Finally saw the numbers on 3D printed brick molds and it changed my mind

I've been laying brick for about 8 years now and I always thought those 3D printed molds for curved brickwork were just a gimmick for rich hobbyists. But last month I stumbled on a study from a masonry journal that said jobs using these molds cut waste by 40% on average. That surprised me because I figured they'd just create more plastic junk. I found it while searching for ways to save on materials for a big church project in Cleveland. The article showed that the molds paid for themselves after just 3 uses on complex arches. Has anyone else tried these and seen real savings on material costs?

2 comments

2 Comments

taylorm8916d ago

cut waste by 40% on average" - that statistic seems WILDLY specific and a little too perfect. You really trust a masonry journal article that much? Those things are usually funded by the companies selling the product.

lane.joel16d ago

WILDLY specific and a little too perfect" is right, that number probably came straight from the marketing department. I'd trust it about as much as a toothpaste ad claiming "9 out of 10 dentists agree." If the journal was funded by the same guys selling the masonry, then 40% is just the number they needed to hit to sell more blocks.