chapter 8

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chapterHand tools and equipment

8

OVERVIEW This chapter looks at the many tools and different types of equipment used by a bricklayer. If a bricklayer is working on a new housing site, he will use fewer tools than a bricklayer who carries out extensions and alteration work. Most bricklayers carry a wide selection of tools so as not to be caught out if there are changes to the type of work to be undertaken or if extra work is required.

Most bricklayers collect their tools over a long period of time, usually adding tools as they require them, normally to carry out a specific job at that time or sometimes to replace worn out tools. Larger tools they may use, such as drills, breakers and cutters, may be bought or hired, depending on how often the tool is used and the cost to buy compared with hire charges.

This chapter will cover the following topics:

• Health and safety

• Hand tools

• Portable power tools.

These topics can be found in the following modules:

CC 1001 K CC 1001 S

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Brickwork NVQ and Technical Certificate Level 2, 2nd Edition

Health and safetyAll tools are potentially dangerous and you, as an operator of tools, must make sure that all health and safety requirements relating to the tools are always carried out. This will help ensure that you do not cause injury to yourself and, equally important, to others who may be working around you and to the general public. Make sure you follow any instructions and demonstrations you are given on the use of tools, as well as any manufacturers’ instructions provided on purchase of the tools.

Basic health and safety rules1. Always make sure you use the correct personal protective equipment (PPE)

required to use the tool and do the job you are carrying out.

2. Never ‘make do’ with tools. Using the wrong tool for the job usually breaks health and safety laws.

3. Never play or mess around with a tool regardless of the type, whether it is a hand tool or power tool.

4. Never use a tool you have not been trained to use, especially a power tool.

Hand toolsThe bricklayer’s tools are his living. Therefore great care should be taken when using tools. Always make sure they are correctly cleaned after use. When purchasing tools, make sure they are of good quality, durable and the right tool for the job.

The tools covered in this chapter are a large selection of those that you will come across during your early years in the trade, depending on the type of work carried out during this time.

Trowels

Brick trowelThe brick trowel is used by the bricklayer to take the mortar off the mortar board, lay it on to the wall, and spread it to form a uniform bed joint ready for the bricks to be laid upon.

Remember

Follow the basic health and safety rules and you (and others) will be safe

Remember

It does not always pay to buy the cheapest tool available. However, your finances may dictate the quality you can afford to buy during the early years of training, so you may find you need to replace tools when you can afford to

Brick trowel

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Chapter 8 Hand tools and equipment

Brick trowels can be purchased in different sizes and for left- or right-handed people. They are made from solid rolled forged carbon steel, with a hickory handle. Always clean your trowel with water after use, dry it thoroughly and lightly oil to prevent rust from forming.

Pointing trowelPointing trowels can be purchased in different sizes depending on requirement and preference. They are used for filling in joints and pointing certain types of joint finishes. They are made from solid rolled forged carbon steel, with a hickory handle. Clean as you would a brick trowel.

Concrete or plastering trowelThis trowel is sometimes called a float and is used for finishing concrete, for putting plaster on to walls and ceilings and rendering on to walls. It is often made of steel with a wood or plastic handle and comes in different sizes. Some are made of plastic or wood instead of steel, which means they are lighter if using for long periods of time, especially in plastering. They are also used for floor screeding finishes. Clean as you would a brick trowel.

Hand hawkThe hand hawk is used by the bricklayer in the process of filling joints in pointing and jointing. The mortar is placed on the top and used with the pointing trowel to avoid having to repeatedly return to the mortar board. The hawk is usually made of wood or plastic but some plasterers use steel hawks. Clean it with water after use.

Joint rakerThe joint raker often goes under the name ‘chariot’. This tool is used for raking out soft mortar joints, whether to give a joint finish on new work or to take out old mortar ready for repointing. Made of steel, it has an adjustable raking pin to change the depth the joint is recessed.

Pointing trowel

Concrete or plastering trowel (plasterer’s float)

Hand hawk

Joint raker (chariot)

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JointerUsually made from steel, this tool is used to form the joint finish after building a wall. This serves two purposes:

1. It helps to make the joint more waterproof.

2. The appearance of the wall looks more pleasing.

The tool shown in the photo is used to form a half rounded joint referred to as a bucket handle finish. Jointers are made from rolled forged carbon steel.

Tape measureTape measures come in many sizes, from 3 m up to 10 m for the pocket type, and from 10 m up to 30 m for larger setting out tapes – some can go up to 100 m. Used for measuring or checking sizes, they are usually made with

plastic or steel cases, with a steel measure. Some come with both metric (centimetres and metres) and imperial (inches and feet) measurements, although most only have metric measures. Larger tapes are made of steel or fibreglass.

Always ensure tapes are wiped clean after use as moisture will result in the steel rusting and any dirt will clog up the tape, making it hard to release or retract.

ScrewdriversThere are many different types of screwdriver but a straightforward slotted and Phillips-type screwdriver are always used by bricklayers for fixings etc. Screwdrivers are made from steel with a plastic handle grip.

Jointer

Steel tape measure

A 30 m tape measure

Slotted and Phillips screwdrivers

Did you know?

The use of a lightly oiled rag when retracting a tape measure helps stop rusting

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Hammers

Brick hammerBrick hammers are used for rough cutting and shaping bricks and are made from forged steel with a hickory handle. The brick should be held stable, with the hammer held in the appropriate hand. With the square edge of the hammer you tap the brick at the position you require the cut.

Goggles and mask should be used to prevent chippings going into your eyes and dust being inhaled. Also, carry out cutting in a separate place away from other people to prevent them from being affected by your actions.

Club or lump hammerThis is a heavy hammer used together with a bolster chisel for cutting bricks/blocks by hand. It is also used with other chisels for cutting out bricks, knocking holes through walls and removing joints using a plugging chisel. It is made from forged steel, with a hickory handle, and comes in different weights, usually ranging from 2.5 lb to 4 lb.

Claw hammerThe claw hammer is used for fixing nails into different materials or taking out existing nails with its claw. It should not be used in conjunction with chisels as the rounded head is small and the hand is usually an easy target to hit. It is made from forged tempered steel with a hardened head and a polished finish.

Claw hammers come in different weights ranging from 16 oz to 24 oz.

Brick hammer

Club/lump hammer

Safety tip

Great care must be taken when using a brick hammer as it is very easy to hit your supporting hand with the hammer

Did you know?

The claw hammer can come with a wooden or steel shaft, the steel shaft normally having a rubber shaft cover to absorb the shockClaw hammer

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Cold chiselsThese are used for cutting holes or knocking down brickwork/blockwork during alteration work. They are made from forged hardened tempered steel and come in a variety of different sizes ranging from 6.5 mm to 25 mm blade cutting size. Some come with safety handle grips. Different shaft lengths are available, ranging from 100 mm in length up to 450 mm.

Scutch or comb hammerThis is used to trim bricks or blocks to the correct size or shape. It is made from forged tempered steel, with a hickory handle. Small combs are inserted into the head to give the trimming blade and it can come with a single or double scutch head.

Great care must be taken when using this hammer as particles of the materials being trimmed fly off. Also, you must be careful not to hit your hands.

ChiselsThere are many different types of chisel used by a bricklayer. Some of the most frequently used are described below.

Bolster chiselThis is used mainly for cutting bricks or blocks to the required size and angled shape. It is made from hardened tempered steel, usually in cutting blade sizes from 64 mm to 100 mm. Some come with safety handle grips.

Scutch or comb hammer

Remember

Change the combs regularly as blunt ones make the work take longer

Safety tip

Always use suitable personal protective equipment (PPE)

Cold chisels

Bolster chisels

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Plugging chiselThis type of chisel is used for taking out existing mortar joints for repairs and cutting out existing joints for lead work. It is made from fluted cast steel

and is normally available in just one size.

Scutch comb chiselUsed for trimming bricks or cutting electrical chases

into walls, it holds a trimming comb at the end and is made of hardened steel. The trimming blade size is 25 mm.

Maintenance

Care must be taken when using chisels to make sure the blades are always sharp.

Also, make sure that the striking end does not form a ‘mushroom’ through hitting, as parts of this are likely to break off. This could result in injury to the user’s face or, if parts break off when holding, they could penetrate the skin on the hand. If ‘mushrooming’ does occur, the end must be ground smooth before further use.

Spirit levelsMade from aluminium, spirit levels come in various sizes from 225 mm to 1200 mm, with 1200 mm being the main size that a bricklayer uses. They are used for levelling things horizontally and for plumbing vertically, having bubbles that give a reading between set lines to determine accuracy of the work. Some levels have an adjustable bubble at the bottom for levelling angled work.

Great care must be taken when using levels as they can easily go out of true, which can result in work seeming to be level or plumb by the reading but actually being wrong. This could result in work having to be taken down and redone. The main cause of a spirit level going out of true is normally that the level has been hit with a trowel or hammer, dropped or in other ways misused. Always wash the spirit level off with water after use to keep it clean.

Plugging chisel

Scutch comb chisel

Remember

Make sure you change the comb of a scutch chisel on a regular basis as blunt ones take more time and effort to use

Spirit level

Definition

True – giving an accurate reading

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Boat levelsThese are useful for levelling and plumbing small work

such as soldier bricks and are always handy to have in your toolkit. They work on the same principle as the larger levels.

Checking a level for accuracy (true)

Before you use a level, it is best to check it for accuracy (true) first. You can do this by simply placing the level on a flat surface or on previously levelled screws, making a mark at both ends and reading the bubble position. You should then turn the level around, reversing the positions of the ends and make sure they touch your marks. The bubble can then be read again. If the bubble is in the same position both times you read it, the level is accurate. If the bubbles give different readings, the level is out of true and the bubble will need adjusting to make the level accurate. See Figure 8.1.

Boat level

Did you know?

You can use the same method to check a level for true upright against a surface (i.e when using to plumb)

Client: HarcourtJob No: J6598Fig No: AW0058

Screws

Level

Plumb

Check screws with a plumbline. Once reading true, putlevel across screws, turn 180°.If reading is different, the levelis not true.

Figure 8.1 Checking levels for accuracy

Lines and pinsLines and pins are used for laying bricks and blocks once the corners have been erected to ensure work is in a straight line. The pins are placed into the perp joints at each end of the run so that the line runs from the top of the laid brick at each end. This ensures that the bricks that are to be laid run in a straight line and, by putting the top of the brick to the line, also keeps the bricks level between the two points, assuming that the corners are correct.

Definition

Perp – the vertical joint between two bricks or blocks

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The pins are normally made from forged steel for light duty work. Some are made from thicker steel for heavier duty work. The line can be made of nylon or cotton. Nylon is more durable but less flexible, whereas cotton is the opposite. While using either, care should be taken when laying the bricks as they cut very easily.

Remember

The line comes in different lengths so make sure it is long enough for the work to be undertaken

Corner blocksBrick lines and line pins

Corner blocksCorner blocks are used to attach the line to keep the brickwork straight. They are made from wood, plastic or steel and fit on to the corners of the brickwork with the lines pulled tight to hold them in place. They are then raised to complete each course as it progresses.

Tingle plateThis is used to stop the line from sagging in the middle on longer runs of brickwork. The central brick of the wall should be set to the correct gauge and the tingle plate set on top with the line passing through to stop sagging. A tingle plate is made of steel sheet and is worth having in your kit. It could stop work from having to be rebuilt due to the wall sagging in the middle.

Corner profilesCorner profiles are used to save time, as there is no need to build corners. They are secured to existing brickwork at the bottom and are adjustable so as to allow for making plumb. They are made of right-angled steel and the bricks sit hard against the internal corner of the profile when building. If set up correctly, once removed after completion of the

Client: HarcourtJob No: J6598Fig No: AW180

Figure 8.2 A corner profile

Did you know?

Corner profiles are quite expensive to buy but pay for themselves as bricks can be laid faster

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brickwork, the corner should be plumb on both edges, which should be more accurate than hand-built corners using the conventional method. Profiles can be set on each corner. They can then be marked for correct gauge and lines pulled from corner to corner. This speeds up the building process.

Portable power toolsPortable power tools come in different forms: battery powered, electric and petrol powered. You should not use any power tools unless you have been fully trained in how to do so. Most power tools used by a bricklayer are for cutting, breaking or drilling.

As with most tools, PPE must always be worn. On site, the type of tool used may depend on the circumstances – if no electricity is available, only battery or petrol power could be used.

Angle grindersAngle grinders are cutting tools that run by electricity using 110 V and 230 V supplies or are battery powered. They cut using an abrasive or diamond-type disc. They range from 100 mm to 230 mm diameter disc size.

Angle grinders are used by bricklayers mainly for cutting bricks, blocks, concrete and stone to size or for cutting existing material for alteration. Great care should be taken when using them as the disc travels at very high speed and takes time to slow down after release of the trigger, but can still cut.

Owing to the cutting speed, large amounts of dust and particles are released from the material, so goggles and mask should always be worn in addition to the usual PPE. Ear defenders should also be worn. All leads should be checked before and after use for cuts or splits, and with a 110 V supply a transformer must be used.

100 mm/4"electric grinder225 mm/9"electric grinder

Did you know?

In the construction industry, only 110 V type or battery type angle grinders are allowed to be used on site by health and safety law

Safety tip

No person is allowed to change a cutting disc unless they hold an Abrasive Wheels Certificate

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Petrol cuttersThis type of cutter is the same as the angle grinder but is motorised, running on petrol. The disc size is 300 mm and it runs at a faster speed than the angle grinder. It uses abrasive or diamond cutting discs and is used for heavier duty cutting. Great care must be taken when using, and fuel and oil levels should be checked regularly. Discs should be also be regularly checked for wear or damage. To ensure that no movement occurs when the disc is spinning, the locking nut is securely tightened and the shim (a flat metal plate) is fitted over the main spindle either side of the disc.

300 mm/12" Petrol cutterOn the job: Using a disc cutterJosh is asked by his supervisor to cut 30 bricks to a set size using a petrol cutter. He has had training and is competent using it but he is not sure what blade is on the cutter as it is covered up by the shim that holds it tight. What should he do? What type of PPE should Josh be wearing?

BreakersThese tools are used for heavy duty work like breaking up road surfaces, concrete floors, foundations and brickwork. They run on electricity or by compressed air. Breakers come in various sizes to suit the type and density of the material to be broken up. They can be fitted with points and chisels for the breaking operation, which uses a hammer vibration technique to break up materials.

Bricklayers are more likely to use 110 V electric breakers than compressed air breakers, which are used more for road surface works. In addition, compressed air breakers are harder to move around on site due to the bulky compression unit required.

In addition to the normal PPE, ear defenders should always be worn, as well as goggles to protect the eyes from particles and a mask for protection from dust. PPE should be of the correct standard and capable of doing its job. Faulty PPE should not be used and must be reported to your supervisor and thrown away.

Did you know?

You have to be 18 or over to use a disc cutter on site

Breaker

Safety tip

Breakers should only be used for short periods of time due to the vibration effect on the hands and body

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DrillsDrills can be electric or battery powered and come in many different sizes. They are used for drilling and fixing different types of components, having many types of drill bits suitable for different jobs.

Electric drills vary from 500 W to 1150 W, with battery drills ranging from 7.2 V to 24 V. Drill bits for masonry drilling range from 4 mm up to 25 mm and come in a variety of different lengths, with bits available for wood and metal drilling.

On the job: Using a breakerFemi is on his second day on site when his boss asks him to use a breaker to break up an area of concrete. His boss tells him the breaker is in the shed and he is to help himself. The breaker is a brand new one in a box with the instruction manual inside explaining how to use it. Femi has never used one before. What should he do?

Scabbler

Electric drill and various bits

ScabblersThis is a type of drill with percussion movement and is used for chiselling, chasing and removal of existing plaster and rendering. Different types of bits can be used such as points, chisels and a comb alternative.

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Block cuttersThese are used for cutting bricks, blocks, paviers and concrete slabs and have a sharp cutting edge and pressured compression to break the material to the correct size. They can be moved around fairly easily but are more time-consuming than cutting bricks and blocks by hammer and bolster. However, they are better for slabs and paviers, rather than cutting with disc cutters or grinders.

Block cutter

1. What is a scutch hammer used for?

2. What do you need to change a blade on a disc cutter?

3. What does PPE stand for?

4. What is a tingle plate used for?

5. To use any power tool what must you have had?

6. What is a hawk used for?

7. What extra PPE should be worn when using a disc cutter?

8. What is a bolster used for?

9. How do you check a level for accuracy?

10. What is another name for a joint raker?

Knowledge check

chapter 8

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Transcript of chapter 8