Charlevoix county herald., 1912-09-07
The Cost of Making Cement
Drain Tile
By II. II. Musselman

In the following figures which are
furnished for estimating the cost OF
making cement tile 1t must be kept In
mind that they will be affected by 10
cal conditions II almost every case.
kind of machine used, convenience
of arrangement for manufacturing.
and number TO be made, will all affect
this item. The factors which will af-
feet the cost to the greatest degree
are labor, and the cost Of sand laid
down at the place of manufacture.
The element of labor required Is
of this kind, since 1t Is assumed that
at certain seasons of the year 1t can
not be used for other purposes. This
should not be neglected because the
successful farmer endeavors to use
his time In such way as to give 1t
the highest worth. This will only
be possible when it is considered and
its real value becomes known.
In places where sand is difficult to
obtain or where clay tile is extensive
iy manufactured, the making of ce-
ment tile on the farm may not be adj
visable, but in sections where clay
tile are not easily obtained, and where
sand Is convenient. their cost will
usually be found less than for the
clay product
The following figures are based on
some rather short tests made by the
farm mechanics department of the
Michigan agricultural college. These
tile were made on a machine adapt
able to both hand and power operat-
ing. the mixing being done by hand.
Two men were required to operate
the machine to the best advantage.
On this machine from 40 Otto 800 tile
could be made per day of ten hours
by hand power, and from 500 TO $50
per day, using small gasoline engine
for power. Not more than one-half
to one horse power was required to
run the machine. In any case it would
be Of decided advantage to use power,
and II large number are to be made
a mixer could be devised which could
be operated by power, and thereby
materially reduce the work connected
with their manufacture. Making at
the rate given above the cement and
sand has to be mixed in comparative
ly small patches, since no more
should be mixed than can be used In
half hour.
All the figures given are for four
inch tile having nine-sixteenth-inch
wall. No data was obtained on other
sizes. The cost of the size given
should give a fair notion of the cost
of the other common sizes and fur
nish q basis Of comparison with 9TH
er kinds OF tile The proportions used
screened through three-eighths
inch screen.
Cost Of material and labor per thou
sand by hand power:
40 bbl cement q S1.5o...-..............sa45
2.4S yds. sand "a t1.25.................,..s, o4
A days labor q sL5O...................6 $50
Total Observation-Disclosures. 6s
Cost OF material and labor per thou |
sand by engine power:
40 Dbl cement q si.5O..................s3O !
234 yds. sand s12..................... 293 |
2s days labor u sl.50...................b. 500 |
/ gal gasoline a. lie. ,................... .1b |
-
Total -.......................... .$f% |
The rate of making In the above |
figures Is computed at $50 per day by |
hand power and at 600 per day using |
an engine for power. 1t will be-s seen |
that the cost of making by engine |
power will run from one dollar and |
half to two dollars les per thousand
than by hand. 1t will also be noted |
that the items of cement and sand |
might each be lower in some locali- |
ties. In figures given by Hanson in |
Cement and Tile" the cost of four |
inch proportioned one to four Is es-
timated at from $12 to $15 per thou
sand. In most cases, however, ma |
chimes having a much larger capacity |
than the one for which nsures are
given above, were used.