How to Make Bricks

Bricks are one of mankind's oldest building materials. They are made out of mud, clay, and stray, allowed to dry and then fired at temperatures over 1000 degrees C. In places where the sun shone strongly enough, some peoples didn't even bother to dry their bricks, simply letting them dry in the sun. Examples of this technique from nearly 5000 years ago still exist today. Bricks are still mainly used in construction, though they have lost popularity because of the lower coast of cement cinder blocks. Still, they are commonly used in outdoor paths and decorations. The following guide will explain how to make your own bricks for any outdoor projects you have in mind.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Clay
• Shovel
• Brick molds
• Water
• Straw
• Mixing buckets
• Wheelbarrow
• Kiln
• Soil

How To Make Bricks

1. Go about collecting clay. If you live in the right parts of the country you can simply dig in your back yard and fill a wheelbarrow full of it. You’ll need to go a few feet below the topsoil to find it. If your ground turns to a reddish mud very easily then you're likely in a good spot to find some. If there is no clay nearby you will need to purchase a large load and have it sent to your home or work area.

2. Start digging up soil from any convenient location. You only need do this if you bought your clay, which is purer and more concentrated than the clay you can bring up out of the ground. For the purposes of this guide we will assume you bought your clay. Fill a wheelbarrow full of rich, moist earth, not sand. You’ll need to get below the topsoil to find what you need.

3. Combine the clay and soil in a large bucket or container in equal measures. Mix it well with your shovel.

4. Add straw to the mixture. One handful of straw for every five handfuls of the clay and soil is an appropriate ratio. Make sure the straw is well shredded before adding it so it doesn’t clump up and form weak spots in your bricks.

5. Pour water into the mixture a few cups at a time. Mix the container well with your shovel. People used to fill pits with this stuff and stomp around in it to mix it. If your container is large enough and stable, this might not be a bad idea. It doesn’t task the arms as much. Stop adding water when the mixture has the thickness of cookie dough.

6. Fill your molds with the mixture. Pack it in tightly and agitate the molds if possible to get any air pockets out. Scrape the tops smooth and place your molds in the sun to dry. Leave them in the sun for a day or two. If it rains your bricks will be ruined.

7. Put the brick molds in a dry shady spot to dry out completely if you want to make unfired bricks like adobe. It will take a few weeks for them to harden. If you want to make fired bricks then you will need to bring your bricks to a kiln. If you don’t own a kiln local pottery organizations might let you use one if you ask. Carefully work the dried bricks free from their molds and place them in the kiln to cook for half a day at over 1000 degrees C. This has the effect of pulling all the moisture from the bricks, causing new minerals and crystals to form throughout the brick at extremely high temperatures. These minerals are laced through the entire brick and hold it together.

8. Remove your bricks from the kiln and use them however you wish.

Tips & Warnings

• Precast brick molds are available in well stocked home improvement and repair stores. They can also be made using any appropriately sized and shaped container you can find around the house. Brick tiles can be made using cereal boxes, round bricks can be made with empty butter dishes. Use your imagination and you're bound to come up with plenty of ideas.
• Be extremely careful when removing your bricks from the kiln; they retain heat long after the kiln has cooled.

Resources

• The traditional steps to making clay