# Tool Talk > Machines >  Brick laying machine GIF

## Jon

Brick laying machine GIF.


https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/h...g_machine2.gif

Previously:

Brick laying machine GIF
Pavement brick laying machine GIF

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carloski (Aug 5, 2022),

dubbby (May 20, 2020),

PJs (Sep 13, 2018)

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## Jon

SAM, the semi-automated mason, built by Construction Robotics:

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bimmer1980 (Sep 14, 2018),

dubbby (May 20, 2020),

KustomsbyKent (Sep 12, 2018),

LucasC (Sep 12, 2018),

oldcaptainrusty (Sep 12, 2018),

PJs (Sep 13, 2018),

ranald (Sep 19, 2018),

rlm98253 (Sep 12, 2018),

Seedtick (Sep 12, 2018),

Shanty (Sep 12, 2018),

Toolmaker51 (Sep 12, 2018)

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## Frank S

Reminds me of the story of John Henry

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## Toolmaker51

A proper, memorable name for my structure hasn't been adopted yet, so...
The midwest facility of Marv's Garage Mahal was built in 1894. The walls are 12+" thick, 16' high; 100' long x 65' wide, and 3' above grade. The courses are interlaced about every 5th row, composing obviously an immense number of bricks. But not as many involved across the street. 6 stories and 600,000 square feet.
I think often about how much labor and planning went into construction of these buildings. While the video has SAM using a different variety of brick [and I'm guessing concrete masonry units could be done the same way] the work rate is rather phenomenal. No trowels, hods, mason's folding rule, hand level, loading brick carts, wow!
All the tenders might do beside feed machine is strike and brush joints. 
I wonder also at cost differential, between hand laying and point machine laid is less expensive per square.

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PJs (Sep 13, 2018),

ranald (Sep 20, 2018)

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## mklotz

> ...The midwest facility of Marv's Garage Mahal was built in 1894. ...



That's GARAJ Mahal and inside it sits Cecil, my mill drill, so-named because, naturally, Cecil B DeMill(e).

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PJs (Sep 13, 2018),

ranald (Sep 20, 2018),

Toolmaker51 (Sep 13, 2018)

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## Frank S

Good one Marv

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## ranald

It is quite impressive esp for large scale commercial work on flat ground.
No profiles, stringlines, mud boards, etc and certainly "NO PIGS". NO ONE wants one of those in a structure: only recourse is demolish.
When I had a bad debt, in the early 70's, I worked a second job at nights; commercial cleaning & at weekends I was "brickies labourer". The "in" bricks were wire cut very silicone ones that ripped leather gloves like is hard to comprehend. My cut hands could hardly hold a pen or industral floor cleaner but I managed & paid my bills. I was not to realise then, that that lesson would pay me back much later. In late 80's I was building a house (17000 bricks without the future garage) and a boom in housing saw no tradies available. I finally sourced a tradie & I laboured for him and got the job done. I ended saving a lot of time & rent being able to get involved.

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rgsparber (Oct 2, 2018)

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## Jon

Your browser does not support the video tag.

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Moby Duck (Oct 3, 2018),

Seedtick (Oct 2, 2018)

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## Toolmaker51

That's a fine idea. Not hard to replicate or use. A DIY'er can see, only the adjustments for thickness/ width of mortar bed [and volume of box] as minor issues. The demonstration lacks how they get a wet edge and finish joints; sufficient mortar is a requirement.

Masonry joints deteriorate, especially those which retain a moisture deposit. It's obvious how it occurs in raked or struck, despite tool provides smooth mortar. Flush joints are quick, but remaining surface is porous. 

Would enjoy cinderblock fence after connecting single apartment with building. Gauge Hall, as it may become known, will deserve a secure perimeter. Delivering mortar as the GIF shows gets project [linear 250' 76m] back in DIY realm.

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PJs (Oct 2, 2018)

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## ranald

mortar looks a little too sloppy (weaker) & what about Perps? Hard to imagine that just how the "box" slides so easily. don't think they will ever really replace an experienced "brickey"! That idea is similar or based upon the kerb making machines so will have its merits in some situations. 
side track.
Funny, the Thai bricks I saw were the size of an icecream-I sent a pic back to one of my brickie mates when travelling there. He was amazed at the small size & questioned the time to lay & the strength of such skinny walls. Gosh a cavity wall would be not much thicker than a mega brick single skin walls=imagine the number of cavety ties/ or rhs to support strengthen the mass.

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## Toolmaker51

I don't recall types of masonry in Asia, just plaster and whatever they call adobe. 
Hereabouts, celled [hollow] brick was used in basements. Mine happens to be normal brick, hollow are out numbered by stone, in older homes; very few of spec [speculative] construction. New work is poured concrete in custom or spec builds.

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## G.Paul

That's a nice tool but how bout the end joints. I would call that a slop box. I made one for taping drywall

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## ranald

> I don't recall types of masonry in Asia, just plaster and whatever they call adobe. 
> Hereabouts, celled [hollow] brick was used in basements. Mine happens to be normal brick, hollow are out numbered by stone, in older homes; very few of spec [speculative] construction. New work is poured concrete in custom or spec builds.



The Thai ones weren't celled & they didn't have a frog (divot for better adhesion)either. Guess one could do tight curves without cutting with hammer & bolster or grinder.

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## PJs

> That's a fine idea. Not hard to replicate or use. A DIY'er can see, only the adjustments for thickness/ width of mortar bed [and volume of box] as minor issues. The demonstration lacks how they get a wet edge and finish joints; sufficient mortar is a requirement.
> Attachment 25890
> Masonry joints deteriorate, especially those which retain a moisture deposit. It's obvious how it occurs in raked or struck, despite tool provides smooth mortar. Flush joints are quick, but remaining surface is porous. 
> 
> Would enjoy cinderblock fence after connecting single apartment with building. Gauge Hall, as it may become known, will deserve a secure perimeter. Delivering mortar as the GIF shows gets project [linear 250' 76m] back in DIY realm.



Nice graphic depiction TM51 and good explanations. Joint names seem logical to me now! Thanks! Could be added to Franks "useful charts or calculators for working metals and other materials" Thread, imho.

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## Toolmaker51

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



Revisiting this, as having crossed the DIY'er mind more than once, a test version needs adjustable 'shutter(s)'. This would help to determine what size opening works to flow proper ratio of water/mortar mix. It might not do end joints, but time saved troweling horizontally looks worthwhile. Getting wet beads on wet block requires timing and staged materials. Easier at ground level first 5-6 feet high, w-a-y harder on scaffolding. 
My intents enclosing 2 existing walls 20' x 40' and 18' high.
This is better than youtube versions; no clickbait, just a cement manufacturers video on wall building. Short and sweet.
https://www.quikrete.com/athome/video-blockwall.asp

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## Peter Sanders

Bricklaying doesn't work like that!!
A structure built like that with brick just laid on top of that flat surface will be VERY UNSAFE!
The reason bricks have holes create a bond of mortar BETWEEN the bricks, or if the brick is recessed is for the mortar to be slightly displaced and create a mild vacuum between the bricks and to allow the finishing of the joint.
As viewed in the image there seems to be NO (or very little) mortar between the ends of the bricks.

DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME! DO NOT MAKE YOURSELF A DEVICE TO REPLICATE THIS, IT IS UNSAFE!!

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Toolmaker51 (Oct 7, 2018)

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## G.Paul

Its a good tool to have and simple to make mortar is still needed on the end of the bricks

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## Frank S

Most Bricks laid in the USA are done as a siding over a frame house or on a commercial building as decorative siding as well.
I heard people say they live in a brick home. NO they live in a wood frame stick built house with brick siding usually with the bricks laid leaving a 1 to 2" dead air space between the bricks and the outside wall to allow for the slight movement of thermal expansion, contraction and the dissipation of moisture, this is also why every so often on the bottom course the mortar will be left out of an end joint the bricks are held in place on the walls by the use of lathing strips placed every so often. 
Yes the holes or depressions in the face of some bricks do actually add to the overall strength of the siding but the holes are mostly there as a way to make more bricks out of less material and to get a better kiln firing to harden them. some brands of bricks will actually float if sealed in a plastic bag.

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## ranald

> Most Bricks laid in the USA are done as a siding over a frame house or on a commercial building as decorative siding as well.
> I heard people say they live in a brick home. NO they live in a wood frame stick built house with brick siding usually with the bricks laid leaving a 1 to 2" dead air space between the bricks and the outside wall to allow for the slight movement of thermal expansion, contraction and the dissipation of moisture, this is also why every so often on the bottom course the mortar will be left out of an end joint the bricks are held in place on the walls by the use of lathing strips placed every so often. 
> Yes the holes or depressions in the face of some bricks do actually add to the overall strength of the siding but the holes are mostly there as a way to make more bricks out of less material and to get a better kiln firing to harden them. some brands of bricks will actually float if sealed in a plastic bag.



Hi Frank,

Most of our homes are like yours & are referred to as "brick veneer". My current home (bought constructed) is solid brick (one solid wall core filled like concrete block) where as the previous home (I owner built & designed) was cavity brick : the internal brick wall had a hardwood topplate (3" by 3") so that there was no dead space and the air could circulate as the temperature heats & cools. Didn't even need a fan let alone an air con or heater. Most cavety brick homes have a topplate spanning the cavity preventing the air to flow into the roof cavety above the ceiling and hot air can only exit through a suffit (if there is one) and this is very inefficient. We have gone stupid over here on various insulation types when most of the answer is creating a natural circulation.

The lathing strips that hold veneer to timber frame, over here, have a few crimps in the flat to encourage water to DRIP into the dead space then run out the weep holes: We call them veneer ties. For cavety brick work we hace a different "cavity tie" which is like heavy wire (not flat) and it also has a kink in each side for water that finds its way into the cavity: of course there is a top & a bottom or gravity wouldn't work. The weep holes(end joints) have to be big enough to allow tropical storm water to exit the space, after seeping through the porous bricks,or fascias etc, between the wall sections and small enough to prevent mice, snakes and other vermon entering and fouling the space. We can have 14" of rain over night or 70 mm in ten minutes so have to cater for that.

The regular spacing (governed by the cyclone code & the layer) of the wall ties is imperative for the full strength of the structure to resist the suck and push of strong winds. Many folk are unaware of the forces on a sail where the wind has about 30 to 40 percent push blowing the sail and about 60 to 70 percent sucking the sail: similar for houses walls & roofs. When obtaining an agrictural licence for hand spraying & distribution of chemicals & poisons it is important to stand/walk correctly relative to the slight breese or no brease due to that phenomenon. Side on spraying reduces the suck area caused by the body & some eroneously think its better to have their backs to the breeze. In the scenareo with no breeze is very dangerous as any fine spray should be totally avoided as the mist hangs in the air : strong winds, of course, causes too much drift of the chemical like overspray from a spray gun.

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Frank S (Oct 9, 2018)

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## Frank S

ranald, sometimes trying to teach an architect about the benefits and indeed necessity of natural convection air flow in outer wall construction is like trying to get a chicken to lay square eggs.
getting the ties wrong will cause the moisture to collect on them. over time they become nothing but flakes of rust then a good wind as you say the negative pressure of the blow will suck the veneer right off the wall. 
A few years back there was a really old building in a city here in Texas that had the hysterical preservation society of well wishers busy bodies and do gooders all in a tizzy because their beloved ruins actually became a ruins nearly killing a host of tourist while they were admiring the building..
Apparently what had happened sometime around 70 to 90 years ago the stone and non fired brick walled building had begun to show its age. So someone got the bright idea to cover the sides with the modern for the time brick facade or veneer on the side facing the street. With the passage of time what ever was used to tie the bricks to the side of the building if indeed there had been anything deteriorated a 40 MPH gust of wind at just the right angle and just the right time brought a 20 ft high 80 ft long wall to the sidewalk. The hysterical society even tried to sue the city for allowing the building's wall to collapse. At least now it is a nice safe flat parking lot.

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PJs (Oct 14, 2018),

ranald (Oct 10, 2018),

Toolmaker51 (Oct 9, 2018)

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## Jon

Your browser does not support the video tag.

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Andyt (Feb 14, 2019),

Beserkleyboy (Feb 14, 2019),

Marine2171 (Feb 17, 2019),

Moby Duck (Feb 16, 2019),

oldpastit (Feb 14, 2019),

PJs (Feb 13, 2019),

Seedtick (Feb 13, 2019)

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## Beserkleyboy

Jon, rather than just mortar, that appears to be the special cement based adhesive, not unlike thinset. The blocks are AAC. Here in AUS they are made by CSR and called HEBEL. A very efficient way to build masonry structures. Usually cement rendered as final finish. Cheers

Jim

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Jon (Feb 14, 2019)

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## McDesign

I think Hebel used to have a presence here in Atlanta, but couldn't raise enough interest in the land of cheap pine lumber.

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## Frank S

> I think Hebel used to have a presence here in Atlanta, but couldn't raise enough interest in the land of cheap pine lumber.



Yeah so they just roll merrily along building more termite havens

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## McDesign

Dangerous chemicals! We fight 'em with dangerous chemicals!
My wood house is from 1886; some termite damage, but we used chemicals!

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## Beserkleyboy

We are doing an increasing amount of steel framing here in AUS...They market it as termite proof(yes), fire proof(NO!) and of course EVERYONE knows steel is stronger than wood...shame the folded c section studs are about 16 ga...weak as piss..anyhoo, most houses are still timber framed using prefab frame and truss of h2 (LOSP treated for termite and rot resistance) KD Radiata Pine or 'Slash' Pine (Pinus Elliotii) same as some of your South Yellow Pine. Typical cladding is brick veneer, horizontal 'weatherboard', of fibre cement, masonite or sonetimes even trusty old wood! We use a LOT of treated pine here...used to be all CCA, now anything with potential human contact is ACQ. AUS and NZ have worked bloody hard, and successfully, at making a silk purse out of a sow's ear with Radiata Pine...Sawlogs in 25 years, Plywood peelers in 30-35...not to bad a rotation...cheers guys
Jim (3rd gen timber merchant)(

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Frank S (Feb 14, 2019),

Toolmaker51 (Feb 14, 2019)

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## McDesign

Interesting - anything simple I make from pine at the big box store - I realy like the figure in Radiata - was making a tapestry/loom frame for my wife last weekend - Radiata NZ for what shows, and SPF from Sweden for structure!




Forrest - here in Atlanta; far from NZ and Sweden but surrounded by pines - weird

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## Frank S

Actually if the steel studs were 16 ga they would be quite strong for framing the problem is formed and punched steel framing studs are not more than 22 ga for the walls only the perimeter and strategic load bearing studs will be heavier ga and the whole thing is held together with the minimal amount of dry wall screws or in some cases clamped together and punched with pneumatic punches the hole is what holds the studs together. In my opinion houses built in this nature can only remain standing as long as the drywall does not get wet. and the insulation board now days almost always some type of foam board. and 2 or 3 sheets of OSB to prevent racking in the wind. 
A far cry from forming up and pouring steel reinforced concrete pillars then stacking a double row of Hebel blocks with 6" of closed cell foam between the rows every 3 courses tied together with a wide long strip of steel lattice the walls caped with a poured in place concrete beam. Then shot crete blasted on the exterior the interior walls either plastered and painted or tiled with ceramic tiles and ceramic tile floors . the only thing flammable in a house like that is the furniture a3 story house will with stand a 200 MPH hurricane or in most cases an earth quake of 7.5 without any cracking. The only other wood you might find in the house would be in the fireplace Why you wold ever need a fireplace in an area where the average day time temperature in the winter is 50°f is beyond me.

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## ranald

> We are doing an increasing amount of steel framing here in AUS...They market it as termite proof(yes), fire proof(NO!) and of course EVERYONE knows steel is stronger than wood...shame the folded c section studs are about 16 ga...weak as piss..anyhoo, most houses are still timber framed using prefab frame and truss of h2 (LOSP treated for termite and rot resistance) KD Radiata Pine or 'Slash' Pine (Pinus Elliotii) same as some of your South Yellow Pine. Typical cladding is brick veneer, horizontal 'weatherboard', of fibre cement, masonite or sonetimes even trusty old wood! We use a LOT of treated pine here...used to be all CCA, now anything with potential human contact is ACQ. AUS and NZ have worked bloody hard, and successfully, at making a silk purse out of a sow's ear with Radiata Pine...Sawlogs in 25 years, Plywood peelers in 30-35...not to bad a rotation...cheers guys
> Jim (3rd gen timber merchant)(



I used to plant H4 bollards for Brisbane City. The engineers insisted the bottom of the fence holes were gravel about 19mm in the tender process: the posts had to be in contact with the gravel. I found out the hard way why they had that clause as, at home, I had built an awning using H4 treated turned(true ) logs & the underground parts rotted out where they were in concrete with no where for the moisture to go. I don't know why the one I built at my previous house still stands but it was in sand whereas the other was in clay but both were fully encased with concrete about 20mpa. All those council fences and bollards are still good today as well as the thousands of heritage hardwood ones I used a RSA with daddo blade to create. I guess the H4 maybe should have been H3 or H2 labelled on them.LOL now, but a pain redoing the leanto. If its worth doing its worth doing it properly comes to mind.

cheers

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## ranald

Hebel is loved by artists and budding sculptors alike as it is easily worked by handsaw & rasp. I only tried my hand at it once to see what all the fuss was about and created a simple ball on a cube that i thought I'd use as a small water feature but I've been working on a much bigger one.

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## Frank S

Juniper is one wood that has a high resistance to rot but in case it in concrete and it will rot since the water can not be wicked away placing posts on top of gravel creates a pathway for water to travel downward plus limits the ability of water in the ground to be wicked up through the end of the post. 
Utility poles are never set in concrete many will have a copper plate attached to the bottom whit a bare conductor leading up the pole. In well drained soils like deep sand the poles are just tamped in place with the sand but is poorly drained or water retentive soils like clay they are often tamped in with pea gravel or foamed in with foam being injected into the hole

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ranald (Feb 14, 2019)

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## ranald

Kind of guessed it was a form of wicking as used in horticulture. The comparison of both proves the point of/for BCC engineers.

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## Frank S

The same problem with building wood frame houses and not placing a moisture barrier between the seal plate and the slab the wood will rot.
My house was built this way in the early 70's not even a strip of roofing felt paper under the seal plates and the foundation. I have replaced the plates and the bottom 1 foot of several studs in 2 of the walls now and it looks like eventually I may have to replace 2 more in another section of the house.

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## McDesign

I truly have a dozen working fireplaces - but it's old, and was once a boarding house for the college down the street.

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## ranald

Yep Frank we call it a "damp course" and were originally like asphalted metal then asp/aluminium then plastic something like viscreen but much tougher. Used under Bottom plates of wooden frames and for brickwork.

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## ranald

> Juniper is one wood that has a high resistance to rot but in case it in concrete and it will rot since the water can not be wicked away placing posts on top of gravel creates a pathway for water to travel downward plus limits the ability of water in the ground to be wicked up through the end of the post. 
> Utility poles are never set in concrete many will have a copper plate attached to the bottom whit a bare conductor leading up the pole. In well drained soils like deep sand the poles are just tamped in place with the sand but is poorly drained or water retentive soils like clay they are often tamped in with pea gravel or foamed in with foam being injected into the hole



Juniperus species usually have a high resistance to white ants as well : unlike most other conifers & pines.

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## Beserkleyboy

Wow, you get NZ radiata there? Well good on the Kiwis for cracking into your market! They do a better job of plantation management than in AUS. Here in AUS, most plantations will be thinned in maybe 5-8 years, but relatively no high pruning is done. The Kiwis recognised the value of high pruning around 8 years to allow development of clear (of knots) butt logs, suitable for plywood peelers and sawlogs producing clear boards, both having significantly higher yields, outweighing the original pruning costs. The Kiwis are able to export high quality logs, debarked, to Japan, Korea and China and receive high prices. We in AUS, actually buy in NZ product for higher grades required in various commodity products...go figure...enjoy the NZ wood, it is sweet to work...cheers 
Jim in sunny South Coast NSW, AUS

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## Beserkleyboy

Frank, you know steel far better than I do...my 16 ga was a guess...but 22 ga? Really, no wonder the frames feel so spindly. When you examine a steel frame house without any linings, you'd swear it was not even as strong as your chilhood ErectorSet toys(I loved mine...). We do a smallish amount of double, cavity brick construction here and use 'speed brick' (size of 2 bricks) in multi story apartment projects. The HEBEL AAC blocks have never seriously penetrated either the large residential builders or the commercial builders of apartments. A great product, but hard to sway the conservative and traditional thinking in the building game...here in AUS, when I've questioned an old fashioned technique or building spec or practice, more often than not, I've heard, 'That's the way we were taught' or That's how we've always done it...go figure...and thank you for your thoughtful contributions, Frank...cheers
Jim

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## ranald

> Frank, you know steel far better than I do...my 16 ga was a guess...but 22 ga? Really, no wonder the frames feel so spindly. When you examine a steel frame house without any linings, you'd swear it was not even as strong as your chilhood ErectorSet toys(I loved mine...). We do a smallish amount of double, cavity brick construction here and use 'speed brick' (size of 2 bricks) in multi story apartment projects. The HEBEL AAC blocks have never seriously penetrated either the large residential builders or the commercial builders of apartments. A great product, but hard to sway the conservative and traditional thinking in the building game...here in AUS, when I've questioned an old fashioned technique or building spec or practice, more often than not, I've heard, 'That's the way we were taught' or That's how we've always done it...go figure...and thank you for your thoughtful contributions, Frank...cheers
> Jim



the steel frames are engineered down to a price. Only one guy or lady can get on the roof until it is fully tied down )screwed off). I have seen spec wooden house frames and engineered certified with trusses that had checks the full length of the bottom chord. One wouldn't touch them with a 40' pole if one knew. Now we are using a chip board for trusses...unbelievable. A mate is about to build and considered using yellow tongue (you know- can withstand 15 weeks under water BS. I told him about my friend who had a leak in her laundry (vinyl over yellow tongue) and her washing machine fell through but was saved by the cypress joists. I repaired it with plywood the same thickness (as I had some =as you do).

a couple of years back, I read an article about a wooden bridge in Europe (Finland I think) where the bridge is mostly under water. The pic I saw looked like the water was in a lake and lapping the top of the bridge so crossing is a bit like Moses parting the waters. Its late but I think it was called versawood or something similar=now that is sustanable technology, ingenuity, R & development in my eyes.

cheers

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Beserkleyboy (Feb 15, 2019)

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## McDesign

> Wow, you get NZ radiata there?



This was a project I put together for my wife's middle-school class year-end project - "mini blanket chests" - Radiata for the frames; birch tile underlayment ply for the panels, and cedar for the legs.















Forrest in Atlanta

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Beserkleyboy (Feb 15, 2019),

ranald (Feb 15, 2019)

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## ranald

> This was a project I put together for my wife's middle-school class year-end project - "mini blanket chests" - Radiata for the frames; birch tile underlayment ply for the panels, and cedar for the legs.
> 
> Attachment 28113
> 
> Attachment 28114
> 
> Attachment 28115
> 
> Attachment 28116
> ...



stack 'em up Forrest. Nice & simple, something useful to take home, & off the "it" for the youth. Win win.

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## Beserkleyboy

Nice work, mate, cheers.

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## Frank S

truly great projects for the youngsters. Most of all your dedication to make all of the parts for them to finish and assemble. When I started middle school one of my teachers decided it would be a fun project for each of us kids to make a bird house. Yeah right! She showed up with a stack of 1 by wood some hand saws hammers and nails a brace and an adjustable bit. For 1 hour every day for a week we destroyed our class room with saw dust and the sound of nails being bent. A few of us kids were a lot more fortunate than the others since we lived on farms and had been doing things since we became enough to pull 1 end of a 4 ft cross cut saw. My bird house turned out to look like 1 hole outhouse but at least the 4 sides top and bottom fit together. most though became a failed attempt to resemble anything.

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## ranald

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



My feeble attempt at hebel'



just a handsaw, rasp & a file needed to work this stuff.

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Toolmaker51 (Feb 16, 2019)

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