Remember when we used to mix mortar by hand on a board?

I still do it that way for small jobs under 50 bricks, even though my partner keeps telling me to use the mixer. Has anyone else found the hand mix gives you better control over the consistency?

2 comments

2 Comments

hugo_ellis2d ago

Feeling the mix change in your hands" - that's exactly it, Alice. I've tried explaining that to my nephew who's all about the mixer, but he doesn't get it. When you're working by hand, you can tell the exact moment it hits that sweet spot where it's wet enough to hold shape but not so loose it slumps off the trowel. A machine just churns it until you stop it and hope it's right. The one downside is what you mentioned about the back - I find myself doing a lot of small repairs just because I know I'll end up in the chiropractor if I do too many big jobs that way.

alice_reed472d ago

Is it bad that I sometimes still do it for jobs up to 100 bricks if the weather is nice? There's just something about feeling the mix change in your hands that a machine can't replicate. I find it easier to catch it right before it gets too stiff, especially on humid days when the mix acts different. My back definitely hates me for it the next morning though.