Making cinder blocks with your own hands: instructions for making them at home. How to make wood concrete blocks at home. Cheap blocks with your own hands.

Cinder block is an artificial wall stone made from a mixture of slag and cement, intended for the construction of walls of one-story buildings. It is also used as additional insulation in the construction of frame houses. The production of this material is possible at home on your own. It is not recommended to make just the foundation panels yourself. The requirements for the reliability of the building's foundation are very high, so it is better not to save money and buy ready-made elements.

There are the following types:

• solid - have the greatest strength, intended for construction load-bearing walls and partitions, cladding;
• hollow with a degree of voidness of 40% - they have higher heat and sound insulating properties due to the presence of cavities inside, they are cheaper, but are inferior in strength due to the thinness of the walls;
• hollow with a degree of voidness from 25 to 30% - they have optimal proportions for thermal conductivity and strength, the most popular.

Depending on the thickness, the blocks are:

• wall - standard size 390 x 190 x 188 mm;
• partition - 390 x 90 x 188 mm.

When manufacturing independently, the dimensions can be arbitrary, required condition- stability of dimensions.

Specifications

• Cinder blocks have a relatively low thermal conductivity coefficient - from 0.20 to 0.65 W/m3 (better than brick). Due to this, they are often used not only as construction material, but also as insulation.
• Density - from 750 to 1450 kg/m3. It differs from all other types in its high strength - grades from M35 to M125. This parameter must be taken into account when designing communications, as it is difficult to cut.
• Frost resistance is up to 50 freeze-thaw cycles without visible damage.

Advantages:

• low price;
• availability and variety of materials for manufacturing, the ability to obtain products with the required set of parameters suitable for specific purposes;
• environmental benefits - due to the use of waste from the metallurgical industry (slag), as well as broken bricks and concrete remaining during the demolition of old buildings, the number of construction waste dumps is reduced;
• fire resistance;
• is not a favorable environment for the development of fungi and mold, and is not susceptible to damage by rodents;
• ease of wall installation.

Flaws:

• Very high degree hygroscopicity - strongly absorbs moisture from the air, reliable lining on both sides is required;
• the presence of substances hazardous to health (sulfur) - to completely weather them, the blocks are kept in the open air for at least a year; upon purchase, it is necessary to check the environmental safety certificate;
• out of necessity high-quality waterproofing, cladding, the total cost of the building is slightly lower than when using more expensive building materials; significant savings are obtained only when made with your own hands.

Utility, utility, industrial premises, and garages are often built from slag concrete.

About slag for block production

This is a silicate waste from metal processing; it is sifted through a sieve. Slag obtained by burning various types solid fuel(coal, firewood), contains radioactive components, therefore it is not used for the construction of residential premises.

Types of slag:

• granulated (granular slag);
• non-granular.

For the production of building blocks, the largest fraction of granular waste is selected, smaller (non-granular) waste is used for the production of asphalt and paving slabs. Price for 1 ton of material - from 100 rubles. There are non-ferrous and ferrous metallurgy wastes (blast furnace), the second option is preferable, since those obtained from the processing of non-ferrous metals are more expensive.

Composition of the mixture for obtaining blocks

Cement of a grade not lower than M400 is selected as a binder. The filler either consists entirely of slag, or is mixed - crushed stone (permissibly secondary), ordinary or expanded clay sand, fine expanded clay, and crushed brick are added in a small proportion. Proportions for cinder blocks: 8-9 parts of filler, 1.5-2 parts of binder. If the cement is M500, then it can be taken approximately 15% less than M400.

Slag usually makes up at least 65% of the total aggregate volume. For example, out of 9 parts, at least 6 are made up of it, the rest is supplemented with sand and crushed stone. But it is theoretically possible to use brick or concrete waste and screenings for production with your own hands. Regardless of the type of material, it is customary to conventionally call such products slag concrete. Classic proportions: 2 parts sand, 2 parts crushed stone, 7 parts slag, 2 parts Portland cement M400.

Water is added in a ratio of approximately 0.5 parts. The finished mixture is semi-dry. To check the quality, a handful is thrown onto hard surface. If the lump has crumbled, but when compressed it easily regains its previous shape, then the composition is suitable for use.

To obtain a colored block, add colored chalk or crushed brick chips. To increase strength, professional plasticizers are introduced. Sometimes gypsum, sawdust, ash are added as partial replacement slag.

It is better to mix the components in a concrete mixer or mixer, but such equipment is expensive. Small quantities are mixed by hand, a labor-intensive process.

Cinder block production technology

They are made in two ways:

• manually - the quality of the finished products is low, uneven, but generally meets the requirements of the standards;
• vibration casting, using a vibrating table or vibrating machine - they are more durable.

They are produced in large volumes using the vibration pressing method. The equipment for this method is expensive, so it is not suitable for home production. The room should be well ventilated, with a flat, hard floor. This necessary condition for drying and storage.

Regardless of the chosen method, the prepared mixture is first placed in special rectangular frames. They are made of plastic wooden planks or metal sheets, always collapsible and without a bottom - for easy removal. For the same purpose, before pouring, the walls are lubricated with grease or soapy water. It is more convenient to use formwork made of several cells (usually from 4 to 6). When making wood, choose boards with an absolutely smooth surface, otherwise knots and irregularities will cling when stripping.

Hollow formers - cylindrical or rectangular, made of metal or wood - are additionally attached to the bottom of the mold for hollow blocks. Instead of them you can put glass bottles, after the mixture has hardened, they are removed.

2. Do-it-yourself machine.

A simple ready-made machine for cinder blocks costs from 6,500 rubles. But if you wish and have a set necessary tools and its parts are easy to make at home yourself.

Procedure:

• From four steel sheets 3-4 mm thick, weld a rectangular shape without a bottom with an internal size of 390x190x190 mm.
• Weld a steel strip along the perimeter of the top of the box.
• TO lower parts Weld guides on the short sides for easy removal and movement of the machine.
• Cut from metal pipe round section about 6 cm in diameter, three parts of equal length.
• Place the sections in a vertical position in a row along one line at a distance of approximately 4 cm from each other and connect them by welding or gluing jumpers between them. TO external parties Also attach jumpers to the outer pipes to connect them to the walls. Exact dimensions of all parts depend on the diameter of the void formers and the length of the box.
• Close the pipes from above with plugs. Insert the pipe structure inside the mold and attach.
• Install height limiters on the inner walls of the box.
• Attach handles to the short sides.
• Cut a clamping cover from the fifth steel sheet. During the production of blocks, it is put on the void formers so that they protrude. Therefore, the lid must have slots for pipes and jumpers between them, 1-2 mm larger in size.
• Weld two U-shaped handles on top of the resulting part. They are installed vertically along the short sides of the lid.
• Attach the platform motor-vibrator to one of the long sides of the mold with bolts or welded studs. Since its cost is relatively high and it is difficult to purchase, it is possible to use a twin-shaft motor from washing machine. TO homemade engine balancers are attached.

3. Making cinder concrete blocks by hand.

• Spread plastic wrap on a flat surface or floor. Place the greased molds on it.
• Prepare the mixture following the recommended proportions.
• Distribute it among the forms. For hollow blocks, insert bottles (if there are no void formers).
• Level the surface and remove excess mortar.
• After 5 hours, remove the bottles.
• After 24 hours, remove the blocks.
• Lay out on a flat horizontal plane.
• After a week, fold in several rows and leave to dry for another 21 days. During the drying process, they are covered with film. Optimal conditions- air temperature from +20 to +25°C, no direct sunlight.

If there is a vibrating table, the forms are placed on its surface. The vibration is turned on for about a minute. Exact time It is better to determine experimentally by making test bricks. Exceeding the exposure time to vibration leads to deterioration in quality. Then the structures with the compacted mixture are removed from the table and treated in the same way as with handmade(see paragraphs 5-8 of the instructions).

4. Making cinder blocks with your own hands at home using a vibrating machine.

Manufacturing scheme using a simple machine:

• Lay out pieces of plywood or OSB measuring 500x300 mm on the floor. They will serve as supports for the blocks.
• Place the machine on the first sheet of plywood.
• Prepare the composition, observing the recommended proportions.
• Fill in the form.
• Turn on the engine for 20-30 s (to more accurately determine the optimal time for exposure of the vibrator to cinder concrete, it is recommended to make test bricks and evaluate their strength and uniformity of the finished material).
• Turn off the vibration - the mixture settles a few centimeters, fill the box to the top again. Turn on the motor and press the lid. It should rest against the height limiters on the inner walls.
• After turning off the vibration, remove the machine from the block and move it to the next substrate.
• Repeat all steps on each prepared sheet of plywood.

Readiness times and drying conditions are the same as for manual production.

Cinder block is one of the most popular materials today. It is used for construction projects for various purposes and a variety of sizes. It may be small outbuildings or industrial buildings.

Used to make cinder block special device, the operating principle of which is vibrocompression of the concrete mixture. To significantly save on building materials, you can do building blocks with your own hands. To do this, you need to purchase or independently construct a vibratory pressing machine.

To start making concrete blocks with your own hands, you need to prepare all the tools and materials that may be needed in the process. The standard size of a cinder block is 390x188x190 mm. Interior the product remains hollow. Two or three holes act as voids, 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 structure, the material is very durable and will last for many years. Once you start making, you can significantly save on building materials.

Initially concrete blocks were made from slag. In order to prepare a classic version of a 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 the large fraction);
• 2 parts of gravel, the fraction must be no less than 5 and no more than 215 mm;
• 1.5 parts of cement grade 500;
• 3 parts water.

Other materials can be used as filler, just classic version It was slag that was used. Today it is difficult to obtain, 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 is not too dry, but 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. It is considered normal for the mixture to spread smoothly without water streaks, but if the mixture is squeezed into a fist, it should stick together.

If you make your own concrete blocks using slag, it is very important to ensure that there are no foreign objects. The slag must be cleaned of various chips and earth. It is unacceptable for the solution to include unburnt coal. In order to remove contamination, the material must be sifted through a sieve.

If gypsum is additionally added to the cinder block, 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. This solution must be used immediately after preparation, since the plaster will begin to dry quickly. It is recommended to soak the slag in water for some time before preparing such a solution.

The modern building materials market offers various additives that significantly improve the quality of the mortar. You can add a plasticizer to the solution; about 5 g is needed per cinder block. Such additives increase frost resistance, water resistance and strength.

There are two types of concrete blocks. They can be hollow or solid. The first ones are much lighter; they are used to build 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 to build foundations.

In order to make a cinder block, you can use two technologies. One is based on the use of a wooden form in which the concrete solution dries. For the second method, you need to purchase or make a special machine yourself.

Return to contents

Manufacturing method using molds

Both wood and metal can be used as the material from which such forms are made. If wood is used to create the form, it must be very well dried. It should additionally be treated with a product that will increase moisture resistance. Otherwise, after a short time, the forms may become deformed, which will affect the geometry of the concrete blocks. The internal size of the mold should be 400x200x200 mm. But this is not a limitation; the shape can have various 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 mold to be filled well, the solution should be prepared more liquid. To make blocks hollow using a mold at home, you can use empty glass bottles.

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

Return to contents

Concrete blocks using vibratory compacting machine

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

Tools needed to create special equipment:

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

To make matrices into which the concrete mixture will be poured, you need to take sheet metal no more than 3 mm thick. 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. Blanks 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 assembling the main matrix. For this, parts measuring 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. The result will be a matrix of 400x200x250 in size. To make voids inside a cinder block, you need to use a pipe with a diameter of 80 mm. The length of the workpieces should not be more than 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 sizes 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 installing a vibrator; it is attached to the longest side of the matrix. Bolts are used to secure it. Once the bolts are tightened, they are welded in place for added strength. To protect the motor from water and pollution mortar, a protective visor is welded on top. A leg is welded to the edge of the visor, which will add additional strength. For convenience, handles are welded to the matrices.

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 molds, 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 of the wooden mold is the same as the metal one. 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 brick) 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. You should work on a flat surface and fill the mold with 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 mold for filling 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. You can weld several molds into a working structure (3-4 molds 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 waste 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 of the foundation, and finished walls require plastering with cement-sand mortar, coating with any available polymer or metal mesh and finishing work.

Homemade concrete blocks for construction

The order of work in 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 works and interior design of the 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 on 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.

Depending on the desired result, the shape for making the block will differ. The construction market is full of foreign/domestic manufacturers of concrete blocks. They produce material of any complexity category. When self-repair, the option of creating a block from at home is quite real.

Please note: installation of blocks will take much less time compared to other materials due to their size.

Scope of application

More often, concrete blocks are used as the basic element of buildings: garages, multi-storey residential buildings, offices, private houses, summer cottages, etc. The scope of application is not limited to large-scale construction projects. It is possible to independently produce/use concrete blocks at home. The only difficulty: it is necessary to use additional construction equipment (dryer, concrete mixer). A closed room (utility room) with a heater can be used as a dryer. The required temperature for a DIY dryer is 70 degrees. Concrete forms are used for the following products:

• building concrete material;
• decorative architectural elements (vases,);
• paving slabs (type may vary);
• fencing (including decorative ones);
• reinforced concrete building slabs.

Feature: Depending on the product we need, the quality, parts, mold casting will be different. To create a form and then a product with your own hands, you must make accurate calculations, carefully monitor the process, follow the rules of creation, and know the features of the material/future product.

Material for production

The variety of concrete blocks and the features of their application have brought many new materials to the market. Source material that will give form quality characteristics, may vary depending on the requirements for the final product. Each material is designed for the price category, quality, processing methods, and technical indicators.

The production of products with small parts, the creation of the most accurate copies, requires the use of elastomeric molds. Application area:

• complex volumetric products;
• high-precision bas-reliefs;
• architectural constructions.

The production of these products is impossible without the following components:

• rubber (synthetic rubber);
• formoplast;
• compounds (polyurethane/silicone).

Approximate material consumption: 10-40 kg/m2.

Disadvantage: making such a product at home is extremely difficult. Specialized cooking and crushing equipment should be used. In addition, before you start working on the substance, you should consult a specialist. Due to the intricacies of working with the material, such consultation is mandatory.

Plastic

Large-sized structures that do not require precise geometric calculations are best made from plastic molds. Basic materials:

• fiberglass (low compatibility with the cement matrix, which is why cracks and breaks are possible);
• hard plastic (prone to warping, so the main area of ​​application is paving slabs, curbs, concrete paving stones);
• ABS sheet plastic (prone to delamination, additional silicone lubricant should be used. Small-sized material can be made from it);
• sheet/film polystyrene (represents texture and outlines of objects well, is a fragile material);
• PVC plastic (the most durable, high-quality. Adhesion is as low as possible, does not require cleaning or lubrication).

If you decide to use plastic to make a block, be sure to ensure that you have rigid formwork. It is the formwork that will give the material the necessary relief, rigidity, and ensure easy removal. If this rule is not followed, the product will either fall apart during drying, or the result will be of poor quality and short-lived.

Creating a form yourself

Please note that final processing of the product should be carried out after complete hardening. If the product is raw, further actions(for example, cutting) are illogical, ineffective. Creating a form:

• Start production with available materials. For example, you can use polystyrene foam. Cut out the stamp, fill it with a pre-prepared mixture (sand and cement). You will receive one copy of the concrete decoration mold. You can use plastic containers different sizes instead of stamps.
• Assemble the product from scraps of chipboard and wood. The basic rule is that the surface should be smooth. If it is rough, cracks will form between the blocks and the surface or the concrete will be unevenly distributed, which will make it difficult to remove the product.
• Fill in concrete mixture form, leave it for several days until it dries completely (depending on the type of mixture and material of the product. Check the instructions for the material for the required indicators).
• After complete drying, carefully remove (for example, with a spatula or similar object) the finished product.
• Carry out (if necessary) the required decorative work.

If you do not have the time/desire to carry out the process yourself, use the services construction companies. By contacting the company you need, you can place an order for the form you need. Explain the purpose of construction, the desired material, and specify the timing. For a set price (must be agreed upon in person, by phone), you will be advised and your order will be accepted. Thus, you can be confident in the quality of the resulting product, its durability, and the correctness of its creation.

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

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

Factory machine for making building blocks with your own hands

Types of building blocks

Brick is still the main material in the construction of high-rise buildings, 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 industrial waste: screenings, broken glass and bricks, sawdust, wood chips.

Let's first consider how expanded clay blocks and cinder blocks are made independently, as the most budget-friendly among all the above building materials.

DIY expanded clay 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. To make expanded clay blocks you will need:

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

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

When mixing the solution, it is important to adhere to a 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. The result will be a mixture weighing about 100 kilograms, with the yield 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 area and formwork made of wood or metal in the shape of the letter “E”.

A concrete mixer, a standard piece of equipment in a builder’s arsenal, will help reduce time losses and reduce labor costs. If there is a shortage of time, the problem can be 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 mold, which is converted into a full-fledged vibrator using an eccentric. The vibrations of the matrix force the mixture to be distributed in the mold as densely and evenly as possible, improving the strength characteristics of the finished products. Factory-made brick making machines have maximum productivity: professional machines are equipped with additional equipment that allows you to automate the process, eliminating heavy manual labor. But such vibropressing machines also cost a lot.

Do-it-yourself cinder block production

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

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

Cinder block: manufacturing technology

A modern cinder block has dimensions of 188x190x390 mm, a solid building material is characterized by sufficient strength for arranging foundations and multi-story construction, hollow ones are used in all other cases. Voids can be round, rectangular or square shape, the number varies from one to 8-10 voids, the voidness rate is in the range of 25-50%. Almost equal in strength to monolithic products, hollow cinder blocks allow you to save expensive cement by almost half.

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

The following can be used as filler in production:

• coal slag;
• fine gravel;
• crushed stone screening;
• sand;
• brick waste;
• broken glass;
• ash;
• perlite;
• gypsum;
• sawdust;
• wood chips.

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 at least grade M400 to improve operational properties finished product, plasticizers can be added to the solution.

Portable machine for making cinder blocks with your own hands

A guideline for self-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 that the consistency of the solution meets the requirements is simple: throw a handful on the ground, it should crumble. If you collect the solution and squeeze it in your fist, it should return to the shape of a ball.

Focus on standard dimensions not necessary: ​​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

If you have free time and are unable to make a simple vibrating machine for the production of slag concrete, it is advisable to use a mold with boards or sheet metal as the walls and bottom. It is preferable to use one matrix for the manufacture of several blocks of slag concrete, at least in order to save materials. To create voids in the form for pouring the solution, you can use bottles, scraps metal pipes, wooden cylinders or bars.

Manual machine for making cinder blocks and expanded clay blocks at home

The procedure itself is simple: prepare the solution, pour cinder concrete into the molds, level it, removing excess. After a day, the blocks can be carefully removed and laid out to dry on a horizontal surface. To protect the finished material from cracking and getting wet during drying, cover the cinder concrete stacks with plastic film.

Use homemade cinder blocks possible a month after their manufacture. This point should be taken into account and the production of building materials should be started in advance.

Making a vibratory pressing machine

Adding a slag concrete vibrator to the above-described production scheme provides the 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; if you follow all the recommendations, this equipment will work no worse than its factory counterparts. The simplest option A vibrocompression machine involves the use of a homemade matrix, a vibrator and a hand press. To reduce physical activity the manual press can be improved by using a lever system.

Drawing homemade machine with a vibration motor for the production of cinder blocks and expanded clay blocks

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

• welding machine;
• Bulgarian,
• a set of keys;
• vice;
• sheet metal with a thickness of at least 3 mm;
• pipes for creating voids with a diameter of 8-10 mm;
• channels, 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 when making a homemade vibrating machine:

• Bulgarian from sheet material cut out the walls of the matrix. If the mold is intended for the manufacture of several block products, we provide for the presence of the corresponding number of partitions in the matrix.
• 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 in half and crimp 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 pipe section is welded tightly on both sides.
• We weld the plates to the pipes, connecting them together. For fastening to 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 attach bolts for attaching the electric motor to the long outer wall.
• We weld a metal apron on top of the form.
• We make a press in the form of a thick-walled plate, provide for the presence of holes with a diameter slightly larger than smaller diameter limiter pipes (so that the press enters the matrix at a distance of no more than 50 mm).
• We weld the handles to the press.
• We install the motor. We weld an eccentric onto the electric motor shaft (ordinary bolts are suitable as material for the eccentric; they are welded parallel to the shaft and leave room for screwing on the nuts, which will allow you to adjust the amplitude of vibrations).
• We thoroughly clean the device, polish the surfaces, paint homemade unit for blocks.

Making cinder blocks

It is advisable to prepare the solution using a concrete mixer: the presence of coarse fillers in the solution makes it difficult to obtain quality mixture manually. Before pouring slag 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, apply pressure 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, cinder blocks can be removed from the mold either the next day or three days later. Next, the material is laid out to dry naturally 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, observing the required precautions (pinning threaded connections, grounding of the electrical part of the installation). You should not expect super-performance from such a unit, but some improvement in the design will facilitate the process of producing cinder blocks: a simple lever system can be provided to press down the press. By welding wheels to the supporting frame, you can get a mobile version of the device (the so-called “layer”).

The purchase of factory machines equipped with additional equipment for automating the production of slag concrete products will provide the opportunity to organize your own small business. Such professional equipment can be used to produce not only block products. Matrices of interchangeable shape will allow you to form paving slabs, curbs, decorative elements– essentially any analogues of concrete products.