4 ms·

Why aren't they using shims and jigs? If you want to line it up right, make sure you have the right amount of mortar in the right place, etc, put a jig around i

Why aren't they using shims and jigs? If you want to line it up right, make sure you have the right amount of mortar in the right place, etc, put a jig around it with some shims. It's the easiest way to build anything precisely that has to be done over and over again.

michaelt 9y ago
If you have the wrong amount, consistency or distribution of mortar, the jig won't fix it. If you have the right amount, consistency and distribution of mortar, the jig won't do anything :)
- peterwwillis 9y ago
  So you build a jig to apply mortar. You scoop in an excess of mortar, pack it, press it, and what's left is just the right amount. Apply it into the space you want to lay the brick. Remove jig, maybe using a trowel to help if the mortar sticks a bit. Another jig holds the brick and fits it into place at the right position and placement with the right pressure.
  - istjohn 9y ago
    Now you have two jigs to place, remove, and clean[1] for every brick you lay. And you'll need to adjust your jigs or have extra sets to lay half bricks, window sills, leads and corners. The greenest of apprentice bricklayers would be running circles around you with their trowel, level, and string. 1. It's not easy to keep a tool clean of mortar unless it's a simple flat blade like a trowel. Mortar will get in any crevice, dry, and then wet mortar sticks to it becoming that much harder to clean. An easy heuristic to judge the skill of a mason tender (assistant) is how clean their shovel is.
    - peterwwillis 9y ago
      I think you're right, but there's still potential for iterating over the jigs until they are more efficient. The robot in the video of the article seems to me like the same sort of large crude machine that predated the compact sewing machine. It took quite a long time for them to improve on it, but it worked, and now very few industries sew by hand.
jpindar 9y ago
That might be the easiest way for a novice to do it, but would it be the fastest for someone who has experience?
- peterwwillis 9y ago
  Oh sure, someone who's an expert may do it faster without a jig. But we don't need more expert bricklayers to lay 9 bricks a minute, we just need more bricklayers. By using jigs you simplify the process and make it easier to perform by less experienced people, and make the process more reliable, which reduces waste, which increases efficiency, which brings down cost, and improves quality.

michaelt 9y ago

If you have the wrong amount, consistency or distribution of mortar, the jig won't fix it. If you have the right amount, consistency and distribution of mortar, the jig won't do anything :)

peterwwillis 9y ago
So you build a jig to apply mortar. You scoop in an excess of mortar, pack it, press it, and what's left is just the right amount. Apply it into the space you want to lay the brick. Remove jig, maybe using a trowel to help if the mortar sticks a bit. Another jig holds the brick and fits it into place at the right position and placement with the right pressure.
- istjohn 9y ago
  Now you have two jigs to place, remove, and clean[1] for every brick you lay. And you'll need to adjust your jigs or have extra sets to lay half bricks, window sills, leads and corners. The greenest of apprentice bricklayers would be running circles around you with their trowel, level, and string. 1. It's not easy to keep a tool clean of mortar unless it's a simple flat blade like a trowel. Mortar will get in any crevice, dry, and then wet mortar sticks to it becoming that much harder to clean. An easy heuristic to judge the skill of a mason tender (assistant) is how clean their shovel is.
  - peterwwillis 9y ago
    I think you're right, but there's still potential for iterating over the jigs until they are more efficient. The robot in the video of the article seems to me like the same sort of large crude machine that predated the compact sewing machine. It took quite a long time for them to improve on it, but it worked, and now very few industries sew by hand.

jpindar 9y ago

That might be the easiest way for a novice to do it, but would it be the fastest for someone who has experience?

peterwwillis 9y ago
Oh sure, someone who's an expert may do it faster without a jig. But we don't need more expert bricklayers to lay 9 bricks a minute, we just need more bricklayers. By using jigs you simplify the process and make it easier to perform by less experienced people, and make the process more reliable, which reduces waste, which increases efficiency, which brings down cost, and improves quality.