The day started with a visit to the Republic recycling center in Plano Texas. There we loaded up some number 3 to number 7 plastics for testing the block box, aka bottle brick machine. Tommy Kirk is the manager of operations. He’s a toot, generous toot. What is refreshing is everyone that I encountered was in a good mood and friendly. Evidently his personality and attitude is contagious.
They offered me some free barrels. They’re number two plastic but too large to process so they gave them to me. My wife wants some rain barrels so that’s where they might go. The metal ones are for the farm.
You’re not seeing things. There is some number one and number two plastics in with the three thru sevens. Today’s spot price is $420.00 a ton for the one and two plastics, $150.00 a ton for the three thru sevens.
One of the things I’m trying to do with the block box is make it like someone would under more difficult circumstances. So I’m using common tools, no fancy machine shop lathes, sheet metal shop presses, etc. I’m also trying to use scrap stuff found around the shop. So far the only thing I’ve purchased for the block box is the three foot ACME thread rod and nut, $69.00 with shipping.
The block box has to be made for high pressure. Since I’m not an engineer I’m probably over building it. And that’s okay, better that than having it break when a couple of thousand pounds of pressure is applied.
One of my concerns is the pathway for the tie wire in the block box. The width of the box is eight inches, standard width for a building block made of concrete. I had a fifty one inch piece of five inch channel. That meant the block box would have a length of fifty one inches. It also determined that the width between the tie wire would be five inches.
The first thing I did was bend the guides for the tie wires with my portable bender I use on the truck.
I found some two inch heavy wall square tubing. It worked perfectly with the five inch channel to make the bottom of the block box. I placed the tie wire guides on each side of the channel and three sixteenths or so below the face of the channel. I welded bottoms up first.
The tie wires will have to be able to slide down the box as the plastic is being compressed. That’s why I have the guides in the bottom of the box and the gradual turns going up beyond the end of the box. We’re not using anything but the tie wires to hold the plastic block’s shape. That’s all I got done today, a round trip to the recycling facility and a little cutting and welding.
One of the most common comments I get on this is about automating the process. That’s for the smart people to figure out. What I’m looking to do is provide a method that will work when the people are unskilled, electricity is unavailable. and they want to build a shelter with what they have available that’s cheap or free.
If you Google Haiti, President Clinton you will find a ton of stories about his visit to a recycling center where they use similiar technology to what I have here for making paper briquettes for charcoal cooking. If they had a couple of machines like the block box they could also make blocks for building shelters to sell.
Another common comment is about the value of some plastics. I believe the block box block can be made with literally trash plastics, film (shopping bags) and styrofoam. We might have to have some bottles at the ends but everyting in between I believe can be the stuff that goes to the landfill.
I’m dumber than a rock when it comes to the internet bloggin stuff. I hope to get smarter. Until then if you want to contact me harvey at harveylacey.com will work. If you need to talk to me I’m in the book in Wylie Texas.