Bricklaying on your own

[garyo]

Are they the armeg line runners?

Yep they're the ones.

 

[Doggit]

I know this'll bugger up your learning skills 23, but have you considered using a brickmate. And I assume you're using a cement mixer, but I picked up a nice hand drill mixer from Aldis a few years ago for £40, and it'll mix a bag of ready mixed mortar in a couple of minutes, or it's a bag of sand to whichever amount of cement you're using for the mix. I mix up in a gorliia bucket, and it's a dead quick method that can be done on the scaffolding. I dip the bricks in a bucket of water if it's hot, but will hapily admit that my brickworks only good for internal walls; even with all the suggestions on this thread, I'll never be good at it.

 

[23vc]

Hi doggit, yeah I have used my plaster paddle mix to knock up mortar in the past, sure some will frown upon it but I agree it works well. Only done it for really small areas though. To be fair since I originally started this thread I'm pretty happy with my speed and work now, always knock up a full mixer load and the quality is definitely coming on since I started back in April. Always looking for more tips though like with the line pins!
Here's how mines looking now

 

[dpsservices]

Looking very professional 23 well done

 

[Doggit]

The half bricks slightly proud, but that's a comment, not a criticism. If I was the jealous type, I'd be jealous of that work. Very well done.

 

[pilsbury]

That's a cracking looking wall. No one would complain if they paid for that.... except for the speed it was built! My blockwork on the other hand, I'd constantly have to remind the customer it will be done by Christmas and it will be rendered!

 

[noseall]

Why haven't you pointed the return bed joint on your window jambs?

 

[23vc]

Because they're not window jambs, it's a bond to a block.

 

[stuart45]

Looks neat and clean. Well done.

 

[noseall]

Because they're not window jambs, it's a bond to a block.

Gotcha. Nice job.

 

[^woody^]

That's better than most pro work that I see. You should be really pleased with it.

 

[23vc]

Thanks for the nice comments guys, believe me it's not all like that, the earlier efforts round the back when I first started aren't too hot!

 

[Ian H]

believe me it's not all like that, the earlier efforts round the back when I first started aren't too hot!

Yes, I saw that on an earlier thread of yours:

 

[Ian H]

What do you do as a day job?

 

[23vc]

Nothing to do with the building trade but always been an obsessive DIYer/self builder