Mortar Gun

[Clickem]

Not really MH related but looking for some advice

I need to do some pointing (least favourite job) and also make a joint between a path and a wall, and was wondering how good a Brick Mortar gun would be. Something like this:

Roughneck Brick Mortar Gun Kit | Wickes.co.uk

Roughneck Brick Mortar Gun Kit

www.wickes.co.uk

To work well I assume that the viscosity of the mix is very important. I usually add a bit of washing up liquid to mine but would I better with a plasticiser additive?

TIA

 

[Podney]

Worth a try for £14. But won’t you still have to go over the joints with a trowel to smooth it and get a sharp finish?

 

[The Wino]

I would use plasticiser in the mix as I think it would help retain it in the gaps better after it sets. I'd give one a go and see if it helps.
Between the path and the wall you can get a mix that just brushes in the gap it's not mortar based more of a plastic mix but its pretty expensive.

 

[rb62]

Vital to get the mix fight apparantly

 

[Phill D]

with the mortar gun the mix needs to be very lose and creamy smooth, great for paving but its a bit of an art on walls particularly if you need a slightly raised pointing.

you will also need to clean the gun after every few shots as the mortar dries and clogs the gun..

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[Clickem]

Worth a try for £14. But won’t you still have to go over the joints with a trowel to smooth it and get a sharp finish?

I was thinking of including in my purchases a jointing tool as well which gives a curved finish. I usually use a small trowel to give a sloping finish but I am messy around the joint

I also use PVA on the joints to give better adhesion

 

[monkeybrand]

I gave up with mine (for mortar). I was forever emptying and cleaning it out to get a smooth action with it. However the gun will accept tubes of silicon etc just dropped inside and is the best ever silicon gun. I have in the past bent the handles on the ordinary silicon guns and the roughneck has been superb for this.

 

[Jimbohorlicks]

You won't want to mix too much mortar at any one time either as it gets a bit stiffer over time.
Don't use washing up liquid ,go for a plasticiser it's much better and correct for the job.

 

[emjaiuk]

I mixed my mortar with the sort of drill attachment you use for plaster, and kept going until it was really creamy, then the gun worked well

 

[Silver-Fox]

They are very good, a bit fiddly filling and takes a bit of getting used too.

Plenty of plasticiser will help and you will end up with a bit left in the tube.
So empty out and mix back in.

Good luck

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[Paul and Kate]

Take a look on here for the brush in grout system.

Norcros Adhesives

Norcros Adhesives is the leading supplier and manufacturer of tile adhesive, grouts, and sealants. Take a look at the range of tile adhesives available.

www.nxadh.co.uk

Excellent product.

Paul (Production Planner at Norcros Adhesives )

 

[Raul]

The only time I used a gun was with lime putty in the mix. Aggregate only is rubbish. The mixx was fine sand 4 putty 1 and cement 1. Add sika plasticiser and don’t over mix. The mix has to be fairly wet, but to test it has to stay on the trowel. Have a bit on the trowel, tap the trowel over a stone brick, and turn the trowel upside down. The mortar has to stay on. When you flick it of the trowel, it has to come clean of. If it leaves lines of mortar on the trowel is to wet. The down side is, from the gun cones out to wet and needs a fair amount of time to go of, before tooling. For weather struck cut is not that good, but for half round joint I’d ok. You will need a 1/2 3/4 jointer.
with a marshal town 5/8 pointing trowel and a hawk, I can fill in the joints faster and cleaner than a gun. Plus, I don’t have to worry about lime, and I can have a dryer mix so I can tool it of as I go along. Hydrated lime is not as good as putty.

 

[Tombola]

Dont like em.. Much better finish with a trowel and can push in the joints better. I only tried my uncles and thought "another invention that doesnt work as good as the usual way"
Once you've done a few square metres with a trowel you'll be quicker than the gun anyway when taking into account mixing/filling/finishing joints etc.

oh and your hand will ache good style if your not used to it.
edit : If i was to rate it Id go 3 out of 10

 

[Phill D]

you will need a trowel and a proper pointing trowel as you will not force the pointing right into the back of the gap with the gun alone.

 

[BouncyBoatFolk]

Trowels every time. Weather struck[ "birds beak"] . Perps first, [ perpendicular joints],then bed joints. Use a straight edge for the bed joints Don't get greedy with it,just do a patch a couple of feet square. If it's hot, spray the wall a little, and let it evaporate off before attempting to start pointing. Use all the mix,don't remix the old stuff back in with a new batch , it starts the setting process off quicker in the new mix. Lastly,check the weather forecast, watching your hard work cascading down the wall in a sudden squall is heartbreaking.
Mike

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[Tombola]

Lastly,check the weather forecast, watching your hard work cascading down the wall in a sudden squall is heartbreaking.

Been there...done that

 

[pappajohn]

Just used a very similar one.
You need a drill powered mixing paddle to get the required consistency..... About like warm custard.
We tried without the paddle, just mixed by hand, and it won't flow.
A tad too wet and it runs out the nozzle, a tad too dry and it jambs the gun and the water is squeezed out making the morter pretty solid.
Mix just enough to fill the gun 2 or 3 times as a maximum....a bigger mix will become too dry before using it all.... Ask me how I know.
It produces a lot of waste spillage when smoothing the joints.
Add a good dollop of cheap washing up liquid to plasticise the mix... We used almost a full bottle doing a bungalow gable end.
It does speed up the process no end and worth sticking with it once you get the mix right.

 

[Scotch mist]

Don’t use washing up liquid to plasticise the mix.. , use proper plasticiser
washing up liquid severely weakens the mix , I know this from 40 years experience in the building trade , the difference in the mortar strength is huge !

 

[Simon Meadwell]

The only difference between plasticizer and washing up liquid is the size of the bubbles are constant in plasticizer and variable in washing up liquid.

 

[Scotch mist]

The only difference between plasticizer and washing up liquid is the size of the bubbles are constant in plasticizer and variable in washing up liquid.

I’ve seen houses brickwork condemned & made taken down because the bricky’s used washing up liquid ,

some replies from building contractors about washing up liquid

never use washing up liquid it kills the mortar and give the wall a couple of years and you will be able to dig the mortar joints out with your fingers.anyway plasterciser is not expensive but even if it was its cheaper than a new wall!

Plasticiser is the new washing up liquid, dont like to say it but used to use it years ago before the proper stuff came out on the market - Trust me washing up liquid has a weakening affect on mortar, do not use it !

its a big NO NO. ive heard storys of people having to pull there work down because of this. plus the proper plasticiser only costs about £6 and will last along time..

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[BouncyBoatFolk]

Pappajohn wrote " Add a good dollop of cheap washing up liquid to plasticise the mix... We used almost a full bottle doing a bungalow gable end.
It does speed up the process no end and worth sticking with it once you get the mix right."
Does it make it self cleaning?
I'm also, {well formerly was } in the trade as a bricklayer and would advocate the correct additives. Whilst the two things might work the same, as Scotchmist said,washing up liquid will severely impact on the strength and longevity of the pointing. It's quite a risk to take for the relatively minor cost saving.
Mike

 

[pappajohn]

I suppose all you naysayers would also condone pissing in a bucket of plaster to make it go off quicker.
A plasterer of 45 years demonstrated
that trick and it works.

 

[old-mo]

It`s all in the wrist...!!!!

By the time you mix your muck and get it in the poxy gun...

I would of done twice as much pointing using the conventional way of one of these =

And one of these =

The secret of a good joint is the hacking out of the old stuff, either with a purpose width wheel on a small grinder or the old method of a lump hammer and nice sharp Bolster chisel.. and hack out to all the same depth..

After a while it comes second nature to slide off a nice bead from the hawk and quick flip of the wrist and push it well in...

Saves a lot of faffing around and mess and cleaning the so called gun`s..

 

[Gromett]

I only have one question.. Won't your right forearm end up looking like popeyes from all that hand pumping?

I gave up on the hand pump ones for silicon/sealants etc. Went electric and never looked back.

 

[tribalbrit]

Okay, so I've been a bricklayer since 1979.
DONT use washing up liquid. It weakens the mix. You d get sacked if caught doing it on site.
You dont need plasriciser either, it's in the cement these days.
Dont make the mix to strong, 5 sand to 1 cement is strong enough.
Dont mix it to wet, just so it holds together when squashed in the hand is right.
Brush and wet the joints, let it dry a little before pointing.
Apply with a pointing trowel or jointer, depending on finish required. After a while you'll get the hang of it.
When nearly set brush lightly with a soft brush to remove any clags if you make brush lines in the pointing it's to wet for the final brush, leave it a bit longer. Many brickies don't do this and the difference is unbelievable.
Joint between path and wall may be an expansion joint, if so it should not be filled solid, brush some sand in it if you cant live with the gap. Alternatively mix 5 sand to 1 cement dry and brush that in. Cram it down and and brush loose away. it will eventually form a crust.
What area you in? If your anywhere near me I'd be happy to drop by show you how to go on.

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[Silver-Fox]

I only have one question.. Won't your right forearm end up looking like popeyes from all that hand pumping?

I gave up on the hand pump ones for silicon/sealants etc. Went electric and never looked back.

There are the men and women that can and then there’s the ones that can’t.

Use a silicone gun that is

 

[CazPaul]

Those guns leave an awful finish I think with the pointing proud of the brick or stone which is a big no no. It makes the stone/brick crumble away.
There are some right mess ups especially with old limestone houses with those guns.

 

[Silver-Fox]

Those guns leave an awful finish I think with the pointing proud of the brick or stone which is a big no no. It makes the stone/brick crumble away.
There are some right mess ups especially with old limestone houses with those guns.

The gun should just be used to fill the joint.

Always use an iron or trowel to finish off

 

[CazPaul]

The gun should just be used to fill the joint.

Always use an iron or trowel to finish off

It should but it’s not what must of them do, what a mess they make the cement is stuck out a centimetre proud of the stone. Not to mention on old stone houses you shouldn’t go anywhere near them with a bag of cement. 3.5 NHL lime mortar mix.