carpentry

TLE 60

“Basic Carpentry and Plumbing”

Basic carpentry skills are necessary to be able to complete home renovation, home building and other construction projects. A carpenter or home renovator needs to be able to layout a building site; determine the elevations of a site excavation, and concrete footing and other components; build concrete footing and wall forms; frame and sheath floors, walls and roofs; and build stairs.

CEMENT BLOCKS

Materials:

Lime Soil

Coconut coir Sand

Rice hull Wood ash

Rice hull ash

Procedure:

1. Pulverize the soil and remove larger pieces with the use of a 1/4 inch wire mesh screen.

2. Mix together soil and any one or two of the agri-forestry wastes.Suggested combinations (in parts by volume) are:

a. 3 soil + 1 coconut coir
b. 3 soil + 1 rice hull
c. 5 soil + 1 lime
d. 5 soil + 1/2 lime + 1/2 rice hull ash
e. 5 soil + 1/2 lime + 1/2 wood ash
f. 4 soil + 1 rice hull + 1 lime
g. 21/2 soil + 21/2 sand + 1/2 lime + 1/2 wood ash

3. Form a hill out of the dry mixture (or of soil alone if a pure soil block is to be made) with a crater on top and add water.

4. Pour water slowly and with a shovel, mix the materials until a paste is formed. The paste should neither be too dry nor too wet so that during the molding process. The ingredients are wet enough to stay packed but not too wet to produce slump when the product is removed from the mold. The right mixture can be learned easily by experience.

5. Fill the mold with the mixture. Tamp very well and level off. Apply pressure using a manually-operated molding machine or a similar device.

6. Dry the block in the shade for a few days and then sun dry for another few days.

Hollow Blocks