Putting the pieir cap

Before I worry about making it look old wanted to bounce off you experts how I intend to put the pier cap on.

Last course of bricks will be solid and level its 2x 2 bricks in dimension.

The pier cap weighs a ton and is a 2/3 man lift to the top of the pier. Clearly it will push any mortar out so I was going to use some type of spacer or wedges to make sure that the right size mortar joint is retained ( same as the rest)

Any thoughts on this? .am I thinking along the right lines?

many thanks

Barry

Reply to
Barry
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A brush handle, cut into several pieces the thickness of the mortar joint will support the cap until the mortar sets and will remain hidden and embedded in the mortar as spacers.

Reply to
DIY

What are you worried about, the wind blowing it off?

Use a fairly dry mortar mix and hardly any will be pushed out.

Give the pier loads of time to harden before you even think of putting it on, if it's that heavy.

If it has a significant overhang, then I would drill a blind hole in the bottom and put a bit of rebar in the pier for it to locate on. That way, if a clumsy lorry driver nudges the cap, it won't just push off.

If it does have a good overhang, make a stretcher out of two bits of rebar, a couple of bits of wood (with notches in the end) as spacers and some rope to tie the lot together . Lift it using the rebar, with fingers nowhere near the cap. That way you can lower it ever so gently and get it absolutely square as you lower it in place.

If it doesn't have a good overhang and it really is heavy, only put mortar around the edges and put a couple of plastic bottles full of air in the middle of the pier - make a hollow for the cap to go. Try the bottles on the ground first to make sure they will carry the weight - although I haven't found any 2litre ones that won't take that sort of weight. You can lower the slab on to the bottles, with loads of gap for fingers. Then stab the bottles with a long pointy thingy that makes a pinhole. The slab will come down nice and slowly, whilst still being manouevurable. The bottles will be a nice surprise for a historian..

Reply to
Palindrome

================================== A few ice cubes will usually do the same job provided that the mortar mix isn't too squishy.

Cic.

Reply to
Cicero

Some great ideas..and some good thoughts about keeping those pinkies safe and out of the way!

many thanks

Barry

Reply to
Barry

All you need now is to find 2/3 of a man to lift it on :-))

Steve

Reply to
shazzbat

Sounds like you could be the man for the job steve:) :)

Barry

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Reply to
Barry

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