Okay, so I’ve been messing around with making bricks lately, specifically those clay-fired bricks. It’s a pretty neat process, and I figured I’d share my little adventure with you all.
First, I did some digging online. Turns out, making these bricks ain’t cheap. Coal prices are up, so that makes things trickier, and yeah, they cost more than those boring concrete ones. I saw prices all over the place, like $340 to $850 for a thousand bricks. Depends on the quality and where you get ’em, I guess. Also, bricks have different classes, and I want better quality.
Next, I had to get my hands on some clay. It was a bit of a hunt, but I found a decent source. Oh boy, was it heavy. But it is good quality, and I’m happy about that. Then came the fun part – shaping the bricks. I got myself a few molds, nothing fancy, and started pressing the clay in. It was messy, and my hands were covered in that reddish-brown goo. I can tell you I made a real mess.
- Find the clay source
- Make the molds by myself
- Shape the bricks
After shaping, I let the bricks dry out for a while. It took longer than I expected, especially with the weather being a bit unpredictable. Some days were sunny, others rainy – the usual. Patience is key here, I realized. When the time was right, I built a makeshift kiln. Yeah, a kiln in my backyard. My neighbors must have thought I was nuts, but hey, it worked. Firing up that kiln was something else. The heat was intense, and I had to keep a close eye on it, making sure the temperature was just right. I felt like a blacksmith from those old-timey movies. But it is a really good experience.
Once the firing was done, I had to let the bricks cool down. This was the longest wait of them all. The anticipation was killing me. I have waited a very long time! Finally, the moment of truth. I pulled out those bricks, and man, they looked amazing! Sturdy, solid, and with that nice, earthy color. All my hard work paid off. I built a little wall with them, just to see how they’d look. It felt awesome to see something I made from scratch come together like that. Building this small wall makes me so happy.
My harvest
So, yeah, that’s my story of making clay-fired bricks. It was a journey, full of sweat, dirt, and a bit of smoke. But totally worth it. If you’re ever looking for a hands-on project, give this a try. It’s a great way to connect with some old-school building techniques and get a real sense of accomplishment. Plus, you get some cool bricks out of it!
