SPEED Tuckpointing!!!

novice tucker

My speed in tuckpointing(both application and appearance)is simply horrible.But a week ago,there were some guys tuckpointing around the corner and man was I amazed.there speed was incredible,and when they finished the side of this building,the joints were as flat a dime.My joints are always..."puffy and thick",and it usually takes me 15 mins to do a sq ft.
My mix is 2 sand + 1 portland.I've been tuckpointing for 2 years and I ain't getting any faster.So whats the secret?what can I do to make my work both faster and more presentable?

Any advice is WELCOMED.

thaks

Tscarborough

Do you use a bag or a hawk and tuckpoint trowel?

novice tucker

been using a pointer and hawk,tried the bag but it was too weird.....didn't work. I also bought that quikpoint mortor gun....even worse then the bag...well,for me anyway

Tscarborough

I like the hawk method, personally. I do not use the same mix, though. I pefer a portland/lime mix at 1:1:3. Make it as dry as possible and keep a spray bottle of water handy to prewet the cleaned joints. Go fast, shoving the mortar in bed joints then head joints, and overfill quite a bit, but don't worry about making it pretty.

While you are tooling, fill any gaps, but don't overwork the mud.

6stringmason

I prefer the bag. Its so much faster. And people who say it leaves air bubbles in the joints are blowin air themselves. I can go at least 3x as fast as someone tuckpointing the old fashion way. Except for specialty work that is of course. Sometimes you have to use the tuckpointer.

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1over2

I like to use lime in the mix also or type N, I guess it depends on how soft the brick or stone your pointing is. I think a mix on the dry side is the way to go. personally I find that using a bag is much quicker, but how can you get proper compaction of the mortar in the joints when the mud is really wet?

stacker

i use a bag and pointer.bag is much faster and keeps your work alot cleaner.

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novice tucker

lime............never used lime in my mortor.......that may be the missing link!
when watching those speed tuckpointers I was talking about,they mixed it all on the ground(plywood).It looked like sand and portland,but maybe it also had lime in it.Great suggestion!In the next day or two all use lime in my pointing and let you guy's know if it worked.

thanks for the replys.

tuckpointer

Are you using a diamond tuckpointing blade for grinding? As far as grout bags go, I prefer Marshaltown canvas bags. They are easier to squeeze and you can cut the nozzle open with a knife to make it bigger. Don't strike your joints to early, let them set up a while. Also, wet the joints before you grout,keeps the mortar from drying out too fast and makes a better bond.Good tuckpointing is hard and dirty work, just like laying block or brick it takes time to learn how to do it well. Also, after striking don't brush to early as you will smear mortar all over your work.

novice tucker

TO TSCARBOROUGH,6STRINGMASON,1OVER2,STACKER,and TUCKPOINTER.....thanks.Tried using all of your suggestions and as it turns out LIME makes things alot easier(stickier???).Now I should be able to speed up my tuckpointing.Once again.....WITH HONOR......THANKS!

Atek Building

We typically only use mortar bags for flat work.

I have a couple guys can put out 2-2 1/2 squares a day(per guy) using a trowel, hawk and jointer. I must add, it is top quality work.

For those of you who do use bags, what kind of speed do you expect from a guy who is good with a bag?

I've always been curious if it was worth learning to use a bag on a wall.

A W Smith

4 year old thread resurrection, Is this a new record?

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Atek Building

I was searching threads, I hadn't minded the date.

MALCO.New.York

Dates are important here..................The posts go waaaaay back.

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stacker

you can always tell the new guys

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CanCritter

realy wouldnt worry about it...think l drove lotsa folks batty here yesterday as well with a old post or two....least we know where the skeletons are burried
personaly l think thier still ticked at me and you unfortuneatley are reaping thier rath as lve been hidein

Atek Building

Then I guess I'll only find ridicule and no answers here.

CanCritter

right awnser above ^^^^^^^......enshure motar has enough cement in it..type S..lime portland what ever your useing..if you dont have enough it will bunch at bag tip and no amount of moisture wil help....
Joints should be brushed and damp/wet and follow directions above...dont tool it to late or to soon...you;ll figure it out quick enough...fastest way is grout bag hands down
PS...first thing l do is trim bag tip...those tips are way to small...just clip a small piece off and try and continue till you get the desired flow you want

Tscarborough

The only time old threads are an issue is when you try and answer the original posters question and it has been 3 months, a year, or 5 years since they posed it. It is pretty safe to assume at this point that the problem has been resolved.

Raising an old thread to discuss technique isn't a problem or even a bad idea.

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stacker

atek
i dont do alot of tuck pointing.i assume you are talking about restoration work.
i just know that when i use a bag,i can fill joints alot fast than i can with a tuck point and trowel alone.
one problem i have found using a pointer is,even tho i have 3-4 different size pointers.it seems you never have the right size.another problem i have always had is pointing head joints and making them look good.with a bag,one small squirt and its done(kind of like cancritter).

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