I have layer three courses of the 200mm wide bricks now, and whilst it is going OK, it could be better. There are 2 main problems – its hard to set up the string line accurately, and because if the height of the bricks, its impossible to clean out the mortar that squeezes out from the back.
So, I decided to kill two birds with one idea, and make up some formwork. The formwork needs to be fixes to something, so I have spent some time and taken care to fit the frame with batters, sort of like what you would do it you were installing weatherboards.
The batterns are made from cheep 20 x 50 pine (about $2.70 per 2.4m length), and packed out with bits of scrap. The batters are packed out so the face of them is exactly 17mm away from the inside surface of the brickwork, as this is the width if the form ply.
Notice also that the bricks are ‘core filled’ with aggregate. Because I am not a skilled bricklayer, this makes it much easier for me to lay out the mortar bed without it all falling into the brick holes.
This is a shot of the formwork. The formwork is exactly one course high (including a 10mm mortar bed).
The formwork is hung of ply supports, and set up perfectly level.
The bricks are then layer against the formwork, and minimal mortar squeezes out the back. The top of the formwork is the guide to set the bricks to.
Note the ply spacer. I was finding it hard to keep the mortar stuck to the ends of the bricks as I put them in place – sometimes it just slid off. So, I now lay the bricks using a spacer, and go back and fill in the verticals using a ply scrap board to push the mortar in. Much neater, and a better density of mortar in the joints.
Removing the formwork is simply a matter of unscrewing 3 screws and lifting it up, being careful not to dislodge the bricks. There is a bit of stiction with the mortar in the verticals, but not too much.
Must remember to put in the brick ties every two courses.
This is me in action laying up the mortar.
Dianne got in on the bricklaying action and did all the small sill bricks.
I think for me using the formwork is much quicker and neater. It allows me as an amateur brick layer to do a good job. For the workshop I will probably make up several formwork boards so I can do long runs, and so I can let the mortar dry a bit before I lift the formwork out.
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