To make homemade blocks, you only need a few molds for casting them, as well as cement, sand and filler - slag or broken brick. Other types of fillers (gravel or crushed stone) will make the block very heavy, and in addition, a wall made of such material will heat up faster in the summer and cool down in the winter. If you use expanded clay as a filler, then, although it has almost the same thermal insulation properties as broken brick and slag, it will cost several times more.
Molds for the production of building concrete blocks
For self-made building blocks at home, you will need special metal or wooden forms, inner dimensions which are different: 150 X 150 x 300 mm, 175 x 175 X 350 mm or 200 x 200 x 400 mm. With small blocks it is more convenient to carry out masonry, and with large blocks construction is carried out faster.
To make a collapsible metal mold for one block, you will need four rectangular iron plates 3-4 mm thick (the height, width and length of the plates will depend on the selected mold size). Fastening grooves must be cut on the sides of the plates, and handles must be welded to the end parts of the mold. For a four-block mold, you will need to make two rectangular plates and five smaller plates to separate future blocks in the mold.
To make concrete blocks with your own hands, you need to compact and create bubbles in them; for this purpose, you need to make a special device. It will require one rectangular iron plate (according to the size of the mold), a small piece of rolled wire with a cross-section of 10 mm and three pieces of pipe with a diameter of 50 mm and a length of 150 mm. At one end of each pipe you need to cut four triangular “teeth” to a depth of 50 mm. Then these teeth must be connected to each other to form a cone. The seams between the teeth must be carefully welded. Then you need to weld a wire rod handle to one of the planes of the plate, and to the other - cutting pipes with a blunt end.
Wooden collapsible form 
Wooden collapsible form
To make a wooden collapsible form, you will need four cuttings of boards 35-50 mm thick (the dimensions will depend on the size of the chosen form). Of course, wood is a weaker material for forming, so you need high-quality and strong boards. All joints in the wooden form must be secured using tightening screws. Otherwise the design wooden form the same as metal. Handles for the mold can be made from wire rod with a cross-section of 10 mm, flattening its ends and drilling holes with a diameter of 6-8 mm in them.
To make building blocks with your own hands, you need to make a solution of cement, sand and aggregate (slag or broken bricks) in a ratio of 1:4:6. When adding filler to the solution, you need to ensure that it is viscous and sticky, but not liquid or crumbly. Next, the solution is poured into molds in which, in hot weather, it will harden within 2 hours, and will acquire its final strength in 1-1.5 days. In cool weather (+7 ... +18 C), the time of hardening and complete drying increases by 3-5 times, and at temperatures below +7 ° C and during precipitation, it is not recommended to make blocks at all.
If slag is used for mortar along with cement, you can completely abandon sand, and then the ratio of cement to slag should be 1: 6 or even 1: 8.
Before pouring the solution into the mold, all its parts, regardless of the material of manufacture, must be moistened with water. Should work on flat surface and fill the mold with the solution to 2/3 or 3/4 of the volume (the exact amount is determined experimentally after using a device for making voids).
After the block has completely hardened, it must be freed from parts of the mold. The raw block must be left until completely dry, and the mold parts must be filled with water.
You can make blocks directly at the construction site, i.e., fill on site. In this case, the dimensions of the pouring mold can be increased to 330 x 300 x 600 mm. This will further speed up the construction process.
Consistency cement mortar and the filling method are the same as in the previous case. Can be cooked in working structure several forms (3-4 forms are enough), and then the laying will go even faster.
To cement mixture does not stick to the walls of the mold; before pouring, its internal cavity must be generously moistened with water or lubricated with used machine oil. After the mixture has set, the mold plates are peeled off from the walls of the block. In the process of erecting walls, it is necessary to verify the horizontality and verticality of the rows. In general, the laying of corners and the band between blocks are fully consistent with the methods brickwork half a brick.
Adobe - a mixture of clay and straw, for making homemade blocks
The cheapest building material for making concrete blocks yourself at home is adobe - a mixture of clay and straw. Cheapness is not the only advantage of adobe - it is a durable material, with high thermal insulation properties, and easy to “produce.” Collapsible metal or wooden molds are also used to make adobe blocks. Better to make blocks small size, maximum 150 x 150 x 300 mm, since larger blocks are heavy and inconvenient to work with and, moreover, voids cannot be made in them.
On a note!
The disadvantage of adobe is its instability to moisture. Before erecting adobe walls, it is necessary to ensure reliable waterproofing foundation, and finished walls require plastering with cement-sand mortar, covering with any available polymer or metal mesh and finishing.
Homemade concrete blocks for construction
The order of work during the construction and production of concrete blocks is standard: first you need to choose a place, then make a foundation - here you need to build a slab foundation, you can use foundation slabs, install communications, build walls, build a roof, install windows and doors and perform facing work and interior decoration summer kitchen.
The walls are laid out in half a brick; for a summer kitchen, the thickness of the wall can be one brick - and that will be enough. As you lay, it is necessary to align the walls vertically and horizontally, using a plumb line and a cord stretched horizontally from one corner of the house to the other.
Home production of building blocks allows you to reduce the cost of laying openings with the subsequent installation of windows and doors. During construction, door and window openings must be made in the building box. The location of windows and doors should be determined at the planning stage. During the process of laying walls, you can leave openings of the required width in the places where doors and windows are installed, and also insert wooden plugs, to which the subframe boxes will then be attached. Wooden plugs must be inserted in the second row relative to the bottom of the box and in the penultimate row relative to its top. At the top level of the box, a reinforced lintel with a thickness of 120 mm or a beam with a thickness of 70 mm should be installed. The ends of the lintel must be placed 20 cm on the walls. If the planes of the next row of masonry and the upper part of the frame are at different levels, you will need to bring them to the desired height using parts of the blocks and mortar, or assemble the formwork, tie the reinforcement and fill it with cement mortar.
After the walls are erected, boxes should be installed in the spaces allocated for windows and doors, having previously wedged the corners. Next, you need to align them horizontally and vertically, and only after that you can attach the side parts of the box to the wooden plugs using nails or screws. The remaining space between the walls, foundation, lintel and frame must be filled around the perimeter with acrylic foam.
The second method of installing door and window openings- this is when door and window frames are installed in the right places and then covered with blocks. Typically, this method is used for decorative masonry, when further wall decoration is not provided.
In this case, to prevent the door frame from moving during the laying process, you need to clamp it on both sides with blocks while laying the first row, having previously inserted supports into the corners. After the second row, you need to align the box vertically and horizontally, fix it with nails or screws on the sides to the wall. It is also necessary to leave an outlet of 10 cm. Then you need to apply a solution to the outlets and clamp them with the block of the next row, once again making sure that the box is level. The same must be done in the upper part of the door frame, as well as on the fourth and sixth rows with the window frame. The jumpers are installed here in the same way as in the first method.
In our fast-paced times, new products are appearing on the building materials market, succeeding in many respects of their predecessors. Interesting fact is that some building materials can be made at home. The Russian people, not spoiled by money and the benefits of civilization, can come up with a lot in order to save money and realize themselves.
Handmade production of block building materials
A clear confirmation of this is the hand-made block machine. It will be needed by amateurs who can build a shed, bathhouse, garage, and even a residential building themselves, from their own foam blocks, gas blocks, ceramic blocks, cinder blocks, sawdust-concrete (arbolite) and other blocks with different fillers. Knowing the proportion components, experimenting with the incoming ingredients, you can make a block one with it construction material personally for the construction of any premises and even for laying the foundation.
Different number of cells in the form
Depending on the scale of production and capabilities, they make molds for blocks with their own hands, designed for 1-2 products, 6-8 products, 10-14 pieces, 21-30 pieces. etc. (photo 1). They are designed for the production of solid blocks and products with voids various shapes. By changing the dimensions of the matrix, it is possible to produce blocks suitable for walls and foundations. Therefore, the sizes of blocks and their number may be different (f.2). For ease of removal of the finished product, a collapsible design should be provided. The material for making molds can be metal, waterproof plywood, or wood. Forms are a kind of removable formwork that allows you to produce high-quality building material with the desired specified characteristics.
Photo 1 - Forms for blocks of various sizes 
Photo 2 - Building hollow blocks 
Photo 3 - Wall blanks for molds 
Photo 4 - Cylinders for filling voids
Stages of making molds for blocks with your own hands
To make metal matrices, you will need 3 mm sheet steel and a 8 mm metal pipe to form voids, as well as a grinder, welding machine, other working tools.
- Blanks for the walls are being prepared. They can be cut at home with a grinder 450x210 and 220x210 in 2 zigs. The bottom of the mold should have a side 3-3.5 cm high and a handle. Notches are made on the walls (f.3).
- For making voids Cylinders will be required (photo 4). To do this, the required number of blanks is cut from the pipe at the rate of 3 units. for 1 block. The height should be a few mm less than the height of the walls. To give the pipe blank a conical shape, on one side you need to cut the pipe halfway and clamp it in a vice. Each pipe blank must be welded on both sides, resulting in hollow plugged cylinders (fillers). They are welded to the bar, then inserted into the mold and the bar is welded to the walls of the mold (f. 5).
- Weld all seams needed outside.
- From a thick-walled plate make a press with holes with a diameter exceeding the diameter of hollow cylinders. The press should enter the matrix approximately 50 mm. Handles are welded to the press (photo 6).
Do-it-yourself ready-made forms for blocks do not require large expenses. People who do not have special qualifications can work with them. The main thing is to do the correct kneading and compact the contents.
Photo 5 - Hollow cylinders are welded to the bar 
Photo 6 - Making a hand press 
Photo 7 - Drawing homemade machine with vibration motor 
Photo 8 - Step-by-step production of a do-it-yourself block machine
DIY block machines
In order to compact the mixture for block building materials well, you can use a vibrating table or make a block machine with your own hands with a vibrator attached to the side. Photo 7 shows a drawing of a vibration machine. The finished structure is equipped with handles that help remove the matrix without damaging the raw concrete workpiece. Wheels welded to the supporting frame create a moving device.
Photo 8 suggests step-by-step production equipment for one workpiece. It is similar to the production of molds without a motor. The attached vibrator makes work easier and makes the finished building material better. The use of machine tools for the production of building blocks is not at all difficult. But, when working with it, you should adhere to safety precautions.
The construction of a house from blocks is progressing faster than from bricks. You can buy them freely, but many make building blocks with your own hands.
Blocks in construction are used not only for building walls. The use of building blocks for the foundation also speeds it up. Of course, these blocks must be very dense: 1.5 tons per 1 cubic m. Making blocks with your own hands, if you look at it, is not such an extremely difficult matter.
Where to begin?
And the beginning of everything is making molds.
Forms
There are molds for building blocks with standard sizes on sale. And at home you can make building blocks in sizes that suit you. We take sheet metal, cut out the required shape from it and weld the shape. Molds are also made from wood; they are good for adobe blocks. There is no need for a bottom here. But the handles on the sides will come in handy, it’s more convenient to work with them.
Material for homemade building blocks
What's great about DIY building blocks is that they use material that you already have or can easily purchase.
Basically, blocks are made from cement with various fillers, but craftsmen, like manufacturers, sometimes do without it. Depending on the selected material, it is possible to produce homemade building blocks of the following types:
- slag concrete;
- blocks based on liquid glass;
- adobe;
- chip concrete or wood concrete.
How the filler is used:
- ash;
- slag;
- dropout;
- crushed stone;
- gypsum;
- perlite;
- expanded clay;
- sawdust;
- straw;
- broken bricks and more.
Blocks without cement
The production of building blocks using this technology is not available to everyone, because the mixture contains liquid glass. Unless you negotiate with the nearest concrete products plant and buy the main component there. The mixture will consist of:
- two dozen parts of river sand;
- one and a half dozen parts of liquid glass;
- 4 parts chalk;
- 3 parts slaked lime;
- 2 parts kaolin.
Manufacturing process
- First the sand is sifted;
- chalk is added;
- everything mixes well;
- slaked lime is introduced;
- kaolin or brick crushed to a powder state;
- liquid glass.
The starting raw material should be homogeneous and dough-like. Before pouring this dough-like mass, wet the inside of the molds. If you wish, you can add color to the building blocks. To do this add:
- chalk of any color;
- red brick ground into powder.
Fillers are added to such blocks: slag, expanded clay, shavings. Their strength is high - they are much stronger than cement ones.
Expanded clay concrete blocks
Expanded clay concrete blocks are one of the types of cinder blocks, where expanded clay serves as a filler.
Compound
- cement - 1 part;
- expanded clay - 5 parts;
- sand - 3 parts;
- water - about one part.
Technology
The technology for manufacturing expanded clay concrete building blocks is generally the same as any other:
- the starting material is placed in pre-lubricated molds;
- compacted;
- the form is removed after 10 minutes;
- the product remains in place;
- after 12 hours it is transferred to a place protected from precipitation and direct sunlight.
- in warm weather the blocks will become hard in a little less than a month.
If you plan to make thick walls (about 0.5 m), then blocks with voids are better. To do this, wooden inserts are inserted into the mold: round or square. And so that they can be easily removed, before inserting, wrap them in roofing iron.
Advantages
- light weight;
- frost resistance;
- breathability;
- moisture resistance;
- strength;
- low cost.
A house made from expanded clay concrete blocks is built faster than from brick; less mortar is needed for masonry.
Adobe blocks
Components
For this type of blocks the material, in literally, is under your feet. All you need is:
- clay;
- straw;
- river sand;
- water.
Features of selection
In order for the building blocks to have characteristics that meet all the requirements, you need to know something about the features of selecting components:
- It is better to prepare the clay in the fall, cover it with film and let it overwinter - this will improve its quality.
- First sift the sand, freeing it from impurities.
- Straw can be taken from the field where wheat, rye or barley has just been harvested. If the straw remains from the harvest of the previous year, then the quality will not be the same - after all, after lying there, it begins to rot.
How to determine the percentage of components
- clay - 1 cubic meter m;
- straw - 20 kg;
- sand - 25%.
In order not to spoil the entire batch of blocks, you need to make a small experimental batch. So we do this:
- we combine all the components in small quantities and write down the proportions;
- make a batch;
- form a ball;
- leave in the sun to dry for about 1 hour;
- we throw it on the ground at a height of one and a half meters.
If all components are selected in the required proportions, then the ball will remain intact. Did you add more sand than you should? It will collapse or crack. Is there enough sand? The ball will blur. This is how we practically select the most best option.
Preparation
To prepare the mixture for several dozen blocks at once, you need to make a hole in the ground: round with a diameter of about 2.5 m or rectangular 1.5x2.5 with a depth of half a meter. Line its bottom with polyethylene. Although some ready-made container will do: a trough or old bath. Then everything is done as it was done in the old days: we put on high rubber boots and walk, mixing everything until smooth.
Manufacturing
- While the batch is in the manufacturing stage, we are preparing a platform for the products: we select a flat, sunny place;
- We bring the mixture in buckets;
- fill out forms;
- compact;
- remove excess by running a board along the upper edges of the mold;
- remove the form.
The finished blocks should dry. This usually takes several days. It is important that they are not exposed to rain. Then they are transferred to a shelter and dried further. They will be completely ready in 10 days.
A house made of adobe blocks turns out to be very warm and comfortable. In addition, this building material is environmentally friendly, durable, and fireproof. It is used for buildings no higher than 2 floors.
Sawdust concrete blocks (arobolite)
The technology for making sawdust concrete blocks is similar to making adobe blocks, but the components do not need to be mined, but purchased.
Components
Before you start making, you need to purchase:
- cement - M300 or higher;
- sand - fraction no larger than 1.8 microns;
- not slaked lime;
- sawdust (coniferous wood).
Preparing the Components
- sift through sawdust;
- mix dry cement and sand;
- add lime here and mix again;
- add sawdust and repeat the mixing procedure;
- pour in water;
- In order for the components to adhere well to each other, add calcium chloride or alumina sulfate;
- we control the quality of the mixture.
To control quality, we roll the ball and squeeze it in our palms. If water flows, there is too much of it in the mixture; if the ball crumbles, there is too much sawdust or sand.
Let's start production
- Line the form with plastic wrap;
- add the mixture;
- we ram;
- Without removing from the mold, leave to harden for 5 days;
- remove from the mold and dry further.
The drying process will take a long time - from 1.5 to 3 months: it all depends on the mass of the block.
Equipment
If the construction is large-scale, then it may make sense to spend money on equipment for building blocks. For example: there is a mini-machine for sale for the production of wood concrete RPB-1500 BL. Its productivity is 1 sawdust block with dimensions 19 x 19 x 39 cm per minute. Issues Russian manufacturer— INTEK company.
Vibrating tables are widely used in the manufacture of building blocks. They solve the problem of compacting mixtures. The vibrating table consists of:
- movable table;
- engine;
- control panels;
- sometimes a transformer is included in the kit.
The compaction of the working mixture occurs under the influence of vibration created by a vibration motor.
Duty cycle
- place the mold on the movable table;
- place half or completely dry mixture into the mold;
- start the engine;
- drying.
How to choose?
There are 3 types of vibrating plates capable of compacting material by weight:
- up to 75 kg;
- from 75 to 160 kg;
- from 160 kg.
Based on these indicators, you should select the optimal vibrating table option for yourself.
Manufacturers
They are produced by:
- Russian company VPK;
- LLC "Stroymash";
- "Red Poppy" plant in Yaroslavl and others.
Vibrating tables are also supplied by foreign manufacturers:
- Spain - Enar and Hervisa;
- Germany - Wacker;
- Italy - Batmatic;
- France - Paclite.
Building blocks are a common material for constructing structures for various purposes. They differ in size, components, manufacturing method, but all are popular wall structural material. Building blocks are manufactured in industrial conditions, in household They also make concrete products and cinder blocks, which requires a DIY building block maker. Based on the material used, these products are divided into the following types:
- slag concrete;
- concrete;
- aerated concrete;
- fiber foam concrete;
- polystyrene concrete.
Cinder blocks as a building material
Cinder block is a standard concrete product, but instead of heavy gravel and crushed stone, aggregate in the form of waste slag is used. This replacement gives the material lightness compared to concrete and additional thermal insulation properties, since slag compares favorably with heavy and dense crushed stone in terms of thermal conductivity.
The production of cinder blocks requires precise dosage of components in the solution, namely:
- cement grade not lower than 400 or 500, take one part (bucket);
- quarry sand, mix 3 parts (buckets);
- slag, burnt out brick, expanded clay, this material is added in the amount of 5 parts (buckets);
- water.
To obtain cinder blocks of the same quality as in the factory, use a solution of medium viscous consistency. A liquid solution will reduce the strength of the blocks, and a thick solution will create uncontrollable voids inside when it hardens.
Concrete blocks
Building blocks made of cement, sand and crushed stone are used for the construction of wall and other structures if increased strength is required. The ratio of components for standard concrete is taken in the ratio 1: 3: 6, other options concrete mixture are described in the builder's handbooks and depend on the brand of cement used, the size of the aggregate and the type of sand.
Construction sawdust blocks
For the construction of residential buildings, dachas, cottages, light and warm wall material from sawdust, sand and water. The binding component in the solution is lime. The amount of material added to the solution changes the properties of the final product. An increase in sawdust mass leads to an increase thermal insulation properties, but contributes to a decrease in strength. With an increase in the amount of sand in the solution, the strength increases, while the frost resistance limit increases, which increases operational properties material. Blocks are widely used in private housing construction as cladding for insulating structures.
The main advantages of the blocks are the availability of materials and low price, long term use without destruction, environmental friendliness of the material, ease of production. The installation for the production of building blocks with your own hands is available in manufacture and is popular among home craftsmen. Sawdust concrete has an increased drying time, so several parts are made inside the product. through holes to improve air flow.
The dimensions of sawdust blocks are not strictly regulated; their width is taken as a multiple of the wall thickness. If we talk about standard sizes, then the blocks are made according to twice the thickness of the brick (140 mm - 65x2 + 10 cm). When making sawdust stones, the dry ingredients are first mixed, then water is added, and mortar mixers are used for the work.
Aerated concrete building blocks
Their preparation involves a complex process of saturating the solution with gases, which is difficult to reproduce at home. Aerated concrete building blocks are distinguished by their lightness, high noise-insulating and heat-insulating properties.
Fiber foam concrete products for masonry
Fiber foam concrete is inherently an environmentally friendly wall material containing sand, foam and cement. High-tech machines for building blocks spray foam into the mass of the solution, it forms uniform closed particles of space. To increase the strength of the blocks, manufacturers use polyamide fiber reinforcement throughout the entire mass. This wall material is very durable, does not rot, is lightweight and durable.
Their fiber foam concrete blocks are produced in various sizes. For load-bearing walls use 20x30x60 cm, which weighs 22 kg. To build a brick wall of the same size, you will need 18 stones, they will weigh 72 kg. Blocks of smaller thickness (10 cm) are used in the construction of walls inside a building, partitions, and they are used to insulate floors and walls. The thermal conductivity of fiber foam concrete is 2.7 times less than that of brick and 2 times less than that of slag concrete and shell rock.
Large block sizes reduce application cement-sand mortar for masonry 20 times compared to building a wall from small stones. Fiber foam concrete does not burn when exposed to high temperatures does not change shape and does not emit harmful impurities when heated.
Polystyrene concrete blocks
The material is classified as another type of light wall concrete blocks. It differs from standard concrete in better performance and reduced production costs. The innovative wall material surpasses all known lightweight concrete in weight, even foam concrete is one and a half times heavier. Thanks to this indicator, houses are built without the usual massive foundation, and the cost of transporting material is reduced.
The production of polystyrene foam blocks involves carefully combining cement, sand, polystyrene foam particles and special additives to retain air in the total mass. Other physical characteristics material puts it a step above conventional materials. Low water absorption and vapor permeability make expanded polystyrene concrete resistant to repeated freezing and thawing, which affects the durability of constructed structures. After the construction of the walls standard materials slight shrinkage occurs throughout the year. In the case of polystyrene foam blocks, they do not wait this long.
Installation for the production of building blocks with your own hands
For the manufacture of building structures A special device is used that operates on the principle of a vibration processor.
Such a vibrating machine or vibrating table is designed independently. A self-made installation for the production of building blocks significantly reduces the cost of the blocks and, accordingly, the walls of the house.
Preparation of the solution
The solution is prepared from sand, cement, water and filler, which is used as various materials, as written above. To check the consistency of the solution for fluidity, throw a small amount onto the ground. A high-quality mixture does not spread in watery streams; when clenched in a fist, it sticks together into a lump.
The production of cinder blocks involves thorough cleaning of the slag from foreign debris; chips and unburned parts of coal are not allowed to get into the solution. Sometimes gypsum is added to the solution. In this case, three parts of slag and one part of gypsum are mixed, and water is introduced at the same time. This solution is quick to use as the plaster hardens in minutes. The slag is pre-soaked with water before mixing. To improve the quality of output products, modern plasticizer additives are added to the solution. Their action increases the frost resistance, water resistance and mechanical strength of the blocks.
Depending on the purpose, two types of concrete blocks are made - solid and hollow. The first ones are used for construction durable structures, load-bearing walls, foundations. The second type of blocks is used as partition material; it insulates well from cold and extraneous sounds.
Making concrete blocks without a vibrating table
Of the two technologies, the use of a wooden form, which is designed to allow the solution to flow naturally without vibration, is in undiminished demand. Placing the solution into the prepared form is carried out in several stages. First, the container is filled with a third of the solution, after which the walls of the mold are carefully tapped with a hammer around the perimeter for high-quality shrinkage. concrete mortar. In the next two stages, the solution is added according to the original technology until the mold is filled. The production of building blocks with voids involves inserting two plastic bottles with water, which remove it after setting.
The forms are left to dry for 2-5 days. Then the blocks are carefully removed from the collapsible structure and laid out on pallets until completely dry. With this method of production there is no need to purchase.
The following tools and equipment will be needed: a sieve for sifting sand, molds for mortar, a trough for mixing or a concrete mixer, a hammer for tapping, a bucket, a shovel, a trowel, and drying trays.
Method for making blocks using a vibration machine
To do this, purchase or make your own vibrating machine for cinder blocks. A special metal form is installed on the plane of the machine, and a concrete mixture with slag filler is poured into it to one third. After this, a vibrating table is connected to the action for up to 20 seconds, which allows you to remove all unnecessary air bubbles from the solution, and the cement will receive good shrinkage. The solution is poured into the mold three times. The blocks are removed from the mold in the same way as with the vibration-free manufacturing method.
The cinder block does not tolerate drying out in hot weather in the open rays of the sun, so on hot days it is sprayed with water and covered with oilcloth or cellophane so that the moisture does not evaporate so actively. Formed, completely dried concrete blocks gain 100% strength on the 28th day, and after that they are ready for use in construction.
Features of making cinder blocks
The molds are made independently, using metal or wood; the width of the boards is at least 190-200 mm. They are connected into a prefabricated structure, the side parts of which are detached for removal finished block. IN general design no more than 6 cells are combined to lay concrete. The finished structure is installed on a dense, waterproof material, such as oilcloth, forming the bottom of the mold.
If wood is chosen as the material for the mold, it is pre-treated with impregnations or primers to increase moisture resistance. The molds are made from dry wood. These conditions are met, otherwise during the work the wood will move away from the water and the geometric size of the block will change. The standard dimensions of stones are 400x200x200 mm, but each private manufacturer makes blocks for their own construction.
For metal matrices, sheets with a thickness of no more than 3-4 mm are taken. When welding a structure, all welds are made from the outside so as not to round the corners of the block. The voids inside the cinder block are made using segments metal pipes suitable diameter, for example 80 mm. The distance between the pipes and the distance from the walls are controlled, the composition is welded in strips for rigidity and fixation.
If equipment is being made for the production of building blocks, then when attaching the vibrator to the table, after tightening the nuts, they are still lightly welded. The motor must close protective casing from any material from splashes of solution, water, dust.
Technology for the production of sawdust concrete blocks
The available materials are not pre-processed, and you can buy them at any hardware store, therefore, the production of blocks from sand, lime and sawdust begins immediately after purchase. To mix the solution, use a concrete mixer or mortar mixer, since manually mixing wood waste is difficult.
Dry sawdust, passed through a coarse sieve, is mixed with sand and cement. Lime or prepared clay dough is added to the solution. The resulting mixture is mixed well and only then water is added, gradually pouring it in small portions. To determine the readiness of the solution, squeeze it in your hand, after which fingerprints should remain on the lump, which indicates the correct proportions.
Before filling the molds with the solution, they are lined with a thin layer of sawdust. Internal holes in the blocks are made using wooden plugs about 70-80 mm in size, which are installed in the matrix before pouring the solution. The material of the building blocks is placed tightly into the mold using a special tamper. The container is filled to the top and left to dry for three days. After this period, the solution gains about 40% of its required strength.
The molds are disassembled, and the blocks are dried for another four days, after which the strength becomes 70% of the required limit. Finished goods transferred to pallets and protected from direct sun rays. Drying of blocks is faster if you leave gaps between the products during storage. It is advisable to place the trays in a draft or use a fan for forced ventilation.
Sawdust concrete blocks gain 100% strength after drying for 3 months, but they can be used after a month of ventilation. At this time their strength is 90%.
Machines and equipment
To make the number of blocks required for construction, a ready-made vibroforming machine is purchased. The TL-105 brand has good performance. And although its power is only 0.55 kW, it produces about 150 concrete blocks with different aggregates per hour of operation. Its approximate cost on the market is approximately 42,800 rubles. Modern manufacturers of machine tools produce many types of machines for the production of blocks with additional functions. Prices for machines are different, and the cost of building blocks directly depends on this.
For small private construction, a 1IKS vibration machine is suitable; it costs about 17,000 rubles, the power is only 0.15 kW, such equipment produces 30 blocks per hour. When buying a machine, take into account the level of production of blocks for construction needs.
In conclusion, it should be noted that making building blocks with your own hands will greatly save money on the production of products. The cost price does not take into account the wages paid to the employee. Invoices and production costs, taxes and other deductions, therefore, making the building material cheaper than the house.
Making cinder blocks at home is a profitable business idea. By receiving free drawings, a description of the technology from us and with a little effort, you will receive quality equipment, guaranteeing regular income!
High-quality cinder block is a building material that is in demand always and everywhere. Due to the large weight and convenient size, it allows you to make masonry of structures of any complexity and height (from an ordinary extension to a house to industrial workshops).
Equipment for the production of cinder blocks at home
The presence of a vibrating machine will make the cinder block more dense and of higher quality, avoiding the formation of unnecessary voids. The vibrating machine will significantly increase the quantity of manufactured products. Now you don't have to wait for the concrete blocks to set completely before moving on to another batch.
Do-it-yourself vibration machine for the production of cinder blocks
The best option at home is a machine with 4 sections at once. In order to make such a machine, which allows you to produce about 100 cinder blocks per hour, you need to first download a 3D model of the machine:
- After taking measurements, cut out the parts for the future shape from sheet metal about 2 millimeters thick.
- Then the sheets are welded together in such a way as to obtain a shape without a bottom. The height of the mold is 50 millimeters higher than the height of a standard cinder block. This is done so that the solution can be added immediately, rather than adding it over and over again after shrinkage.
- Separately, we cut out pipes equal to the height of the resulting metal mold. They will form the necessary voids. Weld the holes at the ends according to the diameter, making the pipe “blind”. This will make it easier to remove the dried cinder block.
- The cylinders need to be connected to each other closer to the top, maintaining the required factory distance. They must be firmly welded to the lifting lid.
- We securely attach the vibration motor to the outside of the mold. It will ensure correct and rapid shrinkage of the solution. This is how the vibration casting process is carried out.
Looking at the 3D model cinder block machine you can easily figure out how it works and what the principle of its operation is. And the dimensions of the model allow you to easily make the same equipment with your own hands according to the sample.
The kit contains drawings of a machine for the production of cinder blocks with your own hands and diagrams of more simple models vibrating machines for cinder block production:
Note. 3D models are saved in file formats: *.sldasm (an extension of the SolidWorks 3D editor, also supports free eDrawings) and *.step (a standard for exchanging 3D graphics that is supported by most 3D editors, including free ones: FreeCAD, Blender, etc.).
Making cinder blocks at home
The cinder block is made in a special form by vibration shrinkage of concrete mixture poured inside. After the material hardens, the hollowness of the block is about 30%-40% (depending on the shape - round or square) of the total area. The resulting cavities not only save consumables during the production of cinder blocks, but also serve air cushions for sound insulation. They are also excellent for reinforcing masonry, which gives walls maximum stability.
During manufacturing, it should be taken into account that standard size one cinder block is 39 x 19 x 18.5 centimeters. This is a standard, a generally accepted value from which builders build when designing and performing calculations. Therefore, strictly adhere to the parameters during home production building blocks.
For the production of cinder blocks at own machine you will need:
- cement (M400, but better than M500);
- water;
- coal slag;
- gravel (about 10 millimeters in diameter);
- sand;
- plasticizer (strengthens and dries blocks much faster in 2-3 days);
- mesh seeder for cleaning sand from impurities;
- concrete mixer;
- shovel;
- pallets on which you will dry the building blocks.
Attention! When preparing a concrete mixture, you should always control the amount of water in the composition. If you exceed the water norm by 30%, the concrete product will be exactly 2 times weaker!!!
All components of the solution are taken in the following proportion: 7 parts of slag, 2 parts of sand and gravel, 1.5 parts of cement, 0.2% plasticizer and water. The mixture should be moist and crumbly (fundamentally different from bricklaying mortar). When squeezed tightly in your hand, it should hold together in a lump, and when it falls to the ground, it should crumble. During the vibration of the machine, the mixture is compacted and visually, as if it squeezes out water, turning into a liquid solution. This natural process vibration casting of concrete. If the resulting concrete is too liquid, then no vibration rack will help ensure the integrity and strength of the cinder block, which will not dry completely and will soon begin to fall apart.
Financial costs for the production of 1 m 3 (71 pieces) of cinder blocks at minimum cost product:
When producing durable cinder blocks (for load-bearing walls), a semi-dry mixture is prepared for thin-walled concrete products. In the article “production of paving slabs” you can get acquainted in detail with the process of preparing a high-quality and durable concrete mixture of thin-walled products.
Note. It is worth noting that the same technology is used to produce expanded clay concrete blocks. Only the composition and recipe for preparing concrete differs.
Profitability of cinder block production
So, the cost of one square meter steel sheet will be about $4.3. Buying a motor (you can use a used one to save money) will cost an average of $30. One meter of pipe with a diameter of about 15 mm costs $1.4. If you have no experience in welding metal structures and the necessary equipment, be prepared to pay another $100 to a specialist who has the necessary skills.
This means that a home vibrating machine will cost about $400. At the same time, the cost of materials for the solution, which is enough to make a daily norm of 100 cinder blocks, will be another $30. Be prepared to spend $700 per month on Consumables for preparing concrete, etc. As a result, to start your own business you will need $1200-1300.
How quickly will this money be recouped? The cost of one factory-made cinder block averages about $0.7-$0.85. At the same time, home-made products will be sold cheaper, i.e. about $0.5. We will take this amount as the basis for calculating profit.
If you produce 100 pieces of products per day, you can earn about $20. Income per month if there is established sales will be about $600. As you can see, you can not only recoup your investment, but also gain profit in a short time.
As you can see, having your own vibrating machine for vibrating casting building blocks can not only simplify and reduce the cost of your construction, but also give rise to a profitable business!
