I wrote this for another thread, but I think it deserves its own...



Finally you can make your own concrete blocks if you want, need a
simple wood frame on a flat sheet, line it with polythene, and pour in
load after load. A 4x8 mould is 2 m^2 or so of blocks, so with 9"
blocks you can work out what you'd save.

The best thing about diy blocks is you can make them any design you
want. You can let the kids arrange brick rubble in them first for
decoration (flat side of brick pieces down), you can sprinkle the mould
with coloured stone chippings, or use coloured glass if you want it to
sparkle. Put a thin layer if white cement in if you want white but to
never need to paint it. Or if you want to make it even more unusual you
can make those blocks any interlocking shape you can think of. You can
also cast blocks for the wall top and ends with moulded in decoration,
eg straight framing, egg and dart, whatever you can make or find. Also
you can cast cubby holes in a few blocks for trailing strawberries, etc
etc etc

If you take a look at the famous concrete castle, you'll see what a
remarkably artistic material concrete blockwork can be. Check out the
2nd and 3rd pics here for a start:
http://www.architecture.com/go/Archi...andA_5185.html
Theres much more intersting stuff on that castle, just ran out of
google time.

For rectangular blocks, a single 4'x8' mould will make 30 blocks of
8.25" x 14" in one pour, of whatever thickness you want. This uses 2"
thick perimeter wood and 3/4" thick dividers. And of course block
dimensions can be whatever you want, as long as theyre no bigger than
4'x8' apiece!


NT