Homemade Brick Recipe

Ingredients

rocks or gravel, pre-rinsed and dried

18 qt. soy wax flakes dye blocks, finely grated fragrance oil

Tools

hot plate or electric burner

medium sauce pan metal pouring pitcher with heat resistant handle

mixing bowl ½ cup, ladle wax thermometer measuring cups or scoops silicone spatula metal sheet spatula heat resistant flexible or detachable molds, to match desired brick dimensions Melting the Wax and Prep:

Begin by preparing the double boiler. Fill the medium sauce pan 1/3 full with water and place on the hot plate, add 20 oz of water directly into the double boiler and turn the heat to high. Bring the water to a rolling boil. The metal pouring pitcher will serve as the bain-marie.

Add the soy-wax flakes directly into the pouring pitcher. Place the pouring pitcher into the medium sauce pan and allow the wax to reach its melting point, approximately 30 minutes.

While the wax is melting, rinse the rock or gravel aggregate and allow it to dry fully. Allow the gravel aggregate to rest at room temperature. It is important that the gravel aggregate reach a neutral temperature that is neither too hot, nor cold, from 70-74º Fahrenheit, as this will impact the casting process.

Once the soy-wax has fully liquefied use the wax thermometer to confirm that the wax has reached its flash point. Check your soy-wax packaging for temperature specifications from the manufacturer.

Once the flash point has been reached, we can begin the binding process by adding the dye and fragrance oils. Add a pinch of finely grated dye to the wax. Next add the fragrance oil, at your desired strength. Stir gently until the mixture is consistent. Be sure not to stir too vigorously, as this will help minimize frosting and seeping issues during the curing process.

Once the soy-wax has liquefied turn off the hot plate and allow the mixture to cool to its melting point. Check your soy-wax packaging for temperature specifications from the manufacturer.

Mixing and Pouring:

Once the wax has liquefied bound, and cooled to its pour temperature and the pre-rinsed rocks or gravel aggregate have reached room temperature, the mixing and pouring process can begin.

Use the measuring ladle to add 3.5 cups of the soy-wax mixture into a mixing bowl. Next, add 2 scoops of the gravel aggregate into the mixing bowl. Use a silicone spatula to stir the contents for 30 – 60 seconds, or just until the liquid wax and the gravel are consistently mixed

and dispersed. Be cautious of over mixing as this can cause the gravel aggregate to become overheated and will extend the curing process.

Once the contents are consistently mixed, use the silicone spatula to pour the soy-wax and gravel aggregate mixture into a mold. Vibrate the mold periodically by tapping it against the table surface to help remove trapped air bubbles within the mixture and to settle the gravel-aggregate.

Once the contents have over-filled the mold slightly, and the mold has been well vibrated, use a metal sheet spatula to smooth and flatten the exposed brick face and remove any excess soy-wax and aggregate mixture.

Repeat the mixing and pouring sequence until you have reached the desired number of bricks. Allow the bricks to cure undisturbed in a stable room-temperature environment for approximately 8 hours.