(For those who haven't a clue as to this thread, page down.)

Ken:

Well, I about all I dare suppose is that my concise 100% political response
actually already answered your  90% political question.  Do you still want me
to help you to make trouble with mortar specs?  I'd like a bit more
information.  Pray tell, in context, what are you trying to do?

If you are costing a church job, perhaps you should do it for free.  That way
you may, upon the letting of the contract, be quickly sent to heaven or hell,
depending upon which boss responds first.

Perhaps I should help you to shake things up with the word "thixotropic."
This word is fun to make on a scrabble board, but is best used to describe a
material that is normally stiff, but flows when vibrated.  Mud is often
thixotropic, as is masonry mortar that flows when one tamps bricks with the
handle of a trowel.  Perhaps the New Yawker in you will also appreciate this
further analogy: "The thixotropic crowd flowed out of the crowded church when
their vibrating pagers all went off."

Resin is a sticky word to deal with, especially if one is a stickler for
accuracy.  Resin is tending to be defined as any solid organic material that
was liquid at one time.  Classically, it just meant hardened tree sap.  Now,
however, the term resin is replacing plastic as a descriptor for cheap plastic
lawn chairs.   The spec writer probably learned organic chemistry at Walmart.
Might I suggest that you consider using lawn chairs in your thixotropic resin
mortar?  If you do not grind up the lawn chairs, you may be able to bridge
some really wide joints.  Be sure to shut off your vibrating pager.

By now, you probably have some of your own ideas on how to make and use
mortar. But let me suggest that you can also use a mortar to grind up lawn
chairs!  Or, perhaps as a cannon to bomb specification writers.  Who knows, it
may yet be written that: "The contractor from hell vibrated with laughter as
he lobbed lawn chairs at the church's engineering office."

Glad to provide some further help ;).

Steve Stokowski
Stone Products Consultants

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In a message dated 2/9/99 12:34:10 AM (!!, what a night owl!!) Eastern
Standard Time, [log in to unmask] writes:

<< What is thixotropic resin mortar?

In a message dated 2/9/99 9:01:58 AM Eastern Standard Time, [log in to unmask]
writes:

> Jargon

In a message dated 2/9/99 5:33:09 PM Eastern Standard Time, [log in to unmask]
writes:

<< That helps ;). The spec I am bidding has more than enough jargon but
 regardless I still have to cost it. Do you suppose it may have something to
do
 with church work? >>