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Ugh, mate. Your bloody masonry trowel is caked with dried up mortar. What the hell do you do now?
You got three choices, mate: Chuck it in the bin and buy a new one. Keep working with it all filthy. Or clean the damn thing off. But let me tell ya, the first two options ain’t gonna cut it. If you toss your mucky tool, you gotta go out and shell out some cash for a new one. And if you keep working with a dirty implement, your workmanship is gonna suffer, no doubt about it.
It just makes bloody sense to take care of your tools, mate. Keep ’em in good working order, so they’re ready to go for the next day’s graft.
Now, let’s take a gander at the history of this dilemma. Cleaning up tools and getting rid of all that mortar and concrete gunk has been a necessary evil for donkey’s years. Even back in the “Old Stone Age,” you can bet your arse those ancient humans cleaned their implements, especially after a day’s kill. Yeah, it was brutal times, mate. But they’d use those large pebbles from the river’s edge to make their early tools, and chances are they’d wash ’em off in the same waters.
They always chose to maintain their tools, even 40,000 years ago. Never throwing ’em away, always keeping ’em in tip-top shape.
Now, let’s fast forward a bit. Around 6500 BCE, mortar came into the picture. This pliable substance was used to join parts together, you see. And around 500 BCE, the Greeks found out that if they mixed that pozzolana (that’s volcanic ash from Pozzuoli, Italy) with lime and water, it created a better bond. Smart buggers, those Greeks.
But it was the Romans who really took it to the next level before the 1st century CE. They tweaked the formula, using different aggregates and mixing it with lime and water. And what they got was Roman mortar (with sand) and Roman concrete (with broken stone). That made the building process a whole lot easier, mate.
Just take a look at the Colosseum, for example. Prime bloody example, that is. It took ’em 10 years to build that bad boy back in 70-80 CE. And let me tell ya, when they had to repair it in the 1800s and more recently in 2016, there were a hell of a lot of masonry tools and equipment that needed a good clean up.
Nowadays, we got this thing called Portland cement. They named it after the Isle of Portland in England. It became popular in the 1800s, because it bonded quicker and harder than the previous stuff. And now, it’s the norm. It’s what we use to make concrete, grout, mortar, plaster, and stucco, mate. We mix it with different aggregates to get the right proportions for the job at hand.
But here’s the thing, you gotta clean up all the leftover crap when you’re done. That means getting rid of the smears and splatters of concrete that shouldn’t be there. And as for your tools, well, it’s best to wipe ’em off when the cement is still wet. But sometimes that ain’t possible. So, we gotta find ways to deal with that thick concrete and mortar that’s dried up.
Now, safety first, mate. Gotta take precautions when you’re cleaning up. Put on your Personal Protective Equipment, or PPE, like safety goggles. And if you’re dealing with acids or dissolving agents, make sure to wear gloves. Nitrile ones are your best bet, sturdy and flexible.
Let’s start with the physical route, mate. Knocking off clumps of congealed cement works a treat for tools. But what about the big equipment and vehicles? Gotta take care with that wire brush, mate. It can damage surfaces, especially if you’re scrubbing away hardened concrete from something that’s prone to scratches, like glass or paint, for instance.
Now, pressure washing might be a bit over the top, ya know?
I remember reading on a forum about this mason who used to rub off his dirty trowels in sand throughout the day. Seemed like a good idea, until he noticed that feral cats were treating his pile as one big litter box. Yeah, not the most sanitary option, mate.
Now, let’s talk about chemicals. There are several household acids that can do the job, like hydrochloric acid (also known as muriatic acid) and vinegar. But you gotta be careful, mate. Sometimes you need high concentrations of these acids to dissolve the concrete and mortar. And watch out for that muriatic acid, mate. It often contains metal contaminants and is bloody potent. Gotta dilute it, no two ways about it.
And here’s a tip for ya: Always add the acid to a bucket of water, not the other way around. You don’t want the chemical to get tainted, mate. And more importantly, you don’t want it splashing up and hurting you or anyone or anything else.
Once you’re satisfied, rinse off with plenty of water and be prepared to touch up the area. Using homemade mixtures like these can often leave you with spotty-looking results, but hey, it gets the job done. Kinda.
But you know what, mate? These days there are better solutions out there, safer and more effective. Different cleaning agents for different problems and factors. You gotta identify the problem first, and then choose the best method to clean it up. Sometimes it’s smarter to go for a manufactured product that’s been tested and proven, rather than settling for some cheap homemade measure.
Now, let me tell ya, all cleaning comes down to a few simple actions, according to the cleaning guru Don Aslett. You gotta eliminate the loose debris, saturate the soiled spot with your cleaning product, dissolve whatever needs dissolving, and remove what’s left.
And that’s where concrete dissolver comes in, mate. It’s a bloody handy solution for breaking down any Portland cement product. Here’s a rundown of the process using concrete dissolver in four steps:
1. Wipe off as much loose material as possible. No need to go crazy, just get rid of the big chunks.
2. Cover the soiled area with diluted concrete dissolver. You can spray it on or use a nylon brush. Some of these dissolvers foam up on the spot, so they don’t run off.
3. Let the compound sit for a while, say 15 to 20 minutes. Give it time to work its magic and break up that cement bond. But don’t let it dry up, mate. Keep it wet if you want it to do its job properly. If needed, reapply the solution.
4. Rinse off the pasty residue and make sure it’s all gone. It might leave the area looking a bit patchy, but hey, it gets the job done. And don’t forget to touch up the area if necessary.
Now, let me share a couple of real-life examples with you, mate.
First, we got the wet saw. We rent this bad boy out to customers for cutting tiles and whatnot. And let me tell ya, when it comes back, it’s covered in dried up plaster dust and splatters all over the bloody place. So, what do we do? We grab our trusty concrete dissolver, already diluted and ready to go. We give the whole unit a good spray, making sure to cover every nook and cranny. Then we let it sit there for as long as possible, without letting it dry out. The foaming action seems to help it penetrate and break up the hardened material. Once everything’s turned to mush, we rinse it off with a good blast of water from the garden hose. Gotta make sure all that residue is gone. And for a final clean, we grab a rag, spray some WD-40 on it, and wipe down the saw. We check all moving parts, like bolts and fittings, and lubricate them with 321 oil if needed. Then we put the wet saw kit away, ready for the next customer. Safety precautions are a must, of course. Gotta wear your PPE and never clean power tools when they’re still hooked up to electricity.
Next, we got the masonry trowel. Now, this is a messy tool, mate. Always covered in mortar or concrete at the end of the day. So, what do we do to clean it? First, we give it a good clank to knock off any loose pieces. Then, we chuck it in a plastic tub filled with diluted concrete dissolver. Leave it in there for about 30 minutes, let it do its thing. After that, we take it out and rinse off any remaining slop. And for a shiny finish, we wipe it down with WD-40 metal cleaner. Helps resist rust, ya know? For this job, we prefer to keep a larger container of concentrated concrete dissolver on hand. We dilute it ourselves, using a ratio of four parts water to one part dissolver. Works a treat, mate.
Now, let me tell ya a bit about concrete dissolver. It’s a bloody handy product, let me tell ya. It’s biodegradable, made from sugar cane. Comes in liquid form, and the color can vary depending on the manufacturer. But here’s the great thing, it’s less corrosive to metals like aluminum, copper, and stainless steel. No fumes, no odors. And it neutralizes with water, so it weakens its effectiveness. But here’s the kicker, mate, it’s safe on other areas like paint, plastic, and wood surfaces. But always ask an expert if you’re unsure, alright? It’s VOC compliant, meets all the regulations for volatile organic compounds. And you can get it in different sizes, from a little 22 fl. oz. bottle to a bloody 55-gallon drum.
So, there you have it, mate. The quandary of removing cement from masonry tools and equipment. It might be a right pain in the arse, but with the right approach and the help of concrete dissolver, you’ll keep your tools in top-notch condition. And that means you’ll be ready to tackle the next day’s graft without any bloody worries.
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