I built a Cinva-Ram CEB press, and I made it easier for you to build one too!

I'm a retired shop teacher in Colorado and very interested in this build.  Has anyone tried using h^mpcrete to make bricks?

John C Daley wrote: I designed and have built in Australia  the Dalrac Mud Brick press. It makes wider brick, at 8 inch or 10 inches wide. today I tend to sell only 10 inch machines.
I have a few differences in the design, but otherwise they are similar...

Hi John, thanks for your post. I'm an Aussie living in Atlanta GA, searching for a CEB machine for my own use. Georgia has a lot of beautiful red clays I think might make good CEBs.
It's looking like I'll have to get one made as the only people doing this are out west (Texas, New Mexico, California etc)
Can you sell me the Dalrac plans or tell me where to get them? Before I go ahead I want to compare to the CINVA and CITA rams.
TIA
If anyone else knows where I can get something to hire or buy near Atlanta please chime in.

Hey Guys,

So it seems this thread gets revived every little while because it is so useful to someone starting out in their CEB learning. Thank you guys for your contributions and constant help!

Mike, "dirt cheap builders" no longer cells the informational CD, but I am looking for a copy. If you happen to have yours I would purchase it from you, or if it could be posted on "google drive" and a share link sent or posted? The list of books it contains seems to be very useful. I would like more information about understanding the soil we have and the lime grade/content for stabilization of the bricks.

I have been doing research on constructing the slightly more complicated "QRM2-40" CIMVA Press (specifically Model 3, with the interlocking bricks) No real "plans" seem to exist and the $1,200-1,400 price tag from China seems a touch excessive. I really appreciate you giving away your work to make a press in SAE. When I finish the design of the fancy 2 brick slide feeding version I will be sure to post it- be patient though, we are not building for a couple more years.

Thanks again everyone for the communal support!

Steven, I missed your post asking about the press.
I dont sell plans because I use alloy steel and harden particular surfaces, if mild steel was used instead it would break.
I am confident you could buy something.
A one off would be difficult.
Making bricks anyway is hard work.
A press allows a lower moisture content soil mix to be used. This can help in dry climates or where water is limited.
I have found interlocking bricks are not any better. With string lines rectangular bricks are easy to lay, mortar may be inconsistent and I think interlocking bricks may not like that.
If you have any trouble Steve, get back to me, maybe with a privte message so I see it sooner.
Search for compressed, earth, or pressed earth bricks that may help.
The cost of $1400 is what you can expect.

I have read the whole site and can give some different answers.
put a page from a phone book in the bottom before each brick if they are gripping to the plate. That happens because of the type of clay you are using.
that normally cannot be changed, so the paper allows you to twist the brick prior to lifting it off the plate.
Bricks fall apart for the following reasons;
- too dry
- not enough soild to start with
- not enough clay

using kitty litter etc defeats the aim of the project.
ADDITIVES
A small amount of cement will make up for mistakes
Lime can be used as well
Its possible to lift the brick from the press aND LAY Directly on the wall via a mortar bath. But only go about 3 layers high.

Can the CINVA Manual CEB Ram be made of wood?

o, the forces are too great for timber.

Hi there Mike, this thread has been so helpful for us here in Australia, my wife and i and our 3 kids are building a mud brick home, and have decided to seriously look at doing CEV instead of traditional mud bricks.

My question for you is, your plans are awesome... but i need them ideally in metric!! I know you first got yours in metric... and the links to those plans don't work anymore.

Have you got any ideas re how I could get plans for the metric version?

I'm willing to convert off your imperial sketchup and plans you put on the thread, but would prefer not to if possible.

Anyway, love you youtube vids, the tear-down one is GOLD!!

This makes it all much more possible for others, appreciate your time and efforts to share it, it always is a great thought, but most people don't take the time to share, like you have.

Thanks again,

Brenton
Moorook, South Australia, Australia

Hi Mike, I've been watching your youtube of the tear-down and looking over your plans with great interest.

My wife and our 3 kids (8, 10 and 12) are owner building our own home in South Australia, Australia.

We were planning for many years to build the ground floor external walls out of puddled mud bricks. However we're at the stage of having the post and beam timber frame up, and roof on, and now I came across compressed earth blocks, and am excited for the potential faster brick making speed.

What I am wondering is this:  our puddled mud bricks were going to be 250x250x120 mm high (or in imperial 10" x 10" x 5" approx). I would like to modify your plans, to make blocks at least 250x250x100 mm high. Or 10"x10"x4".

Do you, or anyone else, see any issues with this? Would the blocks be compressed enough? Would that size block be better in a hydraulic powered press, not a manual press? I'm not too keen going hydraulic as it's more costly and complicated. I would prefer to stick with a manual press.

Thankyou for your thoughts.

Anyone have one for sale? I am very interested in just a simple manual press that is ready to go out of the box.

Anyone have one for sale that is complete? Gladly pay a fair price!

I ordered the ceb press does anyone have a list of other things that I need to buy for it?

Michael hooper, can you please include the link where you ordered it?

yes, I was going to ask, where? I haven't found any smaller manual ones available in the States.

I sent an email to the company in Arkansas asking for a quote on the parts to build a CINVA-Ram. I received no reply.

I have messaged Michael Hooper, maybe he will respond.

If not I intend to make one myself. Most of the parts are simple shapes. It should be fairly straight forward to cut them with my plasma cutter.

I think it would be a good idea for anyone that is interested in getting one of these presses to make their wishes known. And of course if anyone has one to sell, that would be useful information too.

I'd went through the same process,  same result. I was given a good set of plans by someone on freecycle but haven't found anyone to make it. I haven't even found one to rent or hire around here. Closest was rural Tennessee.

Brenton, how did the project go?

Realizing this is an old thread... I've got a huge pile of dirt and would love access to a CEB press in NM. Building one seems fun but about as laborious as mixing adobe into frames, which is what I've been doing so far.

Has anyone got a used CINVA RAM, CETA RAM, or other CEB press around they're finished with and willing to sell or rent out?

Mike thank you for the plans, you're really generous. I would like to communicate with you further.                    My email.....petnjo2009@gmail.com Again thanks.

FWIW: I just spoke to Drew at the machine shop from the original post. He said that they are still making the parts for this.

He is sending me more info.

FWIW: I just spoke to Drew at the machine shop from the original post. He said that they are still making the parts for this.

He is sending me more info.

Steve did you get plans?

Steve Smyth wrote:FWIW: I just spoke to Drew at the machine shop from the original post. He said that they are still making the parts for this.

He is sending me more info.

 Shoot me an email and I will send you what I got for plans.  They are in metic though, lol.

Steve Smyth wrote:FWIW: I just spoke to Drew at the machine shop from the original post. He said that they are still making the parts for this.

He is sending me more info.

Thanks Steve.
Drew who?
Which machine shop?
Phone number and address would help.
Every time someone asks for specifics the line goes dead.

Steven Lindsay wrote:

Steve Smyth wrote:FWIW: I just spoke to Drew at the machine shop from the original post. He said that they are still making the parts for this.

He is sending me more info.

Thanks Steve.
Drew who?
Which machine shop?
Phone number and address would help.
Every time someone asks for specifics the line goes dead.

 

From previous:
The shop has been bought out but we still make the Cinva Ram- new information below:
ECS, Inc. Arkansas Machine Works
Joe Rheingans Tim Samson
160 B East Randall Wobbe Lane
Springdale, AR 72764
479-751-1327
sales@ecscorp.net arsales@amwinc.com

Steven Lindsay wrote:I'd went through the same process,  same result. I was given a good set of plans by someone on freecycle but haven't found anyone to make it. I haven't even found one to rent or hire around here. Closest was rural Tennessee.

Many people have told my any fab shop will cut the parts and then have a welder put it together if you do not weld.  I have plans for the lego style brick maker but in metic so I am going to see if they can cut it from those plans.  If they can't probably going to the Tech college see if the cad guys will convert it for me.

Random question, but what is everyone using for the lever? I’ve tried a few things but it all seems to keep breaking ><

Hello, Wondering if this thread is still active. We are a group of Mechanical engineering students in our final year in college hoping to design a Cinva-Ram machine for a remote area in Panama. We are planning on using mostly wood and natural materials to make the Cinva, wondering if anyone has any insight on things we should be aware of and high stress areas in the machine to focus on supporting. Thanks!

Tim Nam wrote:Thank you Mike. Very cool.

I'm in need of a fabricator to make parts for a custom Cinva-Ram press.
It seems Joe who did you plates is no longer in business. Can you guide me to any other welder fabricator that can help?

My intention is to make some arc bricks for a circular wall. See attached.

Thanks

As I have said before, I manufacture CEB machines in Australia.
You would be better to make a rectangular brick and trim it to shape than to create a curved shaped brick.
It can be done, you need to drop a 'biscuit cutter' mould inside the machine as you make each brick and
break the outside bits off when you move the compressed unit.
Then reuse the mould.