How to make a vibrating machine for a cinder block with your own hands

Recommendation points

• Appointment of a homemade cinder block
• Cinder block machine
• DIY block material
• Working with a homemade machine

Cinder block is the simplest and most affordable stone material for walls. Its history goes back over 100 years, and the combination of properties of structural and insulation material makes it irreplaceable today..

Massive private construction in the periphery, especially in subsidiary and farm households, requires a constant reduction in the cost of building non-residential premises. For the walls of sheds, sheds and storerooms, almost everything that comes to hand is used – from slab to marl. In this article we will consider the possibility of creating a vibrating machine for the manufacture of cinder blocks.

Note.To manufacture the machine, you will need the skills of a welder and a locksmith.

Appointment of a homemade cinder block

It should be immediately noted that the final product will not have high strength and durability in comparison with factory “prototypes”. Home production does not allow to withstand the technology, since there is no possibility for the steaming procedure, in which the material is saturated with the necessary moisture and receives the optimal temperature for the reaction of the binder (cement). However, the blocks are quite suitable for the construction of light one-story buildings with a service life of about 30 years..

Cinder block machine

The main part of a homemade machine is a matrix or mold for the raw mix. In fact, it is a steel box with elements in the form of voids installed in it, or without them. The matrix itself is already a machine, which can be activated by performing some of the operations manually.

To make the machine you will need:

1. Welding machine.
2. Bulgarian.
3. Vice.
4. Locksmith tool.

Materials:

1. Steel sheet 3 mm – 1 sq. m.
2. Pipe Ø 75–90 mm – 1 m.
3. Strip 3 mm – 0.3 m.
4. Electric motor 500-750 W.
5. Bolts, nuts.

Operating procedure:

1. Remove dimensions from a standard cinder block (w / b) or determine the dimensions you need.
2. Cut out the sides of the matrix from the sheet at the rate of 2 sh / b with a partition in the middle. You should get a box with two equal compartments.
3. The voids should leave a bottom wall at least 30 mm thick. From this calculation, we determine the height of the cylinder (or parallelepiped) to limit voids.
4. We cut 6 pieces of pipe with a length equal to the height of the cylinder.
5. To give the cylinders a cone shape, you need to cut each of them lengthwise to the middle, squeeze with a vice and weld. Reduce the diameter by 2–3 mm.
6. Weld cylinders on both sides.
7. Connect the cylinders together in a row along the long side of the block. They should copy the location (pitch, diameter) of the voids in the factory sample. Along the edges add 30 mm plates each with a hole for attaching to the lugs.
8. Make cuts in the middle of each of the matrix compartments and weld the lugs on the back of the box. This is necessary for the possibility of temporary fastening of the void restraints. So you get the opportunity, by removing them, to produce monolithic blocks.
9. On one of the transverse walls (outside) weld on 4 bolts for the mounting holes of the vibration motor.
10. Weld the apron and blades on the edges of the loading side.
11. Clean and polish all paintable parts.
12. To make a press in the shape of a block material body – a plate with holes, with a diameter greater than the cylinders by 3-5 mm. The plate should freely enter to a depth of 50–70 mm into the box where the limiters are installed.
13. Weld comfortable handles to the press.
14. Paint the entire structure with a primer and install a vibration motor.

Video instruction for making a mold for a cinder block, part 1

Video instruction for making a mold for a cinder block, part 2

To convert a conventional electric motor into a vibration motor, you only need to add eccentrics in the form of welded bolts to its shafts. Their axes must match. Nuts can be screwed onto the bolts, selecting the desired vibration amplitude and frequency. You can find more information in our article “DIY vibrating table”.

Such a matrix can become the basis for a stationary or walking machine. To modernize it, you will need a developed locksmith skill and more accurate execution. There are many options for machines and the main factor is the availability of available material (metal).

Vibrating machine for cinder block, video

DIY block material

Theoretically, “home” blocks can be made from anything – clay, sawdust concrete, expanded clay concrete and so on. The optimal composition of the mixture is 1 part sand, 1 part cement, 3 parts granulated slag.

The decisive moment is the moisture content of the mixture, which is easy to determine “by eye”. The finished mixture should keep the shape of a lump and not crumble. Raw materials of this consistency can be placed in a matrix and pressed into blocks. Instead of voids, you can use glass bottles, broken bricks or sharp-angled stone.

How does a factory cinder block machine work – video with explanations

Working with a homemade machine

Before the first loading, lubricate all contact surfaces with oil – the solution will stick to the metal less. The vibrator can be turned on at any stage, but it is most efficient to do this before pressing. Take care of reliable electrical insulation of the motor. The apron should cover it from getting the mixture.

Finished blocks should be kept outdoors in summer weather (from +10 to +30 ° С) for 3 days. The field with finished products must be covered with polyethylene to avoid early drying.

The simplest form for blocks. Work process video

Perhaps such a machine will not become a source of reliable and practically free material for the construction of a residential building, but it will help to significantly save on the maintenance of the economy or the construction of a garage. Applying a masonry mortar (1 part cement, 3 parts sand) to plaster the walls, you will extend the life of the artisanal cinder block by at least 1.5 times.