That time a 90 year old mason in Savannah showed me how to really lay a curve

I was on a church restoration job about five years back, trying to rebuild a curved garden wall. My lines were okay, but the curve felt stiff, not smooth. An old timer named Frank, who had worked on the original building, stopped by. He didn't say much, just took my trowel. He showed me how to tilt the brick slightly on its bed, using a sliver of mortar on one edge to guide the arc, not fight it. He called it 'letting the brick find its place.' It was a tiny shift, maybe a quarter inch difference in how I set the mortar. But that one minute changed how I see every non straight line now. It's not about forcing it, it's about setting it up right from the start. Anyone else have a simple trick that flipped a whole skill for them?

2 comments

2 Comments

caseypalmer10d ago

Yeah, heard a carpenter say the same thing about crown molding. Just a tiny back bevel makes the whole corner slide together.

oscarh1610d ago

Totally agree with @caseypalmer. Had the same issue with some trim work last year. A slight angle on the back cut made everything fit without forcing it.