Mexican Brick Factory

Tscarborough

Not sure if I posted this before, but I don't think I have. These guys (the clay-throwers) make about 1 cent per brick and produce around 1000 brick each per day. The brick is not usable above a zone 8 environment, but for this area it is a really nice product, and these guys are artists, though not very production minded ones. The single forklift they have is one of ours that was worn out beyond our use, and they only utilize it to move brick from the clamp (kiln) to the loading area. All of the wood they burn in the clamp is recycled pallets, so they are environmentalists to boot!

http://72.41.69.75/brickyard.htm

edit-Each of the areas between piles of bricks is what a single thrower will produce in a day. They then stack the brick in rows and let them dry for a few days until they put them into the kiln.

Bigbricklayer

Wow I can lay 1,000 brick in a day but I dare say I couldn't make that many in a day. Very interesting.

reveivl

Tks, Ts, that was interesting. Have you seen how they make saltillo tile?

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joasis

Really interesting...so why are the brink unusable say here in Oklahoma? Just curious, but what do they sell for down there?

Tscarborough

They have no freeze thaw capability and they are extremely absorbant. They are a beautiful brick, though. We sell them for 350-400 per thousand. Regular face brick go for 500+ per thousand, for comparison.

Cole

That is cool.

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stacker

that is pretty cool.how many americans would build bricks that way?they make tile in almost the same way only some are sun dried and some are covered with hay and wood and burned to dry.

a few years ago,while my dad was still alive,he had an old 1908, 3 brick mold.our city was fixing to celebrate our centential.they powers that be decided to build up to the centential by celebrating every year for 7 years .my dad got this idea to make a brick every year designed to fit in with that years celebration.he would take a tile and size it to the brick size.then take it to the moument shop and have the design of the brick sand blasted into the tile(reversed)then would mix the clay and hand press the clay into the mold,and then press the tile into the face of the brick.turning it out and repeating the process.the fresh brick were laid in the hot oklahoma sun to dry,and then my mother would paint in the design.it was a long process and went over extremely well.my dad passed away before all the years could be completed.a couple years ago i had to cut out some brick at a ladies house and in her sidewalk were brick hand made by my dad.i also seen a couple for sale on ebay awhile back.
sorry for the stroll down memory lane.my point is making brick in theis fashion is hard azz work.we also had a block mold,that made an 8 inch block.

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joasis

The history of bricks in Oklahoma is pretty interesting. I am from Hennessey, which was in Oklahoma Territory, the part opened for the land runs. Short story is that since shipping bricks was prohibitvely expensive, every town in Oklahoma, that had suitable materials, usually had a brick plant. I have hundreds of "Hennessey, O.T." bricks, meaning they were made before statehood..like in 1904 typically. I have collected all but 3 examples of Oklahoma made brick with pressed names of the location they were made. I intend to use them in a fireplace in our new home...something kind of different. I will bet nearly every contractor has seen pressed bricks, and now you will know how some of them came to be. Anyone in this region, I am looking for a COMANCHE, CHICKASHA I.T., and WELEETKA. All these are very rare.

Back to the mexican bricks, I bet they would make great interior brick work.

stacker

joasis,at one time alva had three brick factories operating on the river.most of the brick for the castle on the hill(nwosu's first building)was made here in alva.the bricks made here were not marked,but my dad was a brick collector and found a brick made here hand scratched with COX 1908.also while laying a block wall in a basement of a downtown building last year i found one sracthed 1904.it along with the rest of my dad's collection is in the CHEROKEE STRIP MUSEUM here in alva.some intresting reading joasis ,is a book called "made out of mud"by luke robinson.he is from arcadia and was the force behind rebuilding the round barn there.his book is a history of brick manufacturing in oklahoma.one more thing on collecting.when my dad build our house in 1961 he used alot of OSP brick(oklahoma state penn)
when they became a hot item he started tearing down the rollock on the wall to sell the brick.always promising mom he would replace them with other brick.he passed away before he got that done,and the retaining wall is still missing about 90% of its rollock.

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Tscarborough

Pretty cool stuff. I love old brick and collect them as well. In this area, there are really only 3 old bricks: Austin commons, D'hanis (still in production), and Whitselle Cherry Reds. There were a few other small brick pits, but they are very rare and/or junk. Handmade, wood fired brick are very common, though, but are not usually marked.

joasis

Now stacker....I had not counted the OSP brick among the missing...since I was collecting place names..but since we are neighbors, and fellow okies, how about a trade?

There were literally hundreds of bricks made in Oklahoma...thousands and thousands made in Kansas...anywhere they had the clay, and fuel for a kiln. The main thing was most brick were plain..no stamp..nothing...so the only verified brick have the name "pressed" into the face, or as stacker pointed out, indications of a year or whatever scratched by a mason into the brick.

We have a guy in Waukomis (up the road from me) that has 6500+ bricks in his collections, and is always looking...he figures he has half the bricks made in the United States....and his collection is impressive. He is the guy who got me started. I told him he didn't do me any favors because I spend a lot of time looking for Okahoma bricks, and I would dream of starting out a full collection...

Mike Finley

Those pictures look like just about every Mexican construction site I have seen. I watched 20 guys dismantle a building once, they did it with wheel barrows a couple of sledge hammers and one shovel, all while wearing flip flops.

stacker

ill be glad to get you an osp brick.
did anyone watch modern marvels on the history channel last night?it dealt with the brick industry.i recorded it and am watching it again this morning since 1.my hand hasnt showed up for work for 4 days.2. a job was going to go do today and tommorow wont be ready until monday.and 3. i just said to hell with it.
anyway this program is really intresting.

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joasis

Hey stacker, next time you are down toward Enid, give me a heads up, and I will meet you and even buy the coffee or (stronger). I will pull a couple of mint HENNESSET O.T. bricks for you...they are getting really rare, selling on E-bay for $25 or more. I have all these because of a demolition project that included a storm cellar, which provided all these brick.

I missed the brick show, hope I catch it again.

brownbr

Hey guys, I'm up in Austin and would like to drive down and get some bricks. What's the skinny on where to go or who to call to get some bricks? Does anyone bring them across to Edinburg, or you you have to cross to get them?

thanks in advance
-bb

MALCO.New.York

Cool website! Love the SAFB Photos!

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nywoodwizard

Normally kilns get up to approx 1800 degrees, wonder how hot theres get.

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Tscarborough

Technically, what they are using is called a "clamp", and since it is wood fired, it does not get nearly that hot. These brick are adobes in the truest sense of the word. Austin is about as far North and East as they should be used.

They are soft and absorptive, and in a freeze/thaw or heavy rain area they won't last five years. Here, especially when sealed, they are fine.

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amurrell

Hello, everyone
I have a question? I have started a Arch Design Service and I am currently producing drawings for a couple of Brick Manufacturers. My question is to some of the mason contractors here is there a need for this service to mason contractors as well as brick companies? I myself have 22 yrs experience as being a mason contractor and mason and during that time have always designed and installed my own arches . Just wanting to here feed from other contractors