is just better, no more guessing on the water. I miss the quiet of the morning mix sometimes, but my back doesn't. Anyone still mixing by hand for small jobs, or is it all machines now?

2 comments

2 Comments

xena_rivera632mo ago

Quiet of the morning mix" is a nice way to put it, but honestly it was just a loud, gritty chore. I don't miss guessing on the water either, that part was the worst.

david_henderson62mo ago

That "loud, gritty chore" line, @xena_rivera63, reminds me of my buddy's old machine. He spent one whole Saturday morning trying to get the grounds out after it jammed, coffee powder everywhere. The guesswork on the water amount was just the final straw before he gave up on it.