Yes, hydraulic cement sets fast.

My previous business partner was always taking on weird jobs -- or at 
least, jobs that I thought were weird. There was a skyscraper Tishman 
was putting up in Manhattan. As I remember it was in the 40s. It had a 
sump pit, maybe 50' below grade, that had electrical conduits that were 
taking on water. Water was actively gushing between the conduit and the 
concrete of the hole that the conduit passed through. While they 
dewatered the pit it turned into my job to plug the active water flow. I 
would mix up balls of hydraulic cement in my hands mixed w/ the 
aforementioned Xypex than throw them into the hole then put my had over 
it to keep the mix in place. Eventually we did get it to stop. It was 
nuts, it was dirty, it was frantic. We had absolutely no business being 
there. That is how one becomes semi-expert in crap that they wish they 
had never ever heard of.

Then there was the time that the son-of-partner ordered hydraulic cement 
for the sidewalk mason to make repairs with. Boy, was Seamus surprised. 
You fill up a mixer with that stuff you might as well throw the mixer away.

][<
> We bought a small bucket of something called "hydraulic cement" the other
> day for a sewer line repair project my husband is attempting.  The guy said
> you have to work really fast with it as it sets up in about 5 minutes.  The
> damned stuff is expensive.  That's all I know about it.  Ruth

--
To terminate puerile preservation prattling among pals and the
uncoffee-ed, or to change your settings, go to:
<http://listserv.icors.org/archives/bullamanka-pinheads.html>