How Much Quikrete to Fill a 5 Gallon Bucket

Hyett Bropper · Friday, 26 November 2021

06-22-2011,10:31 AM #1

Senior Member

Quickrete question and 5 gallon bucket

I bought a bag of Quickrete that says it's 60 lbs. Basically I am going to put it in a 5 gallon bucket but I only need the total mixed weight to be about 50 - 60 lbs and hopefully only fill the bucket about 2/3 full.
Does anyone know how many pounds of mixed cement a 60lb bag will produce?

Does anyone know if a 60 lbs bag will fit in a 5 gallon bucket or will it not fill the entire bucket?

Will Quickrete expand any as it dries or shrink?

Thanks,
06-22-2011,11:13 AM #2

Senior Member

Not sure I can "Scientifically" answer your question but if it weighs 60 lbs dry then when the water evaporates out of it (it sets) then it will theoretically weigh the same (+ the bucket) unless you add aggregate (rock) It does not expand when it sets.
I do not think you will get it to fit into 2/3 of a 5 gallon bucket. You will most likely have a bit left from a 5 gallon bucket.
06-22-2011,11:18 AM #3

Site Admin & **Team Gunsnet Silver 12/2012**

A 5 gallon bucket holds .668 cubic feet. A 60# bag of Redicrete will yield .45 cubic feet which leaves .218 cubic feet of the bucket empty or about 1/3.

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06-22-2011,11:20 AM #4

Senior Member

Originally Posted by jojo

Not sure I can "Scientifically" answer your question but if it weighs 60 lbs dry then when the water evaporates out of it (it sets) then it will theoretically weigh the same (+ the bucket) unless you add aggregate (rock) It does not expand when it sets.

I do not think you will get it to fit into 2/3 of a 5 gallon bucket. You will most likely have a bit left from a 5 gallon bucket.

That's what I was thinking, I don't think it takes a lot of water anyways.
I looked it up before and from what I could tell a gallon of cement is 17 - 20 pounds but it depends on the type you use. I guess I can just fill it up 2/3 and weigh it and see if that will do it or not.

Does anyone have a suggestion on something cheap and denser than cement I could add to the bottom to give it more weigh for the mass in case 2/3 of a bucket doesn't weigh enough?
06-22-2011,11:21 AM #5

Senior Member

Originally Posted by Richard Simmons

A 5 gallon bucket holds .668 cubic feet. A 60# bag of Redicrete will yield .45 cubic feet which leaves .218 cubic feet of the bucket empty or about 1/3.

Aha, that will work fine then. I'll have to mix it up with a scale nearby to make sure the weight it right. Really as long as it is over 45 pounds it should be OK.
06-22-2011,11:40 AM #6

Site Admin & **Team Gunsnet Silver 12/2012**

Originally Posted by Cypher

Aha, that will work fine then. I'll have to mix it up with a scale nearby to make sure the weight it right. Really as long as it is over 45 pounds it should be OK.

How much does the body weigh?

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06-22-2011,12:10 PM #7

Conributor 09/13

Originally Posted by Richard Simmons

How much does the body weigh?

That was my question.
Ask a mafia member how much it'll weigh.
They are pros.

There's no problem an AK can't solve...........

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06-22-2011,01:08 PM #8

Site Admin & **Team Gunsnet Silver 12/2012**

Originally Posted by slamfire51

That was my question.
Ask a mafia member how much it'll weigh.
They are pros.

You may be right. With 1/3 of a bucket let that's just enough room for a size 10 shoe and an ankle with no spillage. Hope he uses two buckets. Even dead I'd hate to do hit the water with 60 lbs on one foot and the other flopping around next to my ear.

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USN 1978-86
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�" We sleep safe in our beds because rough men stand ready in the night to visit violence on those who would do us harm. " George Orwell
06-22-2011,01:43 PM #9

Senior Member

Originally Posted by Richard Simmons

You may be right. With 1/3 of a bucket let that's just enough room for a size 10 shoe and an ankle with no spillage. Hope he uses two buckets. Even dead I'd hate to do hit the water with 60 lbs on one foot and the other flopping around next to my ear.

Easy solution, put him in head first
06-22-2011,01:58 PM #10

Senior Member

LOL, ouch what a way to go.
06-22-2011,02:10 PM #11

Senior Member

Originally Posted by Cypher

LOL, ouch what a way to go.

Probably beats desperatly trying to swim to the surface with one leg in 60 pounds of cement and the other in your ear.
Seriously, kinda curious here..what's with the bucket?
06-22-2011,03:03 PM #12

Team GunsNet Platinum 02/2015

Don't fill the bucket more than halfway, you'll have a tough time getting it mixed right.
06-22-2011,09:36 PM #13

Guns Network Lifetime Member #2

Use a wheel barrow and a hoe.
06-22-2011,10:07 PM #14

Senior Member

Originally Posted by 1 Patriot-of-many

Use a wheel barrow and a hoe.

To do the whole bag at once.
You could burn up a hammer drill if you did the whole bag.
to add weight.
Rocks,steel,maybe get a couple cheap weights from walmart or check a thrift store..
Just remember that the boby will decompose and could resurface at that time.
maybe 12 hungry pigs would work out better?
You would only have the skull and jawbone to deal with when the pigs were done....
A little cement and your ready for some deep sea fishing.
06-22-2011,10:30 PM #15

Senior Member

Originally Posted by Kadmos

Probably beats desperatly trying to swim to the surface with one leg in 60 pounds of cement and the other in your ear.

Seriously, kinda curious here..what's with the bucket?

After hiberanating a few years I'm getting back to my Martial Arts roots so I am installing several pieces of equipment in the garage like a heavy bag, speed bag, and double end bag for the time being. The weight is going to be used for the double end bag and the heavy bag to keep it stable. Everlast sells a bag you fill with water for the DEB and HB but I don't like the idea of a water filled bag sitting around just waiting to get punctured so I figured for just a few dollars I can rig up a much nicer longer lasting cement bucket that will work better anyways.
The fun part will be installing the speed bag without using a wall mount

Originally Posted by davepool

Don't fill the bucket more than halfway, you'll have a tough time getting it mixed right.

Yeah, I'll just do a little bit at a time to make sure it mixes well.