Setting out heights for foundation brick levels?

[mtt.tr]

25 quid. Gotta pop back for the gauge next week. It's at her son's

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Well done.

You can self check these I'll dig out the guide

 

[eLuSiVeMiTe]

Well done.

You can self check these I'll dig out the guide

Found one earlier.

For 25 quid it was worth it for the tripod and gauge stick to use with the laser

 

[Blake's 7]

Sun during the day and frost at night is a pain for lime mortar. But I'm getting a good tan.

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Why are you using lime mortar rather than sand and cement. Is it to blend in with previous brickwork?

 

[eLuSiVeMiTe]

Why are you using lime mortar rather than sand and cement. Is it to blend in with previous brickwork?

Very old pub iirc

 

[malcolm]

Why are you using lime mortar rather than sand and cement. Is it to blend in with previous brickwork?

The bricks are 200 years old and badly made - they are very prone to spalling. The lime is much better than cement at letting excess water evaporate. I think it looks nice too. I've repointed the whole house in the same mix so it should blend well too.

 

[Blake's 7]

The bricks are 200 years old and badly made - they are very prone to spalling. The lime is much better than cement at letting excess water evaporate. I think it looks nice too. I've repointed the whole house in the same mix so it should blend well too.

Thanks for the reply.

I know exactly what you mean about old, poorly made bricks as SWMBO has recently renovated a house which was built from these types of brick and lime mortar. we took down an internal wall, salvaged as many of them as we could and dumped the rest which had broken up as we dismantled the wall.

I'm also planning to have some internal brickwork done in my own old farmhouse using lime mortar and intend to leave the mortar flush with the face of the brick as I think that is more reminiscent of olden times.

Best of luck with the wall.

 

[malcolm]

Thanks for the reply.

I know exactly what you mean about old, poorly made bricks as SWMBO has recently renovated a house which was built from these types of brick and lime mortar. we took down an internal wall, salvaged as many of them as we could and dumped the rest which had broken up as we dismantled the wall.

I'm also planning to have some internal brickwork done in my own old farmhouse using lime mortar and intend to leave the mortar flush with the face of the brick as I think that is more reminiscent of olden times.

Best of luck with the wall.

I'm doing something similar to match what was on the house. 50:50 sharp sand and builders sand mix (and 2.5 sand to 1 NHL3.5). Flush pointed, then a couple of hours later when it drys a bit hit with a masonry cleaning brush then brushed lightly. It recesses the pointing very slightly, exposes the edges of the bricks, and because I'm using sharp sand it reveals a bit of the aggregate. I think the finish looks neater than a trowel finish.

 

[mtt.tr]

I'm doing something similar to match what was on the house. 50:50 sharp sand and builders sand mix (and 2.5 sand to 1 NHL3.5). Flush pointed, then a couple of hours later when it drys a bit hit with a masonry cleaning brush then brushed lightly. It recesses the pointing very slightly, exposes the edges of the bricks, and because I'm using sharp sand it reveals a bit of the aggregate. I think the finish looks neater than a trowel finish.


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With lime its essential to use sharp straight builders sand doesn't work due to how the lime bonds to the aggregate

 

[malcolm]

With lime its essential to use sharp straight builders sand doesn't work due to how the lime bonds to the aggregate

True enough - I think some of that is so the lime people can charge £400 for a bulk bag of useable sharp sand. When my wall was originally built I suspect they would have used whatever sand came out of the ground and experimented with the lime content to match.

The builders merchant sharp sand isn't ideal by itself. It doesn't flow. (At least the stuff available here. I started off with some really bad plastering sharp sand that was magic, but they stopped selling as I was the only person that used it.) You do need to experiment to get the lime mix right. 3:1 is often quoted but I found that hit and miss and ended up increasing the lime content a bit.

 

[mtt.tr]

True enough - I think some of that is so the lime people can charge £400 for a bulk bag of useable sharp sand. When my wall was originally built I suspect they would have used whatever sand came out of the ground and experimented with the lime content to match.

The builders merchant sharp sand isn't ideal by itself. It doesn't flow. (At least the stuff available here. I started off with some really bad plastering sharp sand that was magic, but they stopped selling as I was the only person that used it.) You do need to experiment to get the lime mix right. 3:1 is often quoted but I found that hit and miss and ended up increasing the lime content a bit.

I will see if i still have my lime guide my architect sent, it maybe 3 pages long. No bs just facts, its accepted in the historic community.

 

[VeryFEDUP]

Well done.

You can self check these I'll dig out the guide

The check is called a Two Peg Test. In a nutshell, it is this:

Have two points around 50m apart on fairly level ground. You can use two pegs or, corners of inspection covers or stop valves. Anything you'll be able to identify easily; even crayon marks are fine. Call one Point A and the other Point B.

Set the level up as close to halfway between the two point as you can and level it up. Check the bubble at this point by levelling as well as you can and the turn the instrument 180 degrees. Bubble shouldn't drift off.

Now place the staff on Point A, take a reading and write it down.

Move the staff to Point B, take a reading and write it down.

Take one reading from the other to give you a height difference between A and B.

Pick the level up and move it towards Point A. Set it up again around 5m from it.

Put the staff on Point A and take a reading. Write it down.

Move the staff to Point B and take a reading. Write it down.

Take one reading from the other to give you another height difference.

They should be within say 4-5mm of each other. This test checks that the line of sight is actually perpendicular to the vertical plane. Any error measured on the short distance is magnified over the longer distance.

First thing I would do is set it up and level it. Now look at a wall or something and, whilst you're looking through the telescope at the wall, tweak one of the footscrews slightly. The cross hairs should jump off the point you were looking at on the wall but then return to it. If it doesn't do this, it could mean the compensator is damaged.

 

[VeryFEDUP]

@eLuSiVeMiTe if you want any, I can send you some booking sheet templates I have made up for Excel. The Height of Collimation is the easiest method to learn.

 

[mtt.tr]

The check is called a Two Peg Test. In a nutshell, it is this:

Have two points around 50m apart on fairly level ground. You can use two pegs or, corners of inspection covers or stop valves. Anything you'll be able to identify easily; even crayon marks are fine. Call one Point A and the other Point B.

Set the level up as close to halfway between the two point as you can and level it up. Check the bubble at this point by levelling as well as you can and the turn the instrument 180 degrees. Bubble shouldn't drift off.

Now place the staff on Point A, take a reading and write it down.

Move the staff to Point B, take a reading and write it down.

Take one reading from the other to give you a height difference between A and B.

Pick the level up and move it towards Point A. Set it up again around 5m from it.

Put the staff on Point A and take a reading. Write it down.

Move the staff to Point B and take a reading. Write it down.

Take one reading from the other to give you another height difference.

They should be within say 4-5mm of each other. This test checks that the line of sight is actually perpendicular to the vertical plane. Any error measured on the short distance is magnified over the longer distance.

First thing I would do is set it up and level it. Now look at a wall or something and, whilst you're looking through the telescope at the wall, tweak one of the footscrews slightly. The cross hairs should jump off the point you were looking at on the wall but then return to it. If it doesn't do this, it could mean the compensator is damaged.

Braver man than me, far too much typing.


Well done though

 

[eLuSiVeMiTe]

@eLuSiVeMiTe if you want any, I can send you some booking sheet templates I have made up for Excel. The Height of Collimation is the easiest method to learn.

Appreciate the offer
I'm unlikely to ever use it tbh.
For a score it was worth it for the tripod and the gauge stick. I needed a gauge stick for the laser detector and a new one would have set me back 50 notes

 

[Blake's 7]

True enough - I think some of that is so the lime people can charge £400 for a bulk bag of useable sharp sand. When my wall was originally built I suspect they would have used whatever sand came out of the ground and experimented with the lime content to match.

The builders merchant sharp sand isn't ideal by itself. It doesn't flow. (At least the stuff available here. I started off with some really bad plastering sharp sand that was magic, but they stopped selling as I was the only person that used it.) You do need to experiment to get the lime mix right. 3:1 is often quoted but I found that hit and miss and ended up increasing the lime content a bit.

What size of a bulk bag are they selling for £400? I get ton bags of 5 mm sharp sand direct from the quarry for €36 each.