Some time ago, cinder blocks could be produced only at industrial enterprises. Today, the development of technology has led to the fact that such raw materials can be created independently. Making cinder blocks with your own hands is quite simple.
Concrete Block Overview
Just start by saying that the size of this material is standardized. Dimensions are 188 x 190 x 390 mm. In addition, each block has openings, the number of which is most often equal to 3. In order to produce high-quality cinder blocks with your own hands, it is necessary to use cement no lower than the M400 brand. Blast furnace slag and coarse sand are also used . Quite often, various additives and plasticizers are used to improve performance.
For successful preparation of the material, two methods are used. Cooking takes place either manually or with the help of equipment with vibropressing function. It is worth noting that one bag of cement is enough to make about 36 cinder blocks with your own hands. In terms of material savings, the benefits are quite obvious.
Solution preparation
As for the composition, there is no specific recipe. Each master applies his composition. This mainly depends on the quality and properties of the slag, which is used as feedstock. There are certain general recommendations and standard factory formulations used in industrial plants.
The composition of the cinder block mixture in this case is as follows:
- 7 servings of slag;
- 2 parts of sand;
- 1.5 servings of cement;
- 1.5 to 3 servings of water.
Another little tip. Those dimensions of the material that were given earlier are factory. In private construction and production it is much more convenient if the final product will have dimensions of 400 x 200 x 200 mm.
If you return to the composition, you need to add that in addition to slag, you can also use ash, sawdust, gypsum, brick fight, etc. In addition, to increase such indicators of the cinder block, such as water resistance, frost resistance and strength, it is recommended to add special plasticizers for concrete. Only 5 g of this substance is enough for a whole concrete block.
As for determining the optimal amount of water for the solution, it should be such that after the end of the formation of the cinder block it does not spread. Defining a ratio is quite simple. A handful of ready and solidified solution is thrown to the ground or any other flat surface. If after the piece broke, it was possible to assemble it back with a simple squeeze of the hands, then the consistency was chosen correctly. If the solution spreads, then you need to reduce the amount of water.
Form preparation
If everything is already clear with what cinder block is made of, then a lot of attention should be paid to the preparation of the form. Without this element, it will not be possible to independently produce such raw materials. The dimensions of the form, as previously indicated for private construction, are 40 x 20 x 20 cm. If there is a need or desire, then the dimensions of the form can be adjusted independently. A mold for a cinder block with your own hands can be assembled from sheet metal or from boards. The construction of this part is the simplest - the walls and the bottom. Naturally, the height, length and distance between the walls will determine the dimensions for the finished product.
It is worth adding here that it is possible to make forms with cells for the simultaneous manufacture of several blocks at once. All that is needed is to increase the length and width of the faces of the form, and to establish partitions between them. Another important point is the voids that are in the cinder block. With your own hands it’s quite simple to create using ordinary glass bottles, and therefore it’s worth having them at hand.
Manual fill
In order to successfully prepare a concrete block, you must follow the simple instructions below.
Firstly, the solution is poured evenly into the mold to the very edges. Secondly, bottles are placed in an already filled form. The neck should face up. After the bottle is placed in the mold, most likely, you will have to even out the surface of the solution in the mold, as well as remove the excess. Then you need to wait about 5 hours, after which glass containers can be removed. The blocks themselves are left inside the form for knocking. After this period, they can be removed from the mold and stacked on a horizontal surface in piles.
In this state, they should stand another month. Only after this period they will become suitable for construction. Thus, the production of cinder blocks at home without a machine is carried out.
Machine for work
Naturally, if there is a machine in the farm, it will be possible to improve not only the quality, but also the productivity of production many times over when compared with the manual method. It is worth saying that the design of this device is considered quite simple and even you can assemble it yourself. That is, if you need to start large-scale production of cinder blocks with your own hands, then you need to start with the assembly of the machine itself.
Assembly tools
The most important element of the whole machine is the form or matrix for slag concrete solution. The matrix design is a metal box with limiters of the desired shape, which will create voids. By the way, these objects can be either removable or molded together with the mold.
In order to successfully manufacture a machine for cinder blocks, you need to have the following tools:
- welding machine;
- locksmith tools;
- grinder;
- vise;
- need sheet steel with a thickness of 3 mm of approximately 1 m 2 ;
- you will need a pipe with a diameter of 7.5 to 9 cm for choice and 1 m in length;
- it will take about 30 cm of a metal strip with a thickness of 3 mm;
- electric motor with power from 0.5 to 0.75 kW;
- nuts and bolts for fixing.
Construction Instructions
The first step in the assembly of the machine for cinder blocks is the manufacture of molds. Here, as in the manual version, everyone chooses the sizes individually. The process itself is as follows. Side walls are cut from sheet steel into 2 blocks at once. To divide the form into two parts, you will need a steel partition.
The second step is to determine the optimal height for arranging voids in the cinder block. In other words, you need to know exactly how to set the height of the elements for voids. In accordance with the production technology, the height of these parts should be such that the thickness of the bottom wall of the cinder block is at least 3 cm.
The third step is to cut the pipe into several parts, each of which will correspond in height to the cylinders that form the voids.
The next item of work is the conical shape of the pipe segments. To achieve this, it is necessary to make a longitudinal section along the segment to its middle. After that, the element is crimped in a vice, and the edges are welded together. Each cone obtained is also brewed on both sides.
The fifth step in the assembly of the machine for the production of cinder blocks is the connection of the limiters in a row along the long wall of the mold. At the edges of this row you also need to add one plate with a thickness of 3 cm. They should have holes for fastening with the eyes.
Next, you need to cut in the middle of each compartment of the form. An eye is welded from the back of the mold. These elements will allow you to temporarily fasten parts to create voids to the matrix. This is very convenient, since the cylinders can be removed and create monolithic blocks, if necessary.
Completion of work
After assembling all of the above parts, the work is almost done. You need to do a couple more actions.
Outside of one of the transverse walls of the mold, 4 bolts must be welded to secure the hole from the vibrator. Using a welding machine, it is also necessary to weld the apron and blades on the side where the material will be loaded. The final work is the preparation of all elements for painting, that is, their cleaning and polishing. The last step is to assemble the press from the plate. It should have holes that in their location and size will repeat the location and size of the cylinders. For convenience, it is recommended to increase the diameter of the hole in the plate by 0.5 cm from the real value.
The plate itself must be made in such a way and such a size that it can freely fall into the mold by 5-7 cm. The completion of the work is the welding of the handles to the press, its cleaning and priming, as well as the installation of a vibration motor.
Making cinder blocks with your own hands on the machine
As for any recommendations regarding the proportions for the preparation of the solution, nothing changes here. The ratio of materials remains the same, and you also need to carefully monitor the consistency of the solution and adjust it by increasing or decreasing the amount of water.
Before loading the solution into the mold, it must be lubricated with oil. This will help to avoid sticking the solution to the matrix walls. The finished mixture is loaded inside and the process of vibropressing begins. The filled forms are installed on the vibrating plate and hold on it for 5-15 seconds. After this short period of time, you will definitely have to add another solution to the mold, since this one will certainly settle. After this, the process is repeated, but the vibrating plate does not need to be turned on. It is necessary to wait until the press reaches the limiter. After that, the mold is removed before the machine turns off.
Primary drying is allocated from 1 to 3 days. After that, they can be removed from the matrix, laid on a horizontal surface, covered with plastic wrap and left to dry for a month. As you can see, the machine for the production of cinder blocks is easy to assemble.
Why cinder block?
If everything is already clear with how to make a cinder block, then the question remains as to why this material. Naturally, the first reason is the independent procurement of material. The second reason is the minimal heat loss in the building from this raw material. Due to the large dimensions of each block, the time required for construction, as well as the amount of mortar for masonry, is greatly reduced. If necessary, you can change the composition of the cinder block to achieve the desired properties.
Application
Most often, this material is used only if it is necessary to erect a low-rise building. However, if high-quality cement was used in the production of the concrete block, it is possible to form a foundation from this material. In addition, products are successfully used as insulation for frame structures.