Old timer on a job in Gary showed me how to lay a corner without a level and it stuck with me

Paul Perez · 2026-09-30T20:05:03.212578+00:00

I was 22 and trying to run a corner on a fireplace in Gary, Indiana, and I kept checking it with my 4 foot level like every two bricks. This old guy named Ray watched me for maybe ten minutes and finally walked over and pulled the level right out of my hand. He said 'the corner tells you where it wants to go, you just gotta listen' and showed me how to use the brick edges themselves to keep the run true. I still use that trick on every corner now, no level needed until the very top. Any of you guys learn a weird old school method like that from someone on a job?

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Old timer on a job in Gary showed me how to lay a corner without a level and it stuck with me | Bricklayers - Guest Forum