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I finally figured out why my brick lines were always off by a quarter inch

I was laying a soldier course for a garden wall last month in Cedar Rapids, and my apprentice, Jake, asked why I kept tapping the brick after I set it. I told him it was to seat it, but he pointed out I was actually pushing it out of line. I watched my hands and realized I was hitting the brick with the trowel handle on the side, not straight down. After three tries, I switched to a light tap from above and the line stayed perfect. Has anyone else had a simple habit that was messing up their work?

2 comments

2 Comments

burns.ryan25d ago

You were gripping a framing hammer like a hatchet for years?

val_wilson25d ago

Your story about the trowel handle tap is a great example. It reminds me of how I used to hold my framing hammer. For years, I'd get a sore wrist by lunch. A guy I worked with finally asked why I was choking up so high on the handle. I was gripping it like a hatchet, not a hammer. Letting my hand slide down to the end felt wrong for a whole day, but the difference in swing and control was huge. It fixed the wrist pain completely. Sometimes you just don't see what you're doing until someone points it out.