In the first years of the 20th Century, cement was all the rage. And the idea of making your own cinder blocks (for fun and profit) apparently also became quite popular. In the early 1900s, the pages of American Carpenter and Builder (a building magazine from that era) were filled with advertisements for block-making machines and cement-stirring machines.
Sears offered the Wizard Block Making machine which retailed for $57.50 (a bargain at twice the price!). And Sears suggested that a man could save a lot of money on building a new home if he made his own blocks. Now if a man devoted himself to making nothing but blocks and if a man had someone else preparing the cement for pouring, he could make about one every two minutes. To do this, the poured cement was loaded into a form, pressed down, and then removed. The form was not removed until the concrete had hardened a bit. That meant if you were serious about making blocks, you had to have several forms on hand.
The ad below suggests that the block could be removed immediately from the form. I’d love to know if that was accurate. Having never made a block in the Sears Roebuck Wizard Block Making Machine, I can’t say for sure.
Sears estimated that 1,300 blocks were needed for the basement of The Chelsea (one of their kit homes). The Chelsea was a modest foursquare on a short cellar. If you devoted yourself to the creation of those blocks and really hustled, you’d need about five eight-hour days to do nothing but work like a dog making blocks. And that’s if he had someone else preparing the cement. That’s a lot of work.
When I give talks on Sears Homes, I get a surprising number of questions about the Wizard Block Making Machine. Apparently this labor-intensive, cinder-block maker was quite a popular item for Sears.
To learn more about Sears Homes, click here.
The Wizard
The catalog extols the many virtures of The Wizard
More info on the many benefits of The Wizard
In what looks like a backwards evolution graphic, a man demonstrates how to use the "easy-to-use" Wizard block-making machine.
To read more about Sears Homes, click here.
To learn more about Rose’s book on Sears Homes, click here.
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I have one of these units I only have the plane frames but around 25 sets of mold frames my granddad made milking parlors in this area for a lot of years it is still in working condition and for sale for $400
I have one of the few surviving Sears Wizards and have made blocks with it.
It can make all sorts of decorative full blocks, corners, half and quarter blocks. One does not pour liquid concrete into them. A semi-dry concrete mixture (sand castle consistency) is dumped into the forming machine and is compressed by tamping the mixture with a club type of tool.
Once this is done and any voids are removed, the block and the tray that it was formed on are carefully removed and placed in a steaming room where the concrete mixture absorbs the steam and cures. It works pretty good but is also back breaking work.
I was able to crank out one block every 5 minutes, but making one every two minutes would be possible with practice.
I would like to buy your machine for my collection.
@mario
Mario, if Jeff replies, I’ll forward him your email address.
I need a concrete block maker like that.
@mario
I have a P.B. Miles Concrete Building Block Making Machine dated Sept. 15 1903 that was used to build and came with my grandmothers home. I can’t find any sort of value on it.
Can a collector give me a price range on it’s worth? From what I can find on concrete block makers they are pretty rare considering most wore sold for scrap during the wartime era. For the right price I would consider selling. It’s made of cast iron and seems to still be functioning.
Can anyone tell what a fair price would be for a wizard block machine?
Rose’s Reply:
Kate, I’m sorry to say I don’t have a clue! I’m not sure who to even recommend.
They have become a bit of a collector’s item.
@Alexis
Hi Alexis,
I’ve sent you an email about this, copying Mario (who is prepared to answer your question).
Hope you two can connect!
The Wizard Block Maker and The Ideal Block Maker were two popular block machines they both came with iron pallets. These early 20th Century machines are worthless without the pallets to remove the finished block. They’re also of little value without the stone-face plate (which creates the sculpted block). The Sears Wizard Block Maker in my possession has 100 pallets, so I’m able to produce 100 blocks a day.
I have a Wizard Automatic Action Number One, and it’s in great shape. It functions at 100%, and I can’t find a value on it. Can anyone ehlp me?
Thanks!
jabruzzino79@hotmail.com
@Jeremiah
would like to see pics of machine chimneybldr@aol.com
Do you want to sell it@Jeremiah
@Alexis
@susan
Do you want to sell your block machine? I have one but I need parts.
I would like to buy a complete Sears Wizard Block Maker if anyone has one to sell.
I am looking to purchase a rock face block molding machine to make 32″ long blocks but will look at all options. Trying to build a matching out building to our grand house in Portsmouth VA. Help if anyone has something available for sale in working order.
I’m looking for a Sears Block Machine for sale to make standard size concrete blocks (8x8x16). Eithe a simple block or block face will work.
I’m looking to purchase a complete working Sears Wizard block maker with pallets and plates. I am a serious buyer that seeks a motivated seller. Stay well