Making blocks at home. Do-it-yourself concrete blocks at home. Let's start manufacturing

In our fast-paced time, more and more new products appear on the building materials market, succeeding in many respects of their predecessors. An 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 fulfill themselves.

Handmade production of block building materials

A clear confirmation of this is a do-it-yourself machine for blocks. It will be needed by amateurs who can build a barn, a bathhouse, a garage, and even a residential building themselves, from their foam blocks, gas blocks, ceramic blocks, cinder blocks, sawdust-concrete (arbolite) and other blocks with different fillers. Knowing the proportion of the constituent parts, experimenting on the incoming ingredients, it is possible to make a block 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 ed., 10-14 pcs., 21-30 pcs. and others (photo 1). They are designed for the manufacture of solid blocks and products with voids of various shapes. By changing the dimensions of the matrix, it is possible to produce blocks suitable for walls and for the foundation. Therefore, the sizes of blocks and their number can be different (f.2). For the convenience of extracting the finished product, a collapsible design should be provided. The material for making molds can be metal, waterproof plywood, wood. Forms are kind of removable formwork, which 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 - Blanks for walls for molds
Photo 4 - Cylinders for filling voids

Do-it-yourself steps for making molds for blocks

For the manufacture of metal matrices, you will need sheet steel b-3 mm and a metal pipe D 8 mm to form voids, as well as a grinder, a welding machine, and other working tools.

• Wall blanks are being prepared. They can be cut at home with a grinder 450x210 and 220x210, 2 zags each. The bottom of the form should have a side 3-3.5 cm high and a handle. Notches are made on the walls (f.3).
• For making voids cylinders are required (photo 4). For this, cut off from the pipe right amount blanks 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 the one hand, you need to cut the pipe to half and clamp it with a vice. Each pipe billet must be welded on both sides, resulting in hollow, muffled cylinders (aggregates). 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 thick plate making a press with holes with a diameter greater than the diameter of the hollow cylinders. The press should go into 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. They can work with people who do not have special qualifications. The main thing is to perform the correct batch 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 machine for blocks with your own hands

DIY block machines

In order to compact the mixture for block building materials well, you can use a vibrating table or make a do-it-yourself block machine with a vibrator attached to the sidewall. 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 base frame create a moving device.

Photo 8 offers a step-by-step production of equipment for one workpiece. It is similar to the production of molds without a motor. The attached vibrator facilitates the work and makes the finished building material of better quality. The use of machine tools for the manufacture of building blocks is quite simple. But, when working with it, you should follow safety precautions.

Cinder block is one of the most demanded materials today. It is used for the construction of objects for various purposes and of various sizes. It can be small outbuildings or industrial buildings.

For the manufacture of cinder blocks, a special device is used, the principle of which is to vibrocompress the concrete mixture. To significantly save on building material, you can make building blocks with your own hands. To do this, you need to purchase or independently design a vibropressing machine.

To start making concrete blocks with your own hands, you need to prepare all the tools and materials that you may need in the process. The standard size of the cinder block is 390x188x190 mm. The inside of the product remains hollow. Two or three holes act as a void, the shape and size of which directly depend on the configuration of the machine.

Thanks to such voids, the cinder block provides sufficient sound absorption and thermal insulation of the house. But, despite such a hollow construction, the material is very durable and will last for many years. Starting to manufacture, you can significantly save on building material.

Initially, concrete blocks were made from slag. In order to prepare the classic version of the cinder block, some proportions should be observed:

• 7 parts of coal slag from a blast furnace;
• 2 parts of expanded clay sand (it is better to give preference to a large fraction);
• 2 parts of gravel, the fraction must be at least 5 and not more than 215 mm;
• 1.5 parts of cement brand 500;
• 3 parts water.

Other materials can be used as a filler, just in classic version slag was used. Today it is difficult to get it, so brick waste, expanded clay, ash, gravel, screenings, crushed stone, gypsum or processed sawdust can be used instead. The amount of water may vary slightly depending on the filler. Its quantity must be adjusted during the preparation of the solution. The main thing is that it should not be too dry, but the spreading of the solution is also considered unacceptable.

In order to check the consistency of the solution, you need to throw a small amount on the ground. Smooth spreading of the mixture without water streaks is considered normal, and if the mixture is squeezed into a fist, it should stick together.

If do-it-yourself concrete blocks are made using slag, it is very important to control that there are no foreign objects. The slag must be cleaned from various chips, earth. It is unacceptable that unburned coal is included in the composition of the solution. In order to eliminate contamination, the material must be sifted through a sieve.

If gypsum is additionally added to the composition of the cinder block, then the proportion of materials will be slightly changed. Gypsum (1 part) is mixed with three parts of the slag mixture, water is added during mixing. Such a solution must be used immediately after preparation, since the gypsum will begin to dry quickly. It is recommended to soak the slag for some time in water before preparing such a solution.

The modern building materials market offers various additives which significantly improve the quality of the solution. A plasticizer can be added to the solution, about 5 g per cinder block is needed. Such additives increase frost resistance, water resistance and strength.

There are two types of concrete blocks. They can be hollow and solid. The first ones are much lighter, they are used for building walls, since they do not create too much load on the foundation, in addition, such blocks have good sound and heat insulation. Solid blocks are most often used for the construction of the foundation.

In order to make a cinder block, two technologies can be used. One is based on the use of a wooden form in which the concrete mortar dries. For the second method, you must purchase or make your own special machine.

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Manufacturing method using molds

Both wood and metal can be used as the material from which such molds are made. If wood is used to create the form, it must be very well dried. It should additionally be treated with a tool that will increase moisture resistance. Otherwise, after a short time, the forms may be deformed, which will affect the geometry of the concrete blocks. The inner size of the form should be 400x200x200 mm. But this is not a limitation, the form can have a variety of sizes.

This form consists of a bottom and side walls. To make the production process faster, it is recommended to make several molds. In order for all corners of the form to be well filled, the solution should be prepared more liquid. To make the blocks hollow using a mold at home, you can use empty glass bottles.

After the solution is poured into the mold, the bottles are lowered into the mixture with the neck, the surface is leveled and made required height concrete block. After 5-6 hours, the bottles should be removed and the blocks left to dry further. Drying of the blocks lasts at least a day, after which they can be removed from the molds and stacked. Before construction, such blocks must lie down for at least 1 month.

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Concrete blocks using vibrocompression machine

Using special equipment, concrete blocks are more durable and of high quality. Is it possible to make a vibropressing machine with your own hands? Quite.

Tools that are needed to create special equipment:

• grinder for cutting sheets;
• welding machine;
• meter and chalk (pencil) for basting;
• pliers;
• a hammer.

For the manufacture of matrices into which the concrete mixture will be poured, it is necessary to take sheet metal with a thickness of not more than 3 mm. The machine must be equipped with a 100 W motor, in addition, a load should be prepared that will create imbalance and vibration.

In order to make such a machine, it is necessary to use sheet steel. Workpieces are cut from it:

• 2 pieces measuring 400x250 mm;
• 2 pieces measuring 200x250 mm;
• visor 400x150 mm;
• ribs - 4 pieces measuring 40x40 mm;
• clamp size 39.5x19.5 mm.

After all the blanks are made, you can begin to assemble the main matrix. For this, parts with a size of 400x200 mm and 200x250 mm are used. It is very important that all welds are on the outside. Otherwise, the finished concrete blocks will have rounded corners. As a result, a matrix of 400x200x250 will be obtained. To make voids inside the cinder block, you need to use a pipe with a diameter of 80 mm. The length of the blanks should not exceed 250 mm.

After the main matrix is ​​ready, it is necessary to install pipe blanks inside it. It is very important to control their distance from each other and from the walls. All dimensions must be identical. In order to connect the pipes together and give them additional strength, prepared stiffening ribs measuring 40x40 mm should be used. This design is welded to the matrix.

The final stage includes the installation of the vibrator, it is attached to the longest side of the matrix. Bolts are used to secure it. After the bolts are tightened, they are welded for extra strength. To protect the motor from water and mortar contamination, a protective visor is welded on top. A leg is welded on the edge of the visor, which will give additional strength. For convenience, handles are welded to the matrices.

Building a house from blocks is moving faster than from bricks. You can buy them freely, but many make building blocks with their own hands.

Blocks in construction are used not only for the construction of walls. It also speeds up the use of building blocks for the foundation. Of course, these blocks must be very dense: 1.5 tons per 1 cubic meter. Making blocks with your own hands, if you look, is not such a super complicated matter.

Where to begin?

And the beginning of everything is the manufacture of forms.

Forms

On sale there are forms for building blocks with standard sizes. And at home you can make building blocks sizes that suit you. We take sheet metal, cut out the required shape of the workpiece from it and weld the shape. They also make molds from wood, they are good for adobe blocks. The bottom is not needed 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 makes DIY building blocks good is that they use material that you already have or you can easily purchase.

Basically, blocks are made on the basis of cement with different fillers, but craftsmen, like manufacturers, sometimes do without it. Depending on the material chosen, it is possible to manufacture home-made building blocks of the following types:

• cinder concrete;
• blocks based on liquid glass;
• adobe;
• chip concrete or arbolite.

How the filler is used:

• ash;
• slag;
• screenings;
• crushed stone;
• gypsum;
• perlite;
• expanded clay;
• sawdust;
• straw;
• broken brick and more.

Blocks without cement

The manufacture of building blocks using this technology is not available to everyone, because liquid glass is present in the mixture. Is it possible to negotiate with the nearest reinforced concrete plant and buy the main component there. The mix will be:

• two dozen parts of river sand;
• one and a half dozen parts of liquid glass;
• 4 parts of chalk;
• 3 parts of 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 state of powder;
• liquid glass.

The feedstock should be homogeneous, pasty. Before pouring this dough-like mass, moisten the molds from the inside. If you wish, you can add color to the building blocks. To do this, add:

• chalk of any color;
• powdered red brick.

Fillers are added to such blocks: slag, expanded clay, shavings. Their strength is high - they are much stronger than cement.

Expanded clay 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 manufacturing technology of expanded clay concrete building blocks is, in general, the same as any other:

• the starting material is placed in pre-lubricated molds;
• rammed;
• 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 after a little less than a month.

If you plan to make thick walls (about 0.5 m), then blocks are better with voids. To do this, inserts made of wood are inserted into the mold: round or square. And so that they can be taken out well, before inserting them, wrap them in roofing iron.

Advantages

• light weight;
• frost resistance;
• breathability;
• moisture resistance;
• strength;
• small cost.

A house made of expanded clay concrete blocks is built faster than a brick house, less mortar is needed for masonry.

adobe blocks

Components

For this type of block, the material is literally underfoot. All it takes is:

• clay;
• straw;
• river sand;
• water.

Selection features

In order for the characteristics of the building blocks to meet all the requirements, you need to know something about the features of the selection of components:

1. It is better to prepare clay in the fall, cover it with a film and let it winter - this will improve its quality.
2. Sand first sift, freeing from impurities.
3. Straw can be taken to the field where wheat, rye or barley have just been harvested. If the straw remains from the harvest of the past year, then the quality will not be the same - after all, after lying down, it begins to sing.

How to determine the percentage of components

• clay - 1 cu. 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 it like this:

• connecting all the components small quantities and write down the proportions;
• we 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 a meter and a half.

If all the components are matched in the right proportions, then the ball will remain intact. Added more sand than it should? It will break or crack. Not enough sand? The ball will float. So, in a practical way, we select the most best option.

Training

To prepare the mixture for several dozen blocks at once, you need to make a recess 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 the bottom with polyethylene. Although some kind of ready-made container is also suitable: a trough or old bath. Then everything is as it was done in the old days: we put on high boots made of rubber and walk, mixing everything until smooth.

Manufacturing

• While the batch is in the manufacturing stage, we are preparing a platform for products: we select a flat sunny place;
• we bring the mixture with buckets;
• filling out forms;
• we compact;
• we remove the excess by drawing a board along the upper edges of the form;
• remove the form.

Finished blocks should dry. This usually takes several days. It is important that they do not get rain. Then they are transferred to a shelter and dried again. Will be 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, fireproof. It is used for buildings no higher than 2 floors.

Sawdust concrete blocks (arobolit)

The technology for manufacturing blocks from sawdust concrete is similar to the manufacture of adobe blocks, but the components need not be mined, but purchased.

Components

Before you start manufacturing, you need to purchase:

• cement - M300 or higher;
• sand - a fraction no larger than 1.8 Mcr;
• not slaked lime;
• sawdust (coniferous wood).

Preparing the Components

• sift sawdust;
• mix dry cement and sand;
• lime here and mix again;
• add sawdust and repeat the mixing procedure;
• pour water;
• In order for the components to adhere well to each other, we add calcium chloride or alumina sulfate;
• we control the quality of the mixture.

For quality control, roll the ball and squeeze it in the palms. If water flows, then there is too much of it in the mixture, if the ball crumbles, there is a lot of sawdust or sand.

Let's start manufacturing

• We line the form with plastic wrap;
• lay the mixture;
• rammer;
• without removing from the mold, leave to harden for 5 days;
• take it out of the mold and dry it 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 to be large-scale, then it may make sense to invest in equipment for building blocks. For example: there is a mini-machine for the production of wood concrete RPB-1500 BL on sale. Its productivity is 1 sawdust block with dimensions of 19 x 19 x 39 cm per minute. Produced by a Russian manufacturer - the company INTEK.

Vibrating tables are widely used in the manufacture of building blocks. They allow you to solve the problem of ramming mixtures. The vibrating table consists of:

• movable table;
• engine;
• control panels;
• sometimes a transformer is included.

Compaction of the working mixture occurs under the influence of vibration created by the vibration motor.

Working cycle

• on the movable table we set the form;
• put in the mold half or completely dry mixture;
• 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 choose the best vibrating table for yourself.

Manufacturers

They are released by:

• Russian company VPK;
• Stroymash LLC;
• plant "Red Poppy" in Yaroslavl and others.

Vibrating tables are also supplied by foreign manufacturers:

• Spain - Enar and Hervisa;
• Germany - Wacker;
• Italy - Batmatic;
• France - Paclite.

You can significantly reduce the financial costs of housing construction if you make aerated concrete with your own hands at home. Aerated concrete products in construction are used very often.

Of these, it is easy to build a variety of buildings with great savings in mortar.

What is aerated concrete

Aerated concrete building blocks can be different size and forms. But their composition is almost always the same. Aerated concrete blocks with your own hands can be made from:

• high quality cement;
• lime;
• quartz sand;
• gypsum;
• aluminum powder;
• water.

The production technology of this material is quite simple. You can produce aerated concrete in the yard of your house or directly at the construction site. Finished blocks are parallelepipeds of porous concrete mass, which contains many small air pores. They are about 3 mm in size. Pores are formed due to the addition of aluminum paste or powder to the solution. Sometimes, in addition to the listed components, some other substances are added in very small quantities. They are needed to change some parameters of building materials.

According to the production method, aerated concrete can be made by autoclave and non-autoclave method. The first method is not suitable for home conditions. It requires expensive equipment. The non-autoclave method is simpler, it allows you to set up the production of aerated concrete with your own hands at home. In the manufacture, the reaction of water with aluminum powder is used, as a result of which a huge amount of carbon dioxide, which forms pores inside the blocks. The mass hardens after a while. This happens in natural conditions. The body of the block receives many pores from 1 to 3 mm in diameter.

Mini-plant for the production of non-autoclaved aerated concrete

The porous structure is the main advantage of the gas block. The pores make the material light, endow it with high thermal insulation properties. The density for aerated concrete is kept at the level of 300-1200 kg / m³. In order for the pores to hold firmly in the concrete, it must be placed in a strong form that sets the size of the future block. The mass hardens in 2 hours. After that, the blocks can be removed from the mold and laid out on racks for complete hardening. The final strength is formed only on the 28th day of natural drying of the blocks.

Making aerated concrete with your own hands

The production of aerated concrete at home requires some tools. It is necessary to prepare:

• grinder with a disk;
• wood saw;
• electric drill;
• plane;
• hacksaw for metal work;
• sharp knife;
• metalwork hammer;
• shovel for solution;
• mixer for mixing the mixture;
• ruler;
• building hair dryer;
• Master OK,
• steel string for cutting blocks;
• putty knife;
• scales;
• chisel and chisel;
• measuring bucket.

Using a measuring bucket and scales, the necessary components for the solution are measured. The production of gas blocks is carried out from the following components:

• Portland cement brand M400-M500 - 50-70%;
• sieved quartz sand— from 20 to 40%;
• lime as a plasticizer - 1-5%;
• powder or aluminum paste - 0.04-0.09%;
• water - 0.25-0.8%.

Collapsible metal mold lightweight concrete Removal of excess concrete mortar Blocks after demoulding

The mixture is thoroughly mixed and laid out in forms that are different. It can be quite a strong box. Its height is equal to the height of the blocks. The total volume is 4-9 gas blocks. Forms can be made of wood or metal. It is desirable to make the design collapsible. A more complex option is a box with cells, which can be made of wood 30-40 mm thick, or metal 4-6 mm. Internal partitions can be made of plywood. Its thickness should be 12-15 mm. Before pouring the solution, the surfaces from the inside must be lubricated with technical oil and the entire structure should be heated with a hair dryer to 40˚. The mixture is poured to the level of half the height of the box. The rest of the space will be filled with the expansion of the composition and the formation of pores.

The gas evolution reaction lasts 6-8 minutes. The solution first rises, then sits slightly. After shrinkage, the upper part can be cut off with a prepared string, the blocks can be removed from the mold. Cooling of blocks should occur in natural conditions. Fans are not recommended. Installation of the form is recommended on a flat horizontal surface. It is better to prepare several boxes at once in order to mix a significant amount of the solution. The working platform must be sheltered from wind and precipitation. Block sizes can be customized.

Conclusion on the topic

How to make gas blocks at home? Is such an option possible? What are they made of? After all, you need special equipment and equipment for the manufacture of aerated concrete at home. You can build the walls of houses at a much lower cost if you make gas blocks yourself. Only building materials of the autoclaved manufacturing method require special equipment. In this way, materials are made from concrete in production. At home, you can cook blocks only in a non-autoclave way. This requires high-quality Portland cement, sand with minimal clay impurities, lime, water, aluminum powder and some other substances to change the characteristics of the finished product.

The mixture is well mixed and poured into molds, which can also be made by hand. After 2 hours, the tops of the blocks are cut off with a metal string, the blocks themselves are removed and laid out for drying. Final drying lasts 4 weeks. By this time, the blocks acquire real strength. For the production of aerated concrete for 1 m³ of blocks, 90 kg of cement, 300 liters of water, 0.5 kg of aluminum powder, 35 kg of lime and 375 kg of sand are required. This is an approximate composition.

Aerated concrete blocks are a material for building walls. It is of high quality and durability. Widely used in low-rise construction. To build your own house, it is quite possible to make blocks with your own hands.

The modern building materials market offers a wide range of wall blocks. But not everyone knows that it is quite possible to reduce the cost of building a private house, cottage, garage or utility room. Instead of buying a brick or cinder block, it is enough to start making them yourself. To do this, you need to use a machine for the production of blocks, and if the budget does not allow, make a vibrocompression machine yourself.

Inexpensive factory models of vibrating machines do not have high performance, but this is not required for private use. True, buy a machine for construction small house, where about a thousand blocks of a standard size are required, it will not be entirely profitable. Therefore, as an option, you can consider renting equipment for a certain period. This will be enough for the procurement of building materials for the future.

Factory machine for making building blocks with your own hands

Varieties of building blocks

Brick is still the main material in the construction of high-rises, but for low-rise construction it is cheaper to use other building materials. If you exclude wood, which is now expensive, the choice will still be varied. Modern wall materials are made from:

• foam concrete;
• slag concrete;
• aerated concrete;
• expanded clay concrete.

Block characteristics comparison table

As a filler for cinder blocks, a variety of and sometimes exotic materials are used, which are waste products: screenings, glass and brick cullet, sawdust, wood chips.

First, let's consider how expanded clay blocks and cinder blocks are made independently, as the most budgetary among all the above building materials.

DIY claydite blocks

If there are no problems with expanded clay in your region, you can consider yourself lucky: expanded clay concrete, despite its cheapness, is rarely found on sale, but this building material is characterized by a whole range of positive properties. For the manufacture of expanded clay blocks you will need:

• actually expanded clay;
• cement;
• sand;
• water.

The main material for creating the mixture will be expanded clay of fine fraction

When mixing the solution, it is important to adhere to certain sequence: expanded clay is added to the water, then cement, and finally sand. The proportions of the solution are as follows: for nine liters of water, use 54 kg of expanded clay, 9 kg of cement and 27 kg of sand. You will get a mixture weighing about 100 kilograms, with the output of finished blocks in the amount of 9-10 pieces.

Manufacturing technology of expanded clay concrete blocks

If it is not possible to use a specialized machine (such equipment is not cheap), expanded clay concrete can be produced on a non-industrial scale using special matrices. You will also need an appropriate container for the solution, a flat platform and formwork made of wood or metal in the shape of the letter "E".

To reduce temporary losses and reduce labor costs will allow a concrete mixer - standard equipment in the builder's arsenal. With a shortage of time, the problem is solved by using a vibrating machine; a simple model of such a machine can be made independently.

To do this, it is enough to attach a low-power, but high-speed electric motor to the form, which is turned into a full-fledged vibrator with the help of an eccentric. Matrix oscillations force the mixture to be distributed in the form as densely and evenly as possible, improving the strength characteristics of finished products. Factory-made vibrating presses have maximum productivity: professional machines are equipped with additional equipment that allows you to automate the process, eliminating the difficult manual labor. But such vibropressing machines cost a lot.

Do-it-yourself cinder block production

Expanded clay is an excellent and inexpensive material for the manufacture of building blocks, but even more in an economical way construction is the use of cinder blocks. Possessing comparable characteristics in terms of sound and heat insulation, slag concrete is made from materials whose cost is an order of magnitude lower.

The industry is not interested in producing cinder block building material - it is more economically profitable to produce expensive analogues (building blocks made of foam concrete, aerated concrete, brick). But there is special equipment for the formation of cinder blocks on sale, and a lot. The range of prices for such vibrating machines is huge: from simple models with a static matrix, which can be assembled in garage conditions from improvised materials, to fully automated lines.

Cinder block: manufacturing technology

A modern cinder block has dimensions of 188x190x390 mm, a full-bodied building material is characterized by sufficient strength for arranging foundations and multi-storey construction, hollow ones are used in all other cases. The voids can be round, rectangular or square, the number varies from one to 8-10 voids, the voidness index lies in the range of 25-50%. Practically not inferior in terms of strength to monolithic products, hollow cinder blocks can save almost twice as much expensive cement.

For quick and high-quality mixing of the mixture, it is advisable to use a construction concrete mixer

The filler during production can be:

• coal slag;
• fine gravel;
• screening of crushed stone;
• sand;
• brick waste;
• glass battle;
• ash;
• perlite;
• gypsum;
• sawdust;
• wood chip.

When mixing the solution, the proportions will depend on the composition of the filler. The main condition is that the finished solution does not spread. Cement in the production of slag concrete is used grade not lower than M400, to improve operational properties finished product, plasticizers can be added to the solution.

DIY portable cinder block making machine

A reference point in the independent production of a solution for cinder blocks can be the factory recipe: for seven parts of blast-furnace slag - two parts of coarse sand, one and a half parts of cement and up to three parts of water. The way to check if the consistency of the solution meets the requirements is simple: we throw a handful on the ground, it should crumble. If you collect the solution and squeeze it in a fist, it should return to the shape of a ball.

It is not necessary to focus on standard dimensions: making blocks with your own hands is an individual process, and many prefer to set up production using multiple mold sizes (for example, 200x200x400 mm), which simplifies interfacing with other structural elements of buildings under construction.

Preparation of cinder blocks without special equipment

In the presence of free time and the inability to make the simplest vibrating machine for the production of cinder concrete, it is advisable to use a form, the walls and bottom of which are boards or sheet metal. It is preferable to use one matrix for the manufacture of several cinder blocks, at least in order to save materials. For the formation of voids in the form for pouring the solution, you can use bottles, scraps metal pipes, wooden cylinders or bars.

Manual machine for the manufacture of cinder blocks and expanded clay blocks at home

The procedure itself is simple: we prepare the solution, pour the cinder concrete into the molds, level it, removing the excess. After a day, the blocks can be carefully removed by laying them out to dry on a horizontal surface. To protect against cracking and wetting finished material during drying, cover the cinder block stacks with plastic wrap.

You can use homemade cinder blocks a month after they are made. This moment should be taken into account and deal with the manufacture of building materials in advance.

We make a vibropressing machine

Adding to the above production scheme, cinder concrete, vibrator, provides an opportunity to significantly improve the quality of products and at the same time speed up the process.

It is not difficult to assemble such a machine; subject to all recommendations, this equipment will work no worse than factory analogues. The simplest option vibropressing machine involves the use of a homemade matrix, a vibrator and a hand press. To reduce physical exertion, the manual press can be improved by using a lever system.

Drawing of a home-made machine with a vibration motor for the manufacture of cinder block and expanded clay blocks

A set of tools and materials necessary for the manufacture of a vibrating machine with a metal mold:

• welding machine;
• Bulgarian,
• keys set;
• vise;
• sheet metal with a thickness of at least 3 mm;
• pipes for creating voids with a diameter of 8-10 mm;
• channel, strips of metal;
• low-power electric motor (up to 1 kW);
• connecting elements (bolts, nuts, cotter pins).

The main element of the machine for making blocks with your own hands is a matrix, the dimensions and shape of which are selected based on production needs.

The sequence of actions in the manufacture of a homemade vibrating machine:

• We cut out the walls of the matrix with a grinder from sheet material. If the form is intended for the manufacture of several block products, we provide for the presence in the matrix of the corresponding number of partitions.
• We cut off the required number of blanks from the pipe (at the rate of 3 pieces per brick), the height of which should be 3-5 mm less than the height of the matrix. The taper of the pipes is achieved using the following technique: cut the pipe to half and compress the workpiece in a vice (for thick-walled pipes, you can use a lathe).

Drawing for the manufacture of a machine with lightweight extrusion of building blocks

• Each section of the pipe is welded tightly on both sides.
• We weld the plates to the pipes, connecting them together. For fastening to the walls, it is better to provide a removable connection, which will allow, if necessary, to remove the limiters for the production of monolithic cinder blocks.
• Using welding, we fix the bolts for mounting the electric motor on the long outer wall.
• We weld a metal apron on top of the mold.
• We make a press in the form of a thick-walled plate, we provide for the presence of holes with a diameter slightly larger than the smaller diameter of the restrictor pipes (so that the press enters the matrix at a distance of no more than 50 mm).
• We weld handles to the press.
• We install the motor. We weld an eccentric onto the motor shaft (ordinary bolts are suitable as a material for the eccentric, which are welded parallel to the shaft and leave room for tightening the nuts, which will allow you to adjust the amplitude of oscillations).
• Thoroughly clean the device, polish the surface, paint homemade unit for blocks.

We make cinder blocks

It is desirable to prepare the solution using a concrete mixer: the presence of coarse-grained fillers in the composition of the solution makes it difficult to obtain a high-quality mixture manually. Before pouring the cinder concrete into the matrix, the wall surfaces must be lubricated with machine oil or a similar product. This will prevent the solution from sticking to the walls of the matrix.

Pour the mixture into the mold, press down with a press and at the same time turn on the vibrator. After 10-20 seconds, the solution will thicken and shrink, so add the mixture to the matrix and repeat the procedure without turning off the vibrator until the pressure plate drops to the level of the limiters.

Depending on weather conditions, it is possible to get cinder blocks out of the mold both the next day and after three days. Next, the material is laid out for natural drying for a month.

As you can see, the main difficulty in the production of wall materials is to make a machine for cinder blocks with your own hands in compliance with the required precautions (cottering threaded connections, grounding the electrical part of the installation). Super-productivity should not be expected from such a unit, but some design improvement will facilitate the production of cinder blocks: a simple lever system can be provided for pressing down the press. By welding wheels to the carrier frame, you can get a mobile version of the device (the so-called "laying hen").

The purchase of factory machines equipped with additional equipment for automating the production of cinder concrete products will provide an opportunity to organize your own small business. On such professional equipment, it is possible to produce not only block products. Interchangeable molds will allow you to form paving slabs, borders, decorative elements- in fact, any analogues of concrete products.

Current employment: For the last 4 years he has been acting as an independent consultant in a number of construction companies.