LATEX and Concrete for weight 2 cents please

[david doyle]

I am a couple days from casting up some concrete wheel weights for my GT. ( I could'nt let bart get to far ahead with his lead wieght project LOL)

Not wanting ugly grey wieghts on my pride and joy I did some research and found out that you can add latex paint to concrete as you mix it to dye it. I don't have access to proper dye/tinting so I am leaning toward this adding black latex paint method.

I am wondering if anyone has any experience with putting latex paint in concrete? All the internet experts claim it actually makes for a more resilian finished product but I trust MTF knowledge most!


I am also unsure of what type of concrete I should buy? Mortar mix, sand mix..... Any thoughts on what would be best? I have some wire mesh to imbed in it and have some plastic conduit to form the holes for the bolts. Thanks alot any advice would be appreciated.

[Sylvester Calzone]

hey DD.
never knew about that!
let use all know how it works out when your done, I think I will make some for my tractors if it works for you .
you doing wheel weights or off the back?

pics and instructions (tho seems easy if its just mixing)

cant wait for the results. someone post more knowledge

[david doyle]

Roger that Sylvester, I am doing wheel wieghts. I did some calculations on the wieght I can achieve if I fill the whole rim (based on 92 pounds per cubic foot) but last time I tried math on here I hurt myself LOL so I'll wait and wiegh them on a scale when they are done.
I want to boss her up for snow plowing. I will definetly post results.

I might cast a block onto an extra mule drive bracket I have as well to help with the steering while tilling.

I do have some experience mixing mortar mix to re point a stone foundation in that case less water is better and man is it alot of work with a shovel and bucket. Luckily my boy is at shovel age now!

[Chagrin]

You can buy an acrylic latex agent for stronger concrete, but I have never read anything about using paint. The latex helps the mix "wet out" easier so not as much water is required.

The difference between mortar mix and sand mix is that the sand in the mortar mix is "sharp" sand -- crushed from rock as opposed to harvested from a beach or such. The smoothness in the beach sand of the sand mix results in a weaker end product and is thus recommended for non-structural purposes.

[david doyle]

So I should go with mortar mix?

With regards to the paint, apparently it is the new way that municipalities are coping with latex paint in the waste stream and they have en gin er ing studies to prove/justify the use.

Anything that helps the mix wet out sounds good to me!

[Small Fry]

I used Concrete mix for my front weight. I think it was a little better mix then just the cheap stuff, 3500 ?

[david doyle]

Wow that is beautiful, IIRC I saw that on your sears tractor after you painted it. Seeing this pic is super inspiration. I will definetly upgrade to what ever the best stuff is that they have.
Thanks for posting that.

[Small Fry]

I never painted it...yet...In the photo it's still green. I'll have to look and see what it was I used, I still have some left I think. It has stones in it un like motar mix.

[Small Fry]

I have a piece of plate steel on the bottom also. You can see the edge of it in the photo, at the bottom of the weight.

Thanks and good luck

[Mouse]

I've made lots of weird stuff w/ concrete, if you want a smooth (like glass) finish, line your form W/ plastic. A good concrete for this is Rapid Set. Use the concrete, forget the mortar! The rocks help it stay together, VIBRATE to get rid of the honeycomb. If you use Rapid Set pour inside, let it set outside, keep it COLD this will prevent it from cracking. If you leave it inside, wrap it in ice. Hope this helps. A few years back I made concrete key chains, as a joke of course, I used candy dishes for molds, I had a tree, Santa, and Frosty, putting them in the cold made them look 100% better. I painted 1 Santa brown, everyone thought it was chocolate. Too funny to see people try to cut themselves a piece.

[eastonct124]

I used regular concrete for mine. <I think> mortar would be too brittle as it's more of a glue between blocks, than used as the block itself.
I'm not a mason, so I could be completely wrong....just a thought.
The problem I've found with my concrete wheel weights is:
I have 12x6 (or 7) rims. I only put 3/4 of a 80# bag in the mold for ea wheel...so I've got .....50-60# per. And they stick out 2" out of the rim.
( I painted them with yellow cement paint)
I will be doing lead when I find enough, and leave a big enough hole in the center for the billet dual wheel adapters.
Just my experience...

[Ken in NJ]

I would personally use concrete mix .. and would even buy the high strength stuff .. or just add a cup or two of straight Portland cement to the regular bag mix stuff .. that way it would be less prone to chipping

Mortar mix would not be good for what your looking to do ... its made for thin joints in brick or block

[Ken in NJ]

And make sure you either vibrate .. or tap the heck out of the mold .. to get as many air bubbles out as you can .. it will make the final product that much smoother

[david doyle]

Thanks alot guys

[P B G]

The latex makes sense to me, don't know the science behind it, but any of those underlayments for leveling concrete use some latex, and latex additives are commonly used with thinsets etc for this purpose.