Basic Tools

Tutor Copy

Bricklaying Tools and Equipment

• Walling trowel• Pointing trowel • Spirit level• Line and pins• Corner blocks• Brick hammer• Lump hammer

• Bolster chisel• Scutch hammer• Builders square• Half round jointing tool• Boat/pocket level• Straight edge• Mortar board

Brick trowel

The best trowels are forged from a single piece of steel.

Handles can be made from timber (hickory), fibre glass or rubber.

Styles are: Broad heel and Philadelphia

Pointing Trowel

Used to finish joints when pointing (weather struck, and struck are the most common)

The best trowels are forged from a single piece of steel.

Handles can be made from timber (hickory), fibre glass or rubber.

Tape measures

Tape measures vary in size.

Pocket tapes start at 3 m and can go up to 8 m

Setting out/surveying tapes are usually made from fabric and range from 30 m to 100 m in length.

surveying/setting out tape measureGeneral tape measure

Brick Hammer

This type of hammer should never be used with a chisel.

Handles can be made of wood (Hickory), fibre glass or rubber.

The sharp end is used to neatly cut bricks and the hammer end is used to roughly break bricks in half.

Scutch Hammer

Handles can be made of wood (Hickory), fibre glass or rubber.

Scutch combs have teeth and are replaceable

Lump Hammer

Also known as a “Club Hammer”

Used to strike a chisel or metal pin.

Care must be taken to avoid the hammer head coming loose.

Handles can be made of wood (Hickory), fibre glass or rubber.

Bolster Chisel

These are usually 100 mm wide and are used to cut bricks/blocks.

Care must be taken to avoid the handle “mushrooming” after a lot of use.

Plugging Chisel

Also known as a “Remer”

Used with a lump hammer to chisel existing mortar out from between bricks (pointing).

Cold ChiselCold chisels can be bought

in different sizes.

These are used to chisel (cut) out bricks

e.g. if you were taking a section of a wall down, you would use the Plugging chisel to remove the mortar between the bricks and then use the Cold chisel to cut the brick out.

Lines and Pins

The pins are used to attach lines to walls by inserting them into “perp” joints. They enable bricklayers to lay a lot of bricks fast

“to line”.

Line is usually made from hemp or nylon.

Corner Blocks

Modern corner blocks are made from plastic.

Why not make these yourself out of wood?

Tingle plate

A tingle plate is made of metal and is used to hold the line in the

middle of a long wall to stop it sagging – you

could make this yourself.

Spirit level

Spirit levels are available in various lengths ranging from 225mm up to 1.2m

Used for Plumbing (vertical) --- Levelling (horizontal)

Sequence for checking aSpirit level:

1. Set two screws into a bench just slightly closer together than the length of the level to be checked.

2. Turn one of the screws until the bubble reads level, when the level is resting on the heads of the two screws.

3. Reverse the level and replace it on the screws, and if the bubble is between the lines, the level is accurate.

4. If the bubble is not in the centre of the lines, adjustment must be made to the bubble tube.

5. Keep checking by reversing the level on the screws.

Half round Jointer / Bucket handle

These are usually made from stainless steel and are available in different widths.

They create a half round joint finish to bricks or blocks.

Sliding Bevel

A sliding bevel is an adjustable gauge for setting and transferring angles on to bricks.

Once set they can be locked to make sure the angle is maintained.

Raker / Chariot

The nail in the racker can be adjusted. It is used to cut out mortar joints to a set depth, this

is called recessing.

Point Master

Similar to a raker/chariot. Different attachments are used to produce struck pointing, half round jointing and shaped

recessed/raked joint finishes.