Making Progress

Well, it's been a while since my last post - much too long!  Things have been busy here, and I just don't seem to have the energy at the end of the day to think about what to say.  But here goes.


We have made progress on making our papercrete bricks.  After my first attempt - which didn't turn out too well - I think I have the right proportions of paper, cement, and sand.  We started out doing only one brick at a time to make sure they were coming out.  The first form was only for two bricks, so it was slow going at first.  But after our tenth successful brick I figured it was time to start "mass producing".  I made a new form which holds ten bricks at a time.  However, we are still not completely up to full speed, as we still have to mix the papercrete in small quantity.  We have moved from mixing in a 5 gallon bucket to one about 17 gallons.  This allows us to mix up enough for two bricks at a time.  Within a few hours we can mix up enough to fill the form, making 10 bricks total at once.

I'm researching how to make a larger mixer to speed up the process allowing me to make more bricks per day.  A 200 gallon tow mixer would be impractical for us , so I am looking for something in between that and what I am using now.  I've see one made out of a 55 gal drum with a lawnmower engine attached and a L-angle driveshaft connected to a lawnmower blade. 





Along with making the papercrete bricks, we have also been searching for used windows and doors for our cabin.  This past weekend we had time to go to the monthly Trade Days here in Fredericksburg.

We found the perfect door for our main entrance.  Among a yard full of old windows and doors (most of them rotting and falling apart) we found this door.  It is old, made of sturdy hardwood, with no rot.  One side was coming loose, but was easily fixed with wood glue. 

The small window is removable allowing for fresh air without having to open the door.

My personal favorite is the large metal door handle.

I think we got a good deal for $30.

Next time maybe we can find some windows.