# Tool Talk >  Laying perfect bricks like dominoes - GIF

## Jon

The real secrets of the Freemasons. Wait for it, it ends perfectly.



Your browser does not support the video tag.


Previously: 

Brick laying machine GIF
Brick laying machine GIF
Pavement brick laying machine GIF

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bimmer1980 (Sep 20, 2018),

dubbby (May 20, 2020),

KustomsbyKent (Sep 11, 2018),

Miloslav (Dec 5, 2018),

Moby Duck (Sep 17, 2017),

Saxon Violence (Sep 11, 2018),

Scotsman Hosie (Feb 23, 2019),

Seedtick (Aug 12, 2017)

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## Leprechaun

Sheesh! How'd they do that?

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## SRQSid

The last cap landed flat which allowed the one behind it to lay flat, etc., etc.,etc.....

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Moby Duck (Sep 17, 2017)

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## Jon

These "mysteries" never seem to last as long on this website as on others.  :Smile: 

Here's a screenshot from an explainer video, at the critical moment, as the domino effect doubles back.




And here's an explanatory diagram:

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Moby Duck (Sep 17, 2017),

Scotsman Hosie (May 23, 2019),

Seedtick (Aug 12, 2017)

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## Moby Duck

Amazing, but I think that the real trick will be how are they going to get the mortar, under and in between, those capping bricks.

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Scotsman Hosie (May 23, 2019)

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## Frank S

You're not supposed to ask questions like that you are just supposed to be amassed.
But to let you in on a little secrete before setting up the cap bricks you would have put down a thin layer of mortar which would have had an epoxy resin mix in it then stacked the bricks as in the video. domino-ed them then point trowel and cake decorator-ed any additional thin set between them tap them into final place with the but of the trowel handle gauged them with a set level 
there would be 2 extremely tricky parts to the process first every brick would have to be stood in exactly the right place easily done with a wooden gauge cut the correct length. The other would be overcoming the surface tension or the mortar on the ends of the bricks as they were knocked over, probably not too difficult as long as the resin in the mortar had not started to react.

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## Jon

More nice bricklaying. And I believe these are actual bricks, laid around a central frame.

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KustomsbyKent (Sep 11, 2018),

PJs (Sep 10, 2018),

Saxon Violence (Sep 11, 2018),

Scotsman Hosie (May 23, 2019)

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## Frank S

What a nightmare that must have been for the brick layer trying to please the architect or builder

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greyhoundollie (Jul 12, 2019)

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## suther51

And feather in the cap of the mason!!!
Talk about a resume!!
Eric

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## PJs

Stunning masonry! Wow!

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## Jon



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Seedtick (Sep 16, 2018)

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## Frank S

OH they have been frozen in brick & mortar they should be quite comfortable if they survived the freezing that is

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Scotsman Hosie (May 23, 2019)

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## PJs

Got a big Wow and clap from that...makes one's morning. Off I went and found this one....

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Scotsman Hosie (May 23, 2019)

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## Ralphxyz

Just Google Brick Sculpture

Ralph

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## Jon

I thought we were done with this stuff, then along comes this beauty, a Crinkle Crankle Wall. More: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crinkle_crankle_wall . Not just for aesthetics, this wall building technique has legitimate structural benefits.

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Frank S (Sep 24, 2018),

KustomsbyKent (Oct 1, 2018),

PJs (Sep 24, 2018),

ranald (Oct 1, 2018),

Scotsman Hosie (May 23, 2019),

Seedtick (Sep 29, 2018)

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## PJs

Nice one...looks like a fun Crinkle, Crankle meander in the west forty. Cool idea aesthetically as well as structurally...and if Thomas Jefferson used it on U of V...OK then.

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## mklotz

So, ancient bricklayers invented corrugated cardboard(?)

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Scotsman Hosie (May 23, 2019)

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## Frank S

Takes twice as many bricks to build the wall but 4 times as strong at the same time cool.

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## ranald

dont need piers with that. I doubt if many more like it exist.

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## Jon

Your browser does not support the video tag.

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baja (Jan 4, 2019),

rlm98253 (Jan 3, 2019),

Scotsman Hosie (May 23, 2019),

Seedtick (Jan 3, 2019),

Tonyg (Jan 4, 2019)

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## PJs

> <video controls autoplay loop>
> <source src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/hmt-forum/stacking_bricks_perfectly_with_tol.mp4" type="video/mp4">
> Your browser does not support the video tag.
> </video>



It appears to be a Dud, Jon?

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## Jon

Fixed, thanks!

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## PJs

> Fixed, thanks!



Thanks, Interesting skills...PDG! I'd need a good soak at the end of that day.  :Stick Out Tongue:

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## Frank S

I don't know how it is done but I'm not buying it

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## jackhoying

> Takes twice as many bricks to build the wall but 4 times as strong at the same time cool.



Actually less brick, as it's single layer with no support columns.

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## Frank S

> Actually less brick, as it's single layer with no support columns.



yes but at least twice as long so more bricks would be needed than what would have been used in the columns depending on how far apart they would have been spaced

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## ranald

you wouldn't want to play him at the kids game of coordination called "twiddle d winks" or something like that

guess they are to be rendered: imagine the chips in edges & cracks.

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## Jon

Your browser does not support the video tag.

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baja (May 24, 2019),

high-side (May 22, 2019),

mwmkravchenko (May 22, 2019),

Scotsman Hosie (May 23, 2019),

Seedtick (May 22, 2019),

that_other_guy (Jun 4, 2019),

Tule (May 23, 2019),

volodar (May 25, 2019)

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## Frank S

> <video controls autoplay loop>
> <source src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/hmt-forum/fast_paver_layer.mp4" type="video/mp4">
> Your browser does not support the video tag.
> </video>



He is fast but I bet he has trouble standing up straight after a day of that

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IAMSatisfied (May 26, 2019),

mwmkravchenko (May 22, 2019),

tonyfoale (May 23, 2019)

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## Ralphxyz

Looks like he also has to stack the bricks, there is no one else around except the cameraman.

Ralph

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## Frank S

> Looks like he also has to stack the bricks, there is no one else around except the cameraman.
> 
> Ralph



Yes, and for all we know he may have spread and leveled the sand base as well then once he has lain all the bricks will have to sweep sand into the seams.
The casual pedestrian will never fully appreciate the amount of hard work is involved in brick or cobble paving. 
There are many places around the world where the whole citadel of a city is a focal point for the residents, where the paving's are more a work of art than simply a surface to walk on with subtle patterns laid in.

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## Scotsman Hosie

It says "Edit/Delete" – but apparently there _is no_ delete.

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## Scotsman Hosie

> More nice bricklaying. And I believe these are actual bricks, laid around a central frame.



You'd have thought  for the same money  they could've got 'em laid straight.

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## Frank S

> You'd have thought  for the same money  they could've got 'em laid straight.



Yeah but then it wouldn't drive people crazy trying to figure out why they did it LOL

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IAMSatisfied (May 26, 2019),

Scotsman Hosie (May 23, 2019)

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## tonyfoale

> He is fast but I bet he has trouble standing up straight after a day of that



That was my first thought. Nowadays I cannot work for any significant period with a bent back.

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## Frank S

> That was my first thought. Nowadays I cannot work for any significant period with a bent back.



I know what you mean, my body is perfectly happy with coping a squat on my haunches but is I remain in that position for a period of time I need a chin hoist hooked to a belt loop to help me stand up again.

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## old kodger

Me too, I need to climb up something to a standing position.

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## Jon

Your browser does not support the video tag.

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baja (Jun 16, 2019)

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## Ralphxyz

was he on the payroll while he learned how to set the bricks?

But impressive.

Ralph

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## drum365

All I could think of was how much confidence he must have to be doing that while wearing open-toed sandals. Ouch!

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## Frank S

The young man has a pair of hands on him that's for sure

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## old kodger

I knew a young man who used to regularly win a beer by laying four bricks on top of each other, at right angles to, on top of, and at one end of a fifth brick; then pick up the whole lot with one hand from the other end of the bottom brick.
I was not a weakling at the time, but I couldn't get withing coo-ee of copying him.

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## Frank S

Never tried any brick trick but used to hold a 12 lb sledge by the very end of the handle straight armed out and touch my nose I thought I was pretty good until I met a guy who could stand with 3 others using his hand as the center of the square then take the sledge and touch his as well as the other 3 guys noses using only the action of his wrist. He was a stocky little guy but you didn't want to arm wrestle him.

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## ranald

the only brick trick i tried got my backside kicked.

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## greyhoundollie

And just as the mason layed the last brick the Customers wife walked by and said "but I wanted the bricks turned in the opposite direction!"

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## Jon

What I like about this one is how the shape of the pavers makes this job easier, all the way from the initial pickup, to the throw, the catch, and then to the placement. There's also the irony of the stooped-over guy sweeping sand, as a reminder of what this kind of work likely does to your back.



Your browser does not support the video tag.

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Andyt (Jul 30, 2019),

baja (Jul 30, 2019),

high-side (Jul 30, 2019),

Rangi (Jul 29, 2019),

Seedtick (Jul 29, 2019)

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## Ralphxyz

Damm I am tired and my back is killing me just watching.

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## trinketman

*Paid by the brick laid?*

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## ranald

> Damm I am tired and my back is killing me just watching.



my back is hurting before watching: guess my next drive will pave me to buy a new BED not made of really hard or "silly soft stuff".

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## ranald

> *Paid by the brick laid?*



LOL. Very punny. Glad I was never paid by the paver laid, as most of my paving was repairing someone elses stuff or from tree roots lifting some.

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## Moby Duck

If we had two people throwing the blocks we could speed up this whole operation. Lol

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greyhoundollie (Oct 13, 2019)

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## Jon

Hurts my back just to watch.



Your browser does not support the video tag.

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Andyt (Oct 15, 2019),

baja (Oct 15, 2019),

greyhoundollie (Oct 13, 2019),

Rangi (Oct 14, 2019),

Seedtick (Oct 14, 2019)

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## Frank S

> Hurts my back just to watch.
> 
> <video controls autoplay loop>
> <source src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/hmt-forum/worker_fast_paver_stack_laying.mp4" type="video/mp4">
> Your browser does not support the video tag.
> </video>



Probably wont be able to stand up straight by the time he is 40

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Andyt (Oct 15, 2019),

greyhoundollie (Oct 13, 2019)

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