How to Make Concrete Blocks and Mix Concrete

Making concrete or cement blocks from hand molds is the simple way to get started in the concrete block business. Now you can buy cement block molds from dealers on the internet, or for a lot less money you can make your own. The molds you can buy will generally be plastic or cast metal and are not cheap. Molds made from plywood and sheet metal are quite easy to build yourself, and cost much less. They are also a lot easier to repair or replace as they wear out. To make a reasonable quantity of blocks at a time you will need a few dozen molds so you can save a lot of money by making them.

If you need to make concrete blocks in far larger quantities you will need a concrete block machine. Again you can buy an expensive commercial machine which will do an excellent job for you. It will turn out enough blocks to pay for itself in time and makes the manufacturing process fairly easy. The alternative is to build your own concrete block machine. You can build a very good machine from used auto parts which will cost a fraction of the price of a commercially made machine. It will do the job just as well and you can build several for less than the cost of one purchased machine.

You can buy ready mixed concrete in bags or save money by mixing your own. Concrete is composed of sand, gravel and water mixed in the right proportions with Portland cement. Depending on the job to be done the proportions of the various components in the mix will vary. Concrete does not just dry and harden. There is actually a chemical reaction between the cement and water which causes it to harden into a crystalline mass which binds the other components together. If there is too little cement the concrete will be weak and if too much water is used it will not be good either. You need to measure the various components accurately before mixing them. A recipe for a concrete mix is given as three numbers for example 1:3:4. This means one part Portland cement mixed with three parts sand and four parts gravel. Sometimes cinders or other light "aggregates" are used instead of gravel to make light weight blocks.

You can mix the concrete by hand on a concrete floor or plywood sheet. Do not mix it on the ground where contamination by extraneous material will result in weaker concrete. For modest amounts of concrete hand mixing is appropriate but if you are in production and need large quantities to manufacture concrete blocks or other products it is necessary to have a cement mixer or mixers to do the job. A mixer also ensures that the concrete is thoroughly mixed and even throughout.

A concrete block making machine or machines will enable you to turn out hundreds or even thousands of cement blocks daily. If you are in business to supply builders or other buyers in quantity you will require machines to produce enough blocks to fill large orders. Building a machine yourself is a great way to get a low cost start when you want to move up from making blocks from hand molds. Later you may want to acquire a high production commercial machine but that is unnecessary till you need a lot more production.

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Make Concrete Blocks - A Solid Way to Make Money

The building trades are heavy users of cement blocks. They use them to build everything from large multi-storey buildings right down to small backyard compost makers. Their popularity has never declined after many years of use. Concrete blocks are always needed due to their low cost,versatility and strength. They will always be in demand wherever building goes on.

Anyone looking for an excellent business to start part time from home will find the concrete block business to be excellent. This business can be started as a part time project and with work will become a very lucrative full time business. The cost of startup can be very low since only hand molds are needed at first to produce up to 100 blocks per day. These molds can be made from plywood and sheet metal and are not expensive to make. You fill the molds with concrete mix,of the right type,then turn the blocks out to dry and cure. The concrete mix can be hand mixed on the ground or in a cement mixer.

One person in a full days work can make 100 cement blocks quite easily. When the business grows to the point where more blocks are needed to fill larger orders a concrete block making machine is the answer. With this machine you will manufacture hundreds of blocks per day. You will find it necessary at this point to have a helper to remove the blocks from the machine and stack them on racks for drying. You also must have sufficient storage space to dry all the blocks prior to delivery. You may have to expand into bigger premises but the extra expense will easily be paid for by the greater sales and you will be able to make an excellent profit.

Concrete block making machines are made by a number of companies. They are fairly expensive but will pay for themselves in increased production. Alternately if you wish you can obtain plans for building your own machine at much less cost . This machine is built from auto parts and sheet metal and is quite easy to construct. If you cannot weld,a welding shop will do that part for you at quite reasonable cost. This home built machine is every bit as good as the expensive commercial machines and will turn out hundreds of blocks per day.

When you are in the concrete block making business it is a no brainer to produce other concrete products also. There is a great demand for such things as garden ornaments,bird baths,sundials,patio blocks and many other concrete items. You can make these items from plans which are readily available. Costly purchased molds are not required. Making these items will provide much extra income. The profit margin on them is usually much higher than on cement blocks so they can be a valuable addition to any concrete business.

Manufacturing concrete blocks and other concrete products is an excellent business which you can start with very little cash outlay and build into a highly profitable full time business. You can begin part time in this business while still working at your job. You will become a full time entrepreneur when your business grows to the point that you need to work full time to keep up with demand for your products.

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