Different Brick And Block Techniques

dakzaag

I tried a private message(if you were talking to me), didn't go, not sure if you need at least 15 posts or else you need to turn it on by going to the user CP.

In regards to your mason who needs to improve quality, I saw an operator raise his game without even realizing he was being coached. The company owner was frustrated with the operator cause he had the skill, but was a little lazy. Owner had supervisor force the operator to cut finish grade over and over til he had it perfect, blaming the repeats on a
"psycho GC."

After a couple of jobs back to back with the same requirements, the operator was dead on all the time and just as fast as before. He just needed to practice perfection without someone screaming about how long it took.

Blame it on whatever, but make the guy do it perfect and soon enough the quality will be there with the speed, if the mason has any pride.

I just let a young guy go who probably had the skill, but just not enough grey matter to realize when good enough was good enough and when it needed to be perfect. I gave him a few tasks to do that weren't really critical, but told him I wanted it right, no matter how long it took.

He swung and missed three times, I let him go. Someone else will have to train him. I gave him a year to learn, but could see his potential wasn't what he thought it was.

__________________
D K & Sons
The maintenance schedule for brick
1. Stand back and say "man that looks nice!"
2. Repeat as often as needed.

todd8541

dakzaag
my email is rarichar411@aol.com and my company phone number is 334-318-9784. I'd like to ask you some questions.

Thanks
todd

cdkyle

[quote=CR2;800443]We are a small crew( 4 guys) My apprentice and labor, both lay block, some brick, set stone, pavers, fisnish concrete, stamp concrete,I've made them that way, everybody gets good money, we are like a family, they feel important, because in every possible way I can , I let them know they are; my philosophy is that making a mason is better than hire one; my guys know that whoever is a labor today will be a good mason tomorrow, it's my responsibility and I guarantee it, most of the time just that, will get you more than any raise; my guys don't work for me because of the money(they can make more money anywhere else) but because they enjoy it, they know there's no ceiling and that I'm not the boss(I don't like to be called like that), I'm the leader, the hardest worker, and they have to follow me, this builds integrity and team work sense, most of the time I push them(perhaps punish them) and they've never fainted and when I do faint, they pick me up and run with me, they know there's no room for loosers in our team and whoever's not willing to put up with the s...., is not worth having and whoever comes next, will have to take it as it is or leave it; I'm very proud of our working and personal relationships, as well as our achievements, I consider myself very lucky for having the crew I have and I know that by making them better every day, I've become a better leader.
I'm not running a masonry crew, I'm running a craftsmen factory and I hope that'd be my legacy.
Regards!

Put a laborer on the wall and a trowel in his hand; he thinks he is a mason.
Not so! Not only do you not have a bricklayer, you also do not have a tender either.

dakzaag

Finally had time to get some pics.



This is how I usually stage my block when laying. If tender has time he can butter the block standing up and all I have to do is lay out the bed mortar and tip into place.

You can bunch three block close together in the same formation and butter all three with one wave of the trowel, I think that is even faster, but my 16 yr. old hasn't quite figured that one out yet.

Here he is rodding joints.


Got a little plumbers crack going and all. First time laying block that are going to sell. He did just fine. Sorry about the focus must be that half moon.

__________________
D K & Sons
The maintenance schedule for brick
1. Stand back and say "man that looks nice!"
2. Repeat as often as needed.

72chevy4x4

back in the day, I use to lay 'old' brick and one particular house was brushed out-used a wire brush to remove to a depth then bristle brush to smooth. this was how the HO wanted the job...doesn't seem like it would have been a particularly long last joint b/c of lack of compaction. what do you say?

masonryworks

I have ran a small crew for a several years and oftentimes the masons end up doing the hod tenders job when we are short handed and it kinda ticks the masons off a little, so we had to do the same thing, and draw a line where the masons set block and tool joints and get another tender if necessary to keep things flowing smoothly.

masonryworktools.com

Rockmonster

Hey Dak good photo of your style. I've only seen one guy ever that laid that way....he lives out here on the island....he gets a decent count, surprising to me, as I learned, first from tending, and then from laying, stock em up and go...I like it stocked six, seven high, and butter the whole wall and go...You must lay with what, one other or just yourself, as that style would not work with a crew...this is not a dig, just an observation as I'm for whatever you are comfortable with...Merry Christmas all!!

dakzaag

Yes, typical small operation, usually one or two mason's and a tender. That job it was just me and my son.

A few weeks ago, 4 of us bombed out a crawl on a Saturday morning. It was a simple rectangle with some pillars down the middle. We still laid it out the same way, one guy stayed busy staging the block, my son kept the mixer going and the four mason's just each took a wall.

I was donating the labor to a very good customer, so we knocked it out as quick as we could. That system is very efficient for a 4-5 block wall. When you get a bigger wall and more guys, the setup needs a different configuration to make it all work.

__________________
D K & Sons
The maintenance schedule for brick
1. Stand back and say "man that looks nice!"
2. Repeat as often as needed.

masonryworks

Yes sir, a fire indeed
I tried that and it works well, but after a while as our bids get lower and lower so we can land jobs, it seems they think they are being taken. So I guess it's a fine line to draw, they have to stay happy to a certain extent, or quality drops big time.

-masonryworktools.com

CanCritter

l find that a good bricklayer will always keep a tender busy and he wont have time to do anything else...only thing l'll let a tender do is strike block...as stated earlyer the end result lies with the jointing ect and is somewhat a signature of your work...

4th generation

One of the most critical parts of laying masonry is getting the mortar bed right the first time every time. I have yet to see a dedicated tender /labourer try to spread mortar successfully, thats why masons are masons. If you plan on trying to get a labourer to spread mortar for you or your masons you will only slow down the whole procedure and create a mess in the process , any experienced bricklayer would know this . The only way to get around this would be to use an apprentice who is learning & labouring at the same time, and as any one knows a green apprentice gets in the way more often than he produces. This is of course only my opinion after 33 yrs in the trade.

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4th gen

stacker

very seldom will i let a tender strike my work.a tender does not have the eye for bee holes or keeping a jointer straight.if using a roller skate,they will always use hang downs.so i end up going over the wall again so i might as well do it myself.

__________________
life is short,do your masonry naked!!
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