Jitterbug

Used when pouring concrete. It is used to push the gravel in the concrete down in order to prevent the gravel from interfering in the finishing process. The concrete finisher will move the jitterbug up and down as he walks slowly backwards. The jitterbug has numerous holes across the bottom plate. These holes allow the cream of the concrete to come up through the holes and at the same time push the gravel further down into the foundation. This process takes place right before the use of the bull float to smooth the top of the freshly poured concrete. Because the gravel has been pushed further down, the bull float will produce a smoother finish. Today it seems like many of the concrete finishers have gotten away from using a jitterbug.