How to make a concrete vibrator with your own hands: units for compacting the mixture

To make sure that your concrete projects are long-lasting and air pocket-free, concrete vibrators are indispensable tools. By filling the formwork completely and lowering the possibility of weak spots, these tools aid in compacting the concrete mixture. Perhaps you’re thinking about building your own concrete vibrator if you’re working on a do-it-yourself project or a smaller construction job. Fortunately, you can make an efficient unit yourself if you have some simple supplies and a little know-how.

You can customize the concrete vibrator to meet your unique requirements and save money by building your own. Making your own tool can be a fulfilling experience, regardless of your level of experience with do-it-yourself projects or if you’re a novice looking to take on a new challenge. We’ll walk you through the process of making various concrete vibrators in this guide, from basic hand-held models to more intricate motorized apparatuses.

The materials must be gathered before beginning to build the concrete vibrator. A motor, a flexible shaft, a vibrating head, and a few simple tools like screwdrivers and wrenches are required. The vibrator’s motor is its brains, and the strength of its motor will dictate how well your machine compacts concrete. The concrete mixture is actually stirred by the head, which receives the vibrations thanks to flexible shafts.

It’s easy to assemble once you have the necessary materials. Make sure the flexible shaft is firmly attached to the motor in order to prevent it from coming loose while it is operating. Attach the vibrating head to the shaft’s end next. The weight of the head should be sufficient to produce noticeable vibrations without becoming unmanageable. Lastly, to ensure proper and safe operation, test your vibrator on a small batch of concrete.

There are similarities between using a commercial concrete vibrator and your DIY one. To ensure a homogeneous mixture and get rid of air bubbles, gently move the vibrating head around the freshly poured concrete. A sturdy and long-lasting concrete structure requires proper compaction, so take your time and ensure that the entire area is well-compacted.

Many do-it-yourself and small-scale construction projects can benefit from the practicality of building a concrete vibrator on your own. Without the need for pricey equipment, it gives you the confidence and accuracy to handle concrete tasks with professionalism. You can make a tool that will help you in all of your future concrete endeavors with a little work and creativity.

Component	Description
Motor	A small, powerful motor to create vibrations.
Flexible Shaft	A flexible shaft to transmit vibrations from the motor to the concrete.
Vibrating Head	The part that comes into contact with the concrete and compacts it.
Handle	A sturdy handle for holding and maneuvering the vibrator.
Power Source	An electric or battery source to power the motor.
Switch	A simple on/off switch to control the device.

What vibrators are used for concrete

Let us begin with the theory in order to address the topic of how to construct a vibrator for concrete. Several kinds of vibrators are used in construction, depending on the volume of the concrete and the structure in which it is placed.

• Submersible — its working element (as is clear from the name) is lowered into the concrete mixture, where it transmits vibration to the surrounding concrete. If necessary, the unit is moved along the volume of the mixture. Usually used for massive monolithic structures and products.

• Vibration plate (platform) — vibration is transmitted by a plate that is moved along the surface of the mixture. This unit is used for flat structures, such as concrete slabs and screeds. It is also impossible to compact a sand and crushed stone cushion for pouring a foundation or laying a path without a vibration platform.

• Vibration screed similar to a vibration platform, only a rail is used instead of a plate. The main purpose is to level the concrete, it compacts not only the surface layer, but also the entire volume.

It can be used on both horizontal and vertical surfaces because of its compactness. It takes a little longer to compact using a vibrating beam than it does with a slab.

• Vibrating table — a stationary or mobile unit on the surface of which forms with concrete mixture are installed. Used for the manufacture of individual products (for example, expanded clay concrete blocks). In industry, large-sized vibrating tables are used in the molding of a wide variety of structures: floor and roof slabs, wall panels, beams and trusses.

Additionally, vibrators are frequently installed straight on the framework of forms and formwork, which enhances compaction quality and minimizes the number of operations required to complete the task.

Vibrator design

A drive and a vibration exciter make up the vibrator, which generates vibrations that are transferred to the working element (mace, platform, rail). Flexible shafts can be used as an intermediate transmission in submersible vibrators.

Let us examine each component in greater detail. Certain vibration exciters only have two units in their design because they combine the drive function.

Vibrator drive

Three different kinds of drives are typically used:

• Electric – the most common. Both conventional asynchronous motors and DC motors are used. Very rare are designs where electromagnets (solenoids) are used to create vibrations. It is distinguished by its simplicity and low weight. Most often, DIY concrete vibrators have this type of drive.

One of the drawbacks is that when working in a humid environment with a concrete mixture, extra precautions need to be taken and the voltage needs to be lowered to guarantee electrical safety at the construction site.

• Pneumatic – allows to achieve even greater weight reduction than with an electric drive. Absolutely electrically safe. But for its operation a compressor is needed that produces compressed air. Therefore this type of drive is used most often in industry.

• From an internal combustion engine. These are more complex and heavy designs, but they provide autonomy from power lines. Most often used in repair and road works, landscaping.

Vibration exciter

Let’s enumerate the most popular designs in the business:

• Single-shaft unbalanced – several weights (eccentrics, unbalances) are installed on the shaft rotated by the drive, leading to its imbalance, which causes vibration.

Small and uncomplicated design. One of the drawbacks is that the shaft supports (bearings) wear out quickly. The oscillations are aimless.

• Pendulum – a variant of a single-shaft unbalanced unit. It uses a pendulum suspension that directs vibrations.
• A two-shaft unbalanced one is actually two interlocked single-shaft vibration exciters that rotate synchronously in different directions. Allows you to create directed vibrations, including complex helical ones. The wear of the supports is slightly less than that of a single-shaft.

• Planetary – in it a runner connected to the drive through a flexible connection rolls around a circular track. The running track can be either internal or external. The number of revolutions of the runner for moving in a circle does not correspond to the number of revolutions of the drive.

One benefit of this kind of vibration exciter is that its working element has a small diameter, which is crucial for deep vibrators. can produce vibrations at high frequencies of up to 20 kHz even in the absence of high-speed drives.

• Pneumatic planetary. In it, the rotation of the runner along the treadmill is caused by air pressure in the working circular cavity with a rotating blade and holes for injection and exhaust.

Since an external drive is not required, this design is among the smallest. Compared to a traditional planetary vibration exciter, it is smaller along its axis. produces two different frequencies of vibrations as a result of the runner rolling and the eccentricity of the shaft that the blade is fixed to.

After examining the theoretical concerns, let’s get straight to the homemade vibrator designs. By the way, we will state that industrial vibration exciters as well as homemade ones can be used for nearly all designs.

A practical and affordable way to guarantee the strength and durability of your concrete projects is to build a concrete vibrator at home. This post will walk you through the easy steps and supplies needed to assemble your own concrete vibrator. It will also explain how this device ensures even distribution and helps compact the concrete mixture by eliminating air bubbles. Without purchasing pricey equipment, you can raise the caliber of your concrete work with a few easily found materials and some simple do-it-yourself abilities.

Vibrator based on a hammer drill

It is challenging to even refer to this hand-made, hammer drill vibrator design. All we do is swap out the working drill for a thicker piece of rolled metal.

One of its edges might need to be filed down with a lathe or at the very least sanded down before it can be clamped into the chuck. For even more efficiency, as seen in the video in this article, you can even weld a platform (heel) on the end.

After chiselling, we switch on the hammer drill and start compacting the concrete. Although there isn’t much of a vibration effect on concrete, we still tamp and bayonet it.

Once we see indications that the compaction is ending, we relocate our makeshift vibrator. Furthermore, you should move the product far more frequently than the recommended 60–80 centimeters in order to obtain a high-quality item.

Suggestions. The end of the air release from the pores (the formation of bubbles on the surface) and the appearance of cement milk (liquid) are signs that vibration should be stopped. Should these indications emerge, cease vibrating right away; if you don’t, the mixture may stratify.

Attachment with a mace on a drill

This vibrator is already genuine. It is true that making it requires more effort and requires tools. We decide on a single-shaft unbalance design as our vibration exciter. Since everything depends on the capabilities and available (or purchaseable) components, this is not an extremely detailed instruction.

The following tools and equipment, along with supplies and replacement parts, are required. The image displays a design that is comparable.

Tools and machines

Naturally, having access to any repair shop suffices; having everything at home is not essential.

• A lathe (quite simple).

• A milling machine or at least a more or less powerful grinding and sharpening machine.
• Welding machine.
• A set of metalworking tools.
• A powerful soldering iron or equipment for soldering with a gas torch flame is possible.

Materials and parts

• A piece of pipe, even welded, with a diameter of 50-60 mm and a length of about half a meter.
• Two bearings, preferably heavy series, with a diameter close to the inner diameter of the pipe.
• A round steel bar – also close in diameter to the pipe, for plugs and bushings.
• A round bar with a diameter slightly larger than the diameter of the inner race of the bearings.
• A square or, in extreme cases, a circle for imbalance. Its thickness should be slightly less (by 2-3 millimeters) than the difference between the shaft radius and the inner radius of the pipe. A square pipe is even better.
• A flexible shaft for a drill or dreamer. Sometimes they use one from a speedometer drive, but it does not last long because it is not designed for heavy loads.

• Gasket rubber or paronite.
• Lubricant and silicone sealant.

Let"s start assembling

Watch the video in the article to learn how to build a concrete vibrator by hand.

1. First of all, prepare the shaft. Cut the round bar a few centimeters shorter than the pipe, so that it can be fixed in the tip of the flexible shaft.
2. Turn one end of the shaft so that it fits tightly into the inner race of the bearing, and rests against it with a thicker, unturned part. Do not forget to choose grooves to relieve stress – the shaft will work in rather difficult conditions with forces applied to the fracture.
3. We process the second end in a more complex way – it should come out of the bearing, and be fixed in the tip of the flexible shaft. The design of the fastening depends on the tip. If you are not using a drill shaft, then you need to think about this unit differently. For example, drill a hole in the center of the shaft, into which you can then solder the shaft cable, or clamp it there with screws. If you have engineering thinking, this is not a difficult task.
4. The shaft is ready. Now our task is to achieve from it what is fought in other mechanisms – imbalance. To do this, we carry out two operations.
5. Weld a square onto the shaft along the axis. If you found a square pipe, then it is even better to weld it and fill it with lead inside – this way the imbalance will be heavier.
6. Additionally, if the shaft is of a sufficiently large diameter, you can grind it down (or cut it with a milling cutter) opposite the welded imbalance.
7. Now let"s deal with the body – our pipe. To secure the structure, we cut threads on its ends. Preferably internal – but, in extreme cases, you can do with external ones. The vibrator head covers will be attached to it. For the tightness of the structure, it is advisable to cut not metric, but inch threads. We select the minimum step.

We prepare the covers; a lathe is necessary for this process.

1. The front cover is conical so that the head enters the concrete mixture more easily. At the same time, it is the housing in which the bearing is installed.
2. The rear one is more complex in shape. There is a hole in the center for the flexible shaft. It is advisable to provide an extension at the entrance for welding or soldering (gluing) the ends of its braid. There is a place behind the bearing for connecting the flexible shaft and the shaft of the vibrator head.

Now that every component is ready, let’s begin assembling.

• Put the rear bearing on the shaft, not forgetting to pre-lubricate it.
• Pass the flexible shaft through the cover and connect it to the shaft.
• Put the rear bearing in place in the rear cover.
• Install the rear cover in place. For a tight joint, cut out (cut out) a gasket from paronite. Additionally use a sealant.
• Put the front bearing in place.
• Put the front cover in place, while aligning it so that the bearing is on the shaft. We achieve the absence of play – it can be checked by moving the flexible shaft. Adjust the bearing planting with click of the lid, or with the help of washers. Also, do not forget about the gaskets (if we have poorly calculated the dimensions, then we may have to use several of them) and sealant.
• We fasten to the end of the flexible shaft in the cover. If it is made of thin steel that cannot be welded, use soldering. If it is completely absent or plastic, then you can expose the braid and solder it. As a last resort, you can use glue.

Suggestions. It is preferable to solder copper using a torch rather than a soldering iron and tin-lead solder. It turns out that the joint is more dependable. If you continue to use lead-containing tin, you should wash the joint with alkaline soap or a soda solution after soldering to get rid of the leftover soldering acid, which will eventually erode the joint. As a flux when soldering copper, use borax.

• It is necessary to protect the structure from self-disassembly during vibration. We drill holes in the side surface of the pipe (opposite the thread) for small screws (a diameter of 3 millimeters is enough). After cutting the thread, screw them in.

• Our design is ready, you can fix the second end of the flexible shaft in the drill and conduct a test.
• To protect the parts of the vibrator from corrosion, it is advisable to paint it.

Suggestions. Our design is not as reliable as the ones from the factory. Don’t idle if you want it to last longer. Only after lowering the club into the concrete should you turn on the drill. Turn it off as soon as you remove it. It is even simpler to use a drill with a standard shaft when the working element can be disconnected from the shaft by pressing a button. While the drill is operating, you can switch the vibrator on and off.

DIY vibrator screed

Let’s also talk about how to put together a homemade vibrator screed for concrete, which is used to compact and smooth the mixture. Its design is no more complex than a drill’s vibrator screed; practically the same tools are required. There are some differences in the parts and materials.

Materials and parts for a homemade vibrating screed

1. Rolled steel (angle, channel, half T-bar) for rails and frames. If it is possible to weld in an inert gas environment (argon), it is advisable to choose aluminum, the design will be lighter. True, aluminum parts can be assembled using screws, bolts and nuts.
2. Blocks for making eccentric weights and bearing housings.
3. Sheet steel for bearing housing covers.
4. Electric motor, preferably with a shaft output on both sides of the housing. If you cannot find one, then you can either extend the shaft on the other side, or make a vibration exciter with one eccentric weight. But it will be somewhat less reliable..
5. Bearings with an inner race diameter equal to the diameter of the electric motor shaft.
6. Pipe for making handles.
7. Tin for making casings.
8. Fasteners.
9. Wires and starting fittings for connecting the electric motor.

We also selected the most basic unbalance vibration exciter for our design.

Assembling the structure

Let’s enumerate the key phases of the project:

• Assembling the frame. It is directly a vibration beam (on which the vibration exciter will be attached) and a leveling beam, connected to each other by several jumpers (like a ladder).
• Secure the electric motor on the beam using brackets and bolts.

Pay attention: Prevent any self-loosening of threaded connections. Use cotter pins or lock nuts for this.

Installing the imbalances on the motor shaft is the next step. They could be fixed straight to the motor shaft, but we’ll put in extra support bearings first.

The reason for this is that the motor bearings are set directly into the aluminum alloy cover of the motor. Because aluminum is a very fragile material, the loads created by the imbalance’s rotation will cause the sockets to break quickly and possibly collapse the cover itself.

• We manufacture (turn) housings for bearings and covers for them. For greater reliability, we also provide for the installation of cuffs (seals).
• We install bearings in housings. Before this, we must lubricate them.
• We put the bearings on the motor shaft.
• Now we mount the housings on the frame. We do this after installing the bearings on the shaft because it is easier to determine the exact position relative to the shaft. We also use brackets for fastening.
• We install the cuffs and housing covers in place. You can fasten them with screws. For tightness, we put gaskets under the covers, at least from cardboard.
• We make imbalances. They are a flywheel, which, in addition to the hub, has only one sector of about ninety degrees. Particular accuracy is not required, since its main task is to swing the structure and not smooth operation. Therefore, you can cut a turned or finished flywheel with a gas cutter, and process it on an emery wheel.

• We put the imbalances in place. The fit should be very tight. Only a key is not enough, we additionally fasten it with a bolt and a washer screwed into the hole along the shaft axis. Moreover, with a thread, the direction of which does not allow the screw to come out when the shaft rotates. We also provide security against self-unscrewing in the form of an additional cotter pin or stopper.
• We make handles with which we will move the vibrating screed. They must be securely fixed, so we provide struts.
• We make casings from tin that protect the rotating shaft and weights. This is necessary for safety. It is advisable to make them easily removable.
• We install a switch on the handle to start the electric motor.
• We mount the electrical wire. You can lay it inside the handle pipes.
• Testing the mechanism.
• If everything works, we paint the structure.

By the way, you can use a vibration exciter that you buy instead of making your own. This will increase the productivity of the vibrating screed and greatly simplify the side work.

From vibrating lath to vibrating plate

We can make our homemade vibrating beam for concrete more adaptable. Additionally, it is very easy. All you have to do is create a plate out of thick steel (at least 3 mm).

Simply cut it to size and gently bend the two opposing edges to resemble a sled. Next, we offer a means of attachment to our rail. To use countersunk heads, drill multiple holes for bolts and countersink them.

The unit is ready when the manufactured part is screwed on, requiring a vibrating plate. This is really practical. A plate can be used to create a path cushion. After removing the plate, use a vibrating beam to level the concrete, then reassemble it and compact it.

A useful and satisfying project that can greatly raise the caliber of your concrete work is building your own concrete vibrator. Ensuring that the concrete mixture is properly compacted increases the final product’s strength and durability while lowering the risk of cracks and other flaws.

Obtaining a few essential parts, like a motor, a shaft, and an eccentric weight, is necessary when building a concrete vibrator at home. Local hardware stores carry these parts, or they can be salvaged from outdated equipment. You can assemble these parts into a working unit that efficiently eliminates air bubbles and consolidates the concrete with simple tools and a little technical know-how.

Not only can you make your own concrete vibrator to save costs, but you can also modify the device to meet your own requirements. Having a trustworthy vibrator can improve productivity and yield more polished results whether you’re working on small do-it-yourself projects or larger construction projects.

Always put safety first when constructing and operating your concrete vibrator. To avoid mishaps, make sure all connections are safe and adhere to established operating protocols. You can make a useful tool that will help you in many future concrete projects with careful planning and attention to detail.

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