I have been thinking more on the use of cardboard boxes, as far as
getting more of them in the right shape. I said I have been using
them for years for sample blocks, and to make wall infill blocks. I
also used a long U shaped metal rack from a drugstore as a "form" I
lined the 4' long metal rack with newspaper, stuck a short piece of
wood at each end, and poured in the papercrete mix to sun cure. as
it got to the green ( almost dry) stage I used a big drywall compound
trowel to "slice" up the block into the size I needed for inserting
in between 2x4s in my studio remodel.
here is a pic of my system http://www.dirtcheapbuilder.com/dicd.html
it is smaller than I like- but you can see the sliced blocks, and the
yellow handle drywall trowel. a big knife can be used to cut up the
block too.
This worked great, and you can cut the blocks to fit the size of the
space. I was using small boxes from the local Joann's Fabric, which
sells many items and arts/crafts.. so they throw away boxes in all
sizes all the time,
I was also thinking that shoe boxes are perfect brick side for the
lodge stone look.
so by checking out a few stores and asking to take away their
cardboard you can make your own forms cheap and easy.
but if you need a special look then getting some plywood scrap and
building 4-10 basic shapes ( say 4 small, 3, large, 3 medium, then
just oiling and reusing each form over and over until you have all
your blocks for the project is a time saver too. especially if you
cant get the same size cardboard boxes all the time the simple way of
making 4 sided form boxes, with a latch and a hinge on a long side,
lets you "open" and lift off the form, and make another block right
away(a few days) till cured- and lift off and let dry til cured.
another option is to make a large wood form, and place notches in the
frame wall, then slide in more ply to make a grid, and pour a gang
form of blocks at once, or slice up as you go.
or go smaller and buy some cheap plastic 'box' shapes at the dollar
store, oil them and poke a few holes for air drying, and pop out the
semidry bricks and reuse.
Lastly Sean Sands used canvas sacks laid in between two long 2x6
planks, and laid in a full sack, tamped it flat in between those 2
planks to keep the same shape for all, and let cure, then removed the
sack and reused. it make a nice round edge brick shape too.
--
Charmaine Taylor Publishing -retired
Eureka CA
http://www.dirtcheapbuilder.com < new owner- free shipping.
http://www.amazon.com/shops/humboldtcoast
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