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I hired a new mason

3K views 11 replies 10 participants last post by  cdkyle 
#1 ·
Hes from S Carolina. Anyhow we actually had a new chimney to build and I put up my lines I drop down.

He looks at me and says you dont use poles?

Lol, nope, we build leads.

He said next one he would bring his in, I could sense the frustration watching him build his leads....

Maybe he will change my ways 😂
 
#8 ·
We laid a crawlspace about a month ago. It was small. I just built up my leads. The next day, a guy that helps me lay block/brick, showed up (78 years old).

First thing he said (yelled), "Where's the poles?" I told him it was so small I didn't want to mess with them. I could tell by his reaction, he was thinking, "Kids!"
 
#9 · (Edited)
The video shows the Post hanger Clip installed "backwards" so that clip isn't completely inside the post pocket.. and is further away from the black wall sliding mount device, which increases the amount of flex of the rod if it is pulled on when raising the line/clip...

ALWAYS PULL most of tension off the line so the clip moves WITHOUT MOVING THE "Marv Post" post on the laid brick.....Left hand Post, pull line with right hand about 3-4' from corner post, slide blue clip upwards.


The Marv Post speed leads aren't really stiff enough for a long commercial walls, thus, raise the bracket in 48" jumps instead of the full ~96" to reduce bows from lines with 80-160 pounds of tension in half, or install and extra bracket or a wood angle to support the Post at the correct cavity spacing from the inner wythe or wall line...(6" cavity would use a 2 x 6 x 24-32" long nailed(screwed is better) to 1/2" thick plywood piece ~ 4-6" wide by ~24-32" long at a right angle, with the 2 x outset the 6" to speed nailing to the corner as a Post brace.

These "post stiffeners" can be fasten to the corner wall above the top of the damproofing flashing to hold the Post in position to lay the first course to a line clipped on a speed lead....ZERO brick laid with a level..... Or even an extra bracket can do the same thing....

Brick laying for dummies 101 :whistling

I re-manufacture the clips with a added stainless 1/4" pin epoxied to the back of the clip so the line when wrapped around the added pin pulls near the "crotch" reducing the spreading of the clip and "bellying" out of the wall from the actual corner in the posts.
The downside being, dumb masons will just pull till the aluminum post bends out of plumb on Both side of the corner....:sad:

I always use 5 fasteners on quality work so the brackets can't slip sideways, (three in the black silider with the clamping nut, 1 in each end of the slot to stop ANY sideways movement)

Most time a 2x6" by 8-10' long/tall metal screed makes a better "deadman" that young line burners will bend less with their superman line pulls (guitar players?)

The chimney set up goes much faster with plywood jig cut ~ 1/8" small in both directions that sits inside the four posts and another piece(s) screwed to it that ride over the posts in all 4 corners so it doesn't drop down in use, in general I fine smaller chimneys go faster without using a speed lead on four corner, two or even just one, leave more room for swift laying...IMO.

I'd lay the back up block and flues then use a piece of plywood(placed on the backup masonry) to hang "jacklines" for 2 or 4 corners instead.

Around here few masons after the introduction of the M.Post speed leads ever learned to lay 4' high brick leads with speed and precision....:sad:

It is fun to watch "speed lead only" Masons attempt to use the posts on Faux hand made brick... Or have the skills to go ahead with OUT the aid of the corner tool...

Many older posts ARE bent and should be destroyed and replaced, I haul mine in a piece of DWV pipe to protect them from the forklifts and laborers some what.

I strongly recommend everyone use a die grinder/dremel tool to carve their name or initials into their clips, colored spray paint slows the sticky fingered masons from "borrowing" the 3.50$ clips....

WD-40 and a rag with a colored "sharpy' marker....10 cents of oil saves 2.00$ of cleaning time.

Always carry some set screws, both sizes, and every foreman ought to have an extra hanging clip assembly IMHO.

I carry an 8 and 10" rod to replace the ~18" head banger that they come with, the extra rod ALWAYs to run down the wall, not out into the hop plank space.

Using "Ram" set fasteners on CMU backup will destroy the wall brackets slots in a few short weeks.
 
#10 ·
Hello Fourthgeneration,We used to run out so called corner "rackings"when I started in the game back in 1968 and did a lot more level work than these days and I had never heard of profiles until probably the 80's when doing a bit of fill-in work in Sydney,(about 300 miles from our inland town) and they were starting to be used fairly regularly in the larger bricklaying gangs due in part to the speed factor, and probably the fact that quite a few blokes in these larger gangs looked like they had just thrown away the shovel and picked up a trowel by the quality of work they were doing.But although they started to make a few factory made metal profiles a few years after that and they seem to sell very well (and still do I think)quite a few of the brickies just ended up buying lengths of square steel around 45mm to 50mm (just under two inches)and then propped them up to scaffold height and then clamped them onto the brickwork to go higher.(if you know what I mean)The end result of this was to diminish even more the ability of the young bricklayers to be quick and efficient with level work I think,but did make the corners very quick to erect I suppose.The factories who make the purpose profiles also make lots of various holding clamps etc,for different situations including internal corners,jigs for steel doorjambs,etc,etc.Some of us older bricklayers still make our own clamps,jigs,scaffolding,etc,and if anyone is interested I could take a few photos of some of the stuff I've made.Regards Terry.
 
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