----- Original Message -----
From: Met History <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: September 16, 1999 4:49 PM
Subject: "I basically drew every brick in the house." Did she have to?


> How did they get 'em to line up?
>
> Christopher Gray aka James Bond

Most likely the mason giggled to himself and took the drawings to the
Porto-Pot where they could be useful.  All that was necessary would have
been to specify Flemish Bond with English or Dutch Corners.

Flemish Bond is all in the layout and building the lead.  There are two
types of corners for Flemish Bond, the English corner which uses a 1/4 bat
(1/4 brick) next to the corner header and the Dutch corner which uses a 3/4
bat next to the corner stretcher.  Both methods will put you on 1/4 bond so
the headers are centered over the stretchers, alternating in 2 course repeat
pattern.  It looks better... more symmetrical... especially on short walls
if the course starts and finishes with the same unit, so whenever possible
the layout dimensions should be X stretchers + 1 header.  One of the most
important things... which no arch drawing, no matter how detailed can
control, is to not let the bond "get away" on you.  The 1/4 bond is quite
unforgiving, so no "snaky" cross joints.  The bond will work with any brick
with dimensions of 1 header + 1 header + 1 joint = 1 stretcher and even
oddball sizes too if adjustments are made in the bat size.  What can go
wrong?  It works with Lego too... but the joints are damn tight!

Gotta run... off to Montana... Big Sky Country... to train a contractor in
the micro-abrasive arts and check out a laser cleaning sys

Mark Sherman aka Chief Running Bond
>