Laid 500 bricks one day then 200 the next. What happened?

I'm on a retaining wall job in Denver. Monday I got 500 bricks down smooth. Tuesday I could barely get 200 laid before quitting time. My mix was the same, my setup was the same. Only thing I changed was I switched from a 10 inch trowel to a 12 inch because my hand was cramping. Could the bigger trowel throw off my rhythm that bad? Has anyone else seen a drop like that just from swapping tools?

2 comments

2 Comments

williamw7518d ago

Used to think a trowel was just a trowel and size didnt matter that much. This here changed my mind completely though. A 12 inch trowel holds way more mud than a 10, so your wrist angle and how you sling the mud are totally different. You probably had to adjust your grip and your whole buttering motion without even realizing it. Id bet after a day or two with the bigger trowel your numbers would come back up, but that first day is gonna be a killer on production.

fiona_carr2618d ago

Wait, is it really that big of a deal though? I mean, I get that a 12 inch trowel holds more mud but its not like youre learning to weld or something. @williamw75 you switched sizes and had to adjust your grip a bit, sure, but it sounds like you're making it sound like youre learning a whole new trade. Maybe it's just me but I feel like after a few minutes youd just naturally find your rhythm again. A bigger trowel just means more mud per swipe, not a completely different wrist angle.