Monday, November 10, 2008

Re: [papercreters] Compressed Blocks

First - the engineering and final construction on these commercial CEB units is assume!  I am a tradeshow and display designer - kinda artist architect!  My background is professional theater which is a very broad spectrum of crafts and materials coupled to draw it before you build it!
 
First determine how many blocks you need.  The small machines spit out half blocks - 7X10X3h.  If you need 5000 ceb blocks - average house - a block builder will do it on site for $1 to $2 in a short week you supply the dirt.   The block machines we designed are for DIY builders.  We have adapted these to a log splitter and a neumatic hydraulic jack - they work - but you feel kinda stupid when the manual machine keeps up with your "labor free concept" !  In Peru a missonary built adobe forms out of concrete and defised a press by driving a very heavy truck over the forms!  100 blocks in 30 minutes!  It actually worked!  He assumed he got 1000# of preasure wanted 1200#.  My little CEB press given to him by a church was the hood ornament for the truck - but first he built 5000 blocks with the press so he understood the process.
 
This is 3rd world tech.  Google CEB press and you will find a lot of information.  All is valid but the promises are over the top.  In graduate school we built an adobe and ramed earth structure. Not large just big enought so that we knew what it was about.  We were under the instruction of real Mexican adobe artisans.  It was laughed at by most - mud houses!  I was invited to baby sit for a professors adobe home one summer!  I was sold!  CEB was the clencher!
 
The plans are in a PDF file and a full size mockup. The kit explains all.  We are involved with a missionary project - I will need to talk with them.
 
A Hume
 
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Monday, November 10, 2008 8:08 AM
Subject: RE: [papercreters] Compressed Blocks

This is very interesting.  Wondering if you have any thoughts for me on building a press form.  I weld not well but I weld.  I want to try using my three point hitch mounted log splitter.  It is a splitfire unit which you could Google if you wanted a better image.  The problem that I am having is all the moulds I am finding on line are vertical downward pressure moulds.  Mine presses horizontally in both directions.  So conceivably I could build a double unit.
 
Any thoughts or sketches would be very much appreciated.  I have great clay available and I was thinking of just mixing cement or lime in the clay with a mortar mixer than pressing.  Build my walls out of Stabilized earth block for strength and interior mass.  Then put a layer of light papercrete maybe sprayed on in successive layers on the outside.  Then weather proof the papercrete with a skin of latex or acrylic cement coat.
 
Nick

From: papercreters@yahoogroups.com [mailto:papercreters@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of pepperh@dcworx.com
Sent: Monday, November 10, 2008 8:04 AM
To: papercreters@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: [papercreters] Compressed Blocks

We used a 1000# manual lever press not automatic to test the process.  We have experimented with CEB using all forms of equipment.  We organized this manual press design for missionaries - paper design with a particle board mock up model shipped -  then they build in their location.  The CEB issue here for us was to find a knowledgeable block builder.  Difficult!  CEB is the most practical of the building materials I have seen.  But the construction "cost effective" is deceiving.  Similar to adobe but the dry mix needs to be experimented with before you build 5000 blocks - every time!  The blocks go into the wall immediately no drying time concerns - press and place!  The return on investment is in utility savings.  But DIY is not practical accept as a personal choice - cost of equipment or that "green" block builder is over the top.
 
What we did with papercrete was make 7"X10"X3" pavers with an artsy embossed stamp using a CEB manual 2 to 1 press.  All worked as assumed.  Out of 20 blocks - 2 "crumbled" after air drying for 7 days.  The rest seemed to be fine.  We will get back to this next year.  When we compressed the mixture the chamber was full and compresses to half ( 2 to 1).  Only watery liquid came out of the press.  When liquid dried it was a film of concrete.  We next  allowed the Papercrete mixture to set for 24 hours and then compress - lot less liquid!  seems to be a better block.  The CEB press process will make a block every minute - two people working moderate hard with no real rush.  The messy paper crete mixture adds a few oh my gods - but not over the top.
 
How many blocks do you need?  We assumed 5000 for a standard CEB house.  500 per day for 2 weeks?  Does the papercrete need to be compressed 2 to 1?  Air Dry?  Solar oven dry?  Can you stack them in the wall for drying?  Jill is experimenting with her decorative eco blocks.  This press system was borrowed and then purchased by her, an artist friend.  She is making eco decorative pavers.  Again, I will be talking to her next year.  But she is leaning toward CEB and adobe.  Papercrete is a bit of a mess!
 
She did compress soda cans in to pavers - she now wants me to build her a pneumatic press.  Eco pavers?  Artists?  Green?  I am teaching her husband to weld in self defense. 
 
A Hume
 
 
 
 
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Sunday, November 09, 2008 6:05 PM
Subject: [papercreters] Compressed Blocks

Has anyone tried making compressed blocks w/ papercrete or paper adobe?


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