Making shuttering pans

Davy

Member
Location
North NI
Has anyone had a go at making your own concrete pans? We've got a few projects in the pipeline and 4 or 6 pans would be useful. We have hired in the past, but it ties you to getting the job done ASAP rather than a more leisurely pace in between other jobs. Used pans seem to be a fair price. Thoughts or advice welcome.
 

Pan mixer

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Near Colchester
I made mine out of 60 x 40 x 3 box divided into 2 foot by 2 foot squares

8 feet by 4 feet panels x 4 and 5 feet by 4 feet panels x 2 so that I can do a 20 foot bay.

Faced them with 12mm marine ply (oiled evry time we use it). I don't fix the ply to the frames at all, the bolts keep them in place.

Bolt through walls with 16mm studding, use 25mm water pipe inside wall (which knock out after the wall has set)

I make walls about 4 feet high and then put another layer on top if I want a taller wall.

I would put in a picture but my computer has melted down last June and I have lost all of them, haven't had time to do a wall since.
 

MrA.G.

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Northern Ireland
Second hand pans do seem expensive and often look ok but are rotting from the inside out. Box section with steel plate welded as a pouring face can work well, and would reduce the need to change the shuttering plywood. I would say try and fabricate them to suit the standard clamps, beams etc. Also try and consider the size of pours you will be doing (8ft tank/ 12 ft silo/ 15ft shed wall infills) and make the pans a size to suit most jobs.
 

Davy

Member
Location
North NI
8'x12' will probably be the most universal size. Ideally a 8x16 would suit well for sheds and tanks but isn't much use for a silo wall.
 

Pan mixer

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Near Colchester
This is mine, only the 2 8 foot sections, the 5 foot ones are elsewhere and bolt to either end.

An example of an almost 8 foot high wall behind them and a 4 foot wall to the right waiting for the top bit to be added when we get a moment which hasn't happened since last February.

DSC_0016 (13).JPG
 

Hilly

Member
How
This is mine, only the 2 8 foot sections, the 5 foot ones are elsewhere and bolt to either end.

An example of an almost 8 foot high wall behind them and a 4 foot wall to the right waiting for the top bit to be added when we get a moment which hasn't happened since last February.

DSC_0016 (13).JPG
How thick do you make wall ?
 

David.

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
J11 M40
Anyone tried using a couple of concrete panels instead of those forms? Placed with smooth faces inwards and bolted through same as the pans? Line with ply or oil panels faces to stop concrete sticking...
 

Hilly

Member
depends on the circumstace - small sheds for pigs say, 7 inches. Cattle sheds 10 inches, muck and grain walls up to 14 inches - depending on girder thickness too.

Once the formers are there the extra concrete costs nothing much for a thicker wall.
Do they want to move up as co concrete goes in ? Have you a concrete poker ?
 

Pan mixer

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Near Colchester
Do they want to move up as co concrete goes in ? Have you a concrete poker ?
We unbolt them and move them up the next day. Concrete poker an essential part of wall making. I am on my second Belle elctric one with a 75mm head. Not cheap but brilliant for any concreting task, saves tamping in a floor for instance.

 

Hilly

Member
We unbolt them and move them up the next day. Concrete poker an essential part of wall making. I am on my second Belle elctric one with a 75mm head. Not cheap but brilliant for any concreting task, saves tamping in a floor for instance.

Do you put mesh in the walls ?
 

Pan mixer

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Near Colchester
I’ve never put mesh in for grainstore walls but usually 16 inch thick and grain 25ft deep
I am not sure that mesh is necessary but the rebar is to keep things square I reckon for the cost of it.

I haven't had one wall crack anywhere doing it like I do it. and I have done a couple of hundred around here at least, but I am no concrete engineer or scientist.
 

quattro

Member
Location
scotland
I’ve done all ours and been ok ,should have said I will take heavy duty wire rope through the shuttering from corner post to 2nd leg from it and tighten with a big turnbuckle to help stop pressure against back wall
also cut hole in legs and put a length of rebar through leg and bent back into shed
so when floor is concreted over rebar it ties it into the floor hope this makes sense
 

Will you help clear snow?

  • yes

    Votes: 70 32.0%
  • no

    Votes: 149 68.0%

The London Palladium event “BPR Seminar”

  • 14,432
  • 229
This is our next step following the London rally 🚜

BPR is not just a farming issue, it affects ALL business, it removes incentive to invest for growth

Join us @LondonPalladium on the 16th for beginning of UK business fight back👍

Back
Top