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Cement Weight Formula

Posted by Dave Hinde on January 26, 2010 at 11:05am

I'm thinking of making the "cement in a plastic pipe" type of weights for my canopy.  Does anyone have a good formula for them.  Mainly I'm looking for what pipe size and length to use, and what weight that equates to.  What I want to make are weights around 40-50 pounds. 

 

Any other tips and tricks would be appreciated.  I plan on mixing the cement in an old wheelbarrow and using a cheap plastic pitcher to scope it into the tubes.  I also need to do some other cement work, and wanted to do the tube thing at the same time. 

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Tags: cement, weights
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Replies

  • Douglas Farrar February 15, 2010 at 12:18am
    I made our weights out of 4" PVC fence posts. They are square and won't roll in the vehicle. I also drilled a hole in the end caps and placed an eye bolt thru it and tightened it down and then about 2 " further down on the eye bolt I placed another washer and nut so that it would have an excellent hold on the cement. I then placed 4 window weights(The kind used in old windows to counter balance them) into the tube and poured quickcrete in on top of it. I mixed the quickcrete a little thinner than recommended and let them stand for 24 hours before putting the bottom cap on. Mine are 30" long and weight 31 lbs each. These have worked for about 10 years so far and don't appear to be going anywhere.
  • Lindsay Pless February 13, 2010 at 8:04pm
    Dave, my husband and I made mine last year. 4" PVC pipe 2.5' long. We didn't use cement but sand and gravel ... a layer of sand, a layer of gravel, shake the pipe up a bit, fill with more and and gravel.......they each weigh 40lbs. He put caps on both ends, also used the eye bolt and did his 'Sailor's' knots with the rope attached to the eye bolts which attach to rachet tie downs with hooks on them. To attach the eye bolts, he drilled a hole into the cap before he glued them to the pipe. (the rachets he used are the same ones he uses to ratchet down his Harley and BMW in his truck bed)

    When I set up for a show, it's easy to just hook the ratchets to each corner of my tent, tie the weights onto that and ratchet them up. It's so much easier to get them attached because you're not trying to hold the weight of the pipe while tying them to your tent.
  • Jill Beninato February 7, 2010 at 8:15am
    Willie....you actually mixed the cement in the tube? That sounds a whole lot easier than mixing in a wheel barrow and then trying to pour it in the tube. So you cemented an end cap on your tube, poured in some quick set and then some water until it was full....about how much quick set did you pour at a time and did you add water just until it was absorbed? Did you let is set at all in between layers? Thanks for your help....
  • Linnea Lahlum February 4, 2010 at 1:17pm
    Ditto with the handles. Much easier to pick them up and carry sideways. It's 50+ pounds, not easy to manhandle without a... handle. Cheap rolled brass drawer handles. I found out they roll around in the van. So I put a short bungee through those handles to tie them together.

    To hang you need soemthing that will NOT stretch. I used heavy black nylon rope that kind of fades into my display. The PVC itself is white, which seems fine, since it matches the canopy.
  • Munks February 3, 2010 at 9:39pm
    I use old flour sacks filled with a few gold bars . . .
  • Dave Hinde February 3, 2010 at 8:02pm
    Thanks Willie, and everyone else that sent in suggestions.

    Willie, that's about the weight I'm looking for, and the formula for mixing! What is the diameter of your pipes?

    Willie McTell said:
    i made some. about 3.5 feet long (tall) they weigh in at 51 lbs each. i set a long eye bolt with a big washer into the cement on one end to hang them from. unfortunately i wasn't thinking and made them of white pvc instead of black. now i have to repaint them periodically since the black paint gets scraped up over time.
    i used quick-set cement. poured in a little cement, then a little water. repeat until the pipe is full. the water will slowly absorb into the cement until the whole thing is rock hard. no need for wheelbarrows or mixing. i've been using them for about 10 years. they have never failed to weigh 51 pounds yet. all kinds of weather. still weigh 51 lbs.
  • Larry Berman January 26, 2010 at 11:09am
    The original Craft Hut instructions pamphlet had illustrated instructions on making PVC weights filled with cement. If I can find mine and scan it in, I'll post it for you. Here's another version using tire balancing weights in PVC tubes:
    http://artshowphoto.com/pages/weights.htm

    Larry Berman
    Digital Jury Services
    http://BermanGraphics.com
    412-401-8100
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