Make Your Own Concrete Blocks

By William P. Earwood
Published on January 1, 1975
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Making concrete blocks is a smart, money-saving alternative.
Making concrete blocks is a smart, money-saving alternative.
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Use these easy-to-follow diagrams to build your concrete blocks.
Use these easy-to-follow diagrams to build your concrete blocks.

These easy-to-follow steps show how to make your own concrete blocks. A helpful diagram is provided.

I really felt sorry for Jim DeKorne when he described how he filled all those concrete blocks with more concrete. I’ve had to do the same thing . . . never could lay a course straight. There is another alternative, though. What with paying 50¢ each for blocks, and then having to buy the cement to tamp into them, I figure it would be a little cheaper to cast one’s own concrete building units in place.

Some forms I’ve designed for that purpose might, I think, be helpful to do-it-yourself builders. The accompanying diagrams show how they work. Fig. 1 is the layout of the 8″ X 16″ block, with the spacing of the holes noted. As you can see from Fig. 2 — a plan of the form — the equivalent of three blocks is laid down in one pour. The holes are created around pieces of plastic drainpipe as each course goes up (Fig. 3). Fig. 4 shows the construction of corners, Fig. 5 is a detail of a doorway or crawl space and Fig. 6 indicates how to make a slot for a casement window or whatever.

Most block construction calls for an 8″ X 16″ footer. I’d suggest building forms for the wall’s base from 2″ X 8″ boards, and then using the same lumber for the block forms after the footer is done. Several molds will make the concrete work go a lot faster.

The height of the block can be controlled by the form’s end plates (see Fig. 2). If you goof on your measurements, just make the necessary correction by raising or lowering those pieces. Also, leveling can be adjusted by means of small wedges under the same panels.

A note on making the holes: Set the pipes in place, pour the concrete, wait about an hour and rotate the lengths of plastic a few times so they won’t freeze in position.

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