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Old timer told me to slow down my tuckpointing and it clicked
I was working on a brownstone in Brooklyn last summer and this retired mason walked by while I was grinding out old mortar. He just shook his head and said 'you're going too fast, you're gonna pop the brick corners.' I thought I was being efficient but he was right. I changed my angle on the grinder and started taking shallower passes instead of trying to hog it all out at once. The finish came out way cleaner and I didn't chip a single brick after that. Has anyone else had a random passerby give advice that actually improved their work?
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xenan644mo ago
Grinding out mortar is one of those jobs where going slow actually saves time in the long run. I've seen guys try to rip through it with a big grinder and end up having to patch six corners later. Taking shallower passes keeps the brick faces intact and gives you way more control over the depth. Once you switch to that method, the finished joint looks way cleaner and you don't waste time fixing mistakes. Good advice from that old timer, wish I had someone tell me that years ago.
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garcia.casey4mo ago
Man, that's the truth right there. I learned the hard way myself trying to rush through tuckpointing and ended up chipping half a dozen bricks. Slowing down and letting the tool do the work is definitely the better play.
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