pete_l Posted June 9, 2012 Share Posted June 9, 2012 I tried making my own paving blocks once. Big mistake. Although I'd seen it done on some silly home-improvement programme, it wasn't at all easy in practice and most of the blocks cracked. What I'd be inclined to do would be to cut the corners off some standard bricks, either before building or once the pier had been completed. An alternative would be to add a render coat to the completed brick/block pier and shape that. (I'm a great believer in a mortar render: it covers over a lot of "sins" committed during the bricklaying - just as painting covers a lot of sins made while mortaring.) Also, the mortar can be coloured quite successfully. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fwm891 Posted June 15, 2012 Share Posted June 15, 2012 (edited) Some walls (old mainly) have half round capping stones/bricks ? Some garden centres have shaped stone or brick paving...Found this site: http://www.caststoneuk.co.uk/wall-coping/ Edited June 15, 2012 by fwm891 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Ward Posted June 15, 2012 Share Posted June 15, 2012 Half-round bricks readily available at most builders merchants ,Glad I wasn't the only one to spot the dodgy door , these things do tend to jump out to some of us . . . ;-)Glad I'm not the only Gate-maker here too...........My latest.............. Before.....New.......Just wish I had room for a pier or observatory myself. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RogerTheDodger Posted June 15, 2012 Author Share Posted June 15, 2012 Lovely work on those gates Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tinker1947 Posted June 15, 2012 Share Posted June 15, 2012 There some nice work gone into them......well done... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gina Posted June 15, 2012 Share Posted June 15, 2012 A superb restoration job - well done Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Ward Posted June 15, 2012 Share Posted June 15, 2012 Thanks , not restored , brand new handmade identical replacements ,I like a challenge ....... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nightvision Posted June 16, 2012 Share Posted June 16, 2012 (edited) Tinker1947, going back off subject for a moment, (in the first picture of the very nice gates) why have you put those strips down the gate posts? I just had some large gates fitted and don't have them, am I missing out? Edited June 16, 2012 by nightvision Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tinker1947 Posted June 16, 2012 Share Posted June 16, 2012 Tinker1947, going back off subject for a moment, (in the first picture of the very nice gates) why have you put those strips down the gate posts? I just had some large gates fitted and don't have them, am I missing out?No real reason for them......some get them some don't.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Petrol Posted June 17, 2012 Share Posted June 17, 2012 Nice gates! Impressive craftsmanship As for pouring concrete / laying bricks – Bricks have frogs (that’s the hole / recess in them) This allows the mortar to key and prevents lateral movement. Allowing the mortar to dry and laying courses on top does not weaken the structure. Pouring a pier in two sessions does weaken it mainly because the first pour is left flat; it just flows out with gravity. The second pour has little to key to From my understanding the best budget pier is concrete in a plastic tube with rebar. I also used a scaffolding pole in mine. Since this is a combination of plastic / steel / concrete, it offers the best solution. Composite construction is often the strongest.I like the brick pier a lot. Blends in to the garden, easy and not expensive to build. Also not a nightmare to get rid of if you move. Anything is better than a tripod and personally, I can’t see the brick edges being a problem.Good job Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RogerTheDodger Posted June 18, 2012 Author Share Posted June 18, 2012 Thank you Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RogerTheDodger Posted July 13, 2012 Author Share Posted July 13, 2012 While we had a bit of sun yesterday I thought I'd get the lot out and try a bit of solar viewing - here's the pier with most of the kit on it. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Drew Posted July 13, 2012 Share Posted July 13, 2012 I still think the concrete block system (shown on another thread) is worth considering, costs around £25 and takes about 15 minutes to make once you have all the components, cellular blocks, paving slab, 10/12mm screwed studding, nuts and washers, masonry drill bit and drill ready. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swamp thing Posted July 13, 2012 Share Posted July 13, 2012 (edited) Half round bricks are called double bull nose or cow nose.They are usually an engineering brick so hard, dense and Impervious to water ingress. This makes them hard waring but horrible to work with as they have almost no suction for the mortar. This means they "swim" as we brickies say (this means move about at the slightest touch. Building a small pier with few bricks per coarse and keeping it plumb isn't as straightforward as you may think with them.If you mix the mortar too wet it will run out of the joints and down the face work too ruining the appearence. Remember no suction.have fun Ps I lime based mortar will allow for any movement better than cement based mixes this means it will absorb vibration better. worth considering it's not that expensive for small jobs like this either. Edited July 13, 2012 by swamp thing Added info Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RogerTheDodger Posted July 13, 2012 Author Share Posted July 13, 2012 I still think the concrete block system (shown on another thread) is worth considering, costs around £25 and takes about 15 minutes to make once you have all the components, cellular blocks, paving slab, 10/12mm screwed studding, nuts and washers, masonry drill bit and drill ready. Indeed, I'm sure that would be almost as stable, but the Mrs wanted it to look nice too Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
astrofox Posted July 13, 2012 Share Posted July 13, 2012 Got me thinking about all the spare bricks I have Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sbj Posted December 24, 2013 Share Posted December 24, 2013 resurrecting an old post I know, but just wondered if anyone else had attempted anything like this? Or how the original poster is getting on with it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mhard26339 Posted March 25, 2014 Share Posted March 25, 2014 Great Job!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RogerTheDodger Posted March 28, 2014 Author Share Posted March 28, 2014 resurrecting an old post I know, but just wondered if anyone else had attempted anything like this? Or how the original poster is getting on with it?Mine is still going fine just wish the clouds would go away more often. If I was doing it again, I haven't thought of anything I'd do differently, just make sure the base you are building on is solid. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RogerTheDodger Posted August 26, 2022 Author Share Posted August 26, 2022 Just about to move the pier in the garden - yes I'm still using it another 8 years on I updated it about 6 years ago so that it is on it's own concrete slab and movable - with a lot of effort - so I can get different parts of the sky. Vibration is still a non-issue. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MichaelBibby Posted September 25, 2022 Share Posted September 25, 2022 (edited) Thanks for sharing your project RogerTheDodger. I'm in the process of making a brick pier right now, and I have a very simple question which I'm hoping you can help me with. When you embedded the threaded rode into the bricks did you use the brick mortar or did you use concrete? I'm using bricks with three large holes (like yours it seems) so as to give me enough room to fit the galvanized 1/2" rods I'm using to secure my pier adapter (a disk brake), and my initial plan was to fill the cavity around the threaded rod with brick mortar, but my concern is that the brick mortar might not be strong enough and that concrete might be a better option. Can I ask how you did it? Did you use brick mortar and then some concrete to 'cap' it off with? Thanks in advance. Edited September 26, 2022 by MichaelBibby Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CraigT82 Posted September 25, 2022 Share Posted September 25, 2022 (edited) This is the kind of thing you want for that purpose: https://www.screwfix.com/p/rawlplug-r-kem-ii-styrene-free-polyester-resin-300ml/32863?kpid=32863&ds_kid=92700048793290424&ds_rl=1249413&gclid=Cj0KCQjw1bqZBhDXARIsANTjCPKfz2W-3koY6YC1IY0bZhlaj8puhwvqOLLauMQz3fGvja7XrYNR6D0aAvt6EALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds#product_additional_details_container edit: just browsed through this thread and the Google book linked and I also spotted the gate brace the wrong way round, wonder if it’s sagged and been fixed in the last ten years?! Edited September 25, 2022 by CraigT82 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MichaelBibby Posted September 27, 2022 Share Posted September 27, 2022 (edited) I forgot to ask: what do you use the Playstation controller for Roger? Is it to slew the telescope? Edited September 30, 2022 by MichaelBibby Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
900SL Posted October 4, 2022 Share Posted October 4, 2022 Brickwork / blockwork is weaker in tension so if you plan on any heavy eccentric loading offset from the centerline I would reinforce the pier. Or be really structural engineer and post tension the pier to the base using a central stressing rod 😂 An eccentric load will induce bending in a pier. Depending on the load and offset this may result in tension in one side of the pier Masonry is very strong in compression but relatively weak in tension. For most uses you should be fine but if you have a tall slender pier and a large mount and counterweight be aware 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MichaelBibby Posted October 15, 2022 Share Posted October 15, 2022 (edited) All finished, pretty happy with the results (apart from my shonky brick laying). Used a disc brake for the adapter. Ended up using a piece of pipe to prevent mortar filling in the holes while laying the bricks and then filled the cavities with concrete and the 1/2" threaded rods. And capped the whole thing off with some concrete. Edited October 15, 2022 by MichaelBibby 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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