Semi-Mechanized Adobe Brick Making 101

I made this video 2 years ago. It was in vimeo.com and since it was viewed daily, we decided to put it in youtube also :-)

This is what Steve wrote about the video 2 years ago: "Pia was kind enough to make a film about the adobe brick wall we are building in front of our house (Steve's hobby). I missed the opportunity to work with Tim & Quinn who wanted to see how it is done. To regress a bit, adobe and other sorts of earth building methods have been around for thousands of years. I am very interested in the processes and results, having lived in Latin America for several years. Building with earth is very labor intensive, typically. There is machinery available for adobe bricks and rammed earth but nothing you will see in this video. Here in the US, labor costs may not support earth building in most cases - though some people may want work done. I have set about trying to find a method for building with adobe that is semi-mechanized. To my knowledge, my process is unique. I have not heard nor found any other brick making process that uses the equipment that I use. We are in the process of building an adobe wall in front of our property (like the Alamo! ha ha). The goal is to make stabilized bricks (water-proof). I hope you find the film informative. Please take special note of Vincent. He has stepped up and is becoming a top hand. Thanks - Steve

p.s. I misspoke at one moment. The scoop-n-mix holds approximately 1/3 yard of adobe mix. "

Category:

Howto & Style

Tags:

• adobe
• adobe bricks
• environment
• earth building
• cradle to cradle
• crooked river ranch
• central oregon
• compressed block
• adobe blocks
• block
• adobe walls
• adobe entrances
• cactus canyon
• construction
• adobe construction

[Guatona61]

Chris... thanks for commenting. You make several good points. I was probably too optimistic about how long the wall will last. It requires a steady maintenance to last. Also, it is very important to stop water from entering through the top or wicking up from below. I now have a cap on the wall. Have a nice day.

[Guatona61]

To MilitiaHQ - Yes you can use regular portland concrete. Normally, you would never use more than 8 or 9 percent in the mix. Sharp sand that sets up well can be up to 60% of the mix. The heaviest clay element of the mix should not be more more than 20%. Lots of purist say don't use straw because it will break down over time. I think a clean straw to bind the bricks and make them stronger. Experiment until you find a good mix and solid bricks. Good luck!

[spaingringo]

To see photos of how the wall turned out, go to cactuscanyonconstruction . com and follow the link below the photo on the right.

[missourigal69]

Very cool video....now, show us the finished wall!

[reifenator]

Great video!  Hope to have an adobe house one day.

[jdbailie100]

Inspirational and a real labour of love, i can see why your trying to introduce some mechanised elements. I'm off to look for updates from you now to see how the project has come on.

[shodowolf]

Excellent job and well worth the effort for years to come.

David Shodowolf

[joebetoblame]

what are the size of the bricks?

[darkbit1001]

Wow. awesome video! I learned something from it. Thanks a lot!

Question: Hows it coming so far?

[chrsmcwtrs]

@Guatona61 your a moron!!!!! its clear in this video!!! go make you some bricks boy.

[SecondAmdmt]

@chrsmcwtrs you're an idiot! Adobe is very long lasting and insulates extremely well. I have an adobe house that was built in 1938 and is still looking great. Do you think the "green movement" was popular at that time? Use your head, people have used it for a very long time (and still do) because it works well.

"It's better to be thought a fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt" --Abraham Lincoln