the fine art of brickwork - Rubbed & Gauged Arch 2

In this video we can see the setting out, rubbing and laying of the first rubbed and gauged arch I have ever done. These arches were common up until around the end of the second world war when the slow change of brickwork began. Up until then brickwork was still a 5 year apprenticeship with the bricklayer learning all the details we see in older buildings. Time was on the side of the tradesman and detailing was a sign of the wealth of the owner. What better way to display wealth than to have diaper bonds, dentil string courses, bullseye windows, ornate gables and twisted chimneys etc. Sadly, those days are forgotten. Twice recently I've seen neat stretcher bond brickwork with closers at reveals....totally wrong, but accepted.
This alone shows that colleges are not providing the adequate training to give the bricklayer the knowledge he needs to work with confidence in hiw skills.
These days a rubbed and gauge arch is time consuming and labour intensive with only a handful of people able to afford the work. But it's not just the skills that have died, its the knowledge of how to do these things has as well.
Some companies provide gauged arches stuck to lintels, these are simply lifted into place then pointed in-situ. I've worked with these and they are expensive and labour intensive on the pointing up. Axed arches are still rare but we do those most of the time aiming for 4-6mm parallel joints. The arches in this video are rubbed to give 1-2mm joints.
I hope you enjoy watching and learning, please continue to keep watching as there are so many more projects on their way.
Arches, Rubbed and Gauged, traditional, 1860, 2021, brickwork, bricklaying,

[@1paparico]

I always wondered why those bricks were called red rubbers. As an apprentice carpenter I got sent out with the brickies for a few months to get an actual idea what goes on. I learnt a fair bit about the old stuff because we restored old pubs with tuck pointing and glazed bricks ect, they spent money building pubs in the old days. Acid etched windows,mahogany bars,fantastic brickwork and joinery. Needless to say,I learnt the most from the Irish labourers, who would test me on names of bricks,different mixes,the names of the different length scaffold poles(yes) all stuff that you would not think important, darkening reclaimed stocks with washes of ash and soot ect, and for 45 years some of that stuff stood me in good stead in the building industry. So much is forgotten, and not many people would pay for it anyway.

[@SteveAndAlexBuild]

A great insight onto how our old buildings with character were built 🤩🤩🧱👍🏼

[@bricklayersworldwithandy6277]

Looks good Rob,must be costing a fortune them Rubbers must be a few quid each nowadays.Not done anything like this for a long time, we used to dip them rather than butter them and not cut the excess of until it had set a bit with a scraper. Then give it a couple of days and carefully go over the whole arch lightly with a fine sanding block. 👍

[@robsonger1]

excellent info, thanks

[@andrewpalij4691]

@@robsonger1 👍

[@nikond90]

Amazing quality of workmanship

[@kizza802]

Great work Rob. A little tip for you for gauged work is create a profile tree during set out, and radiate to it from striking point through arch and make marks on profile timber. Then set it up above your work and radiate lines preferably lines made of fine fishing or piano strings something of that nature back to striking point and lay bricks to the lines. Traversing the arch is very effective for this work also, I like to mark up from springing point or skewback the distance for all joints 1mm or 2 strike it through, then traverse template to that point till it fits exact, that way you don't have to do the tap and wedge system if you traverse to Springer or skewback to create joints if it makes sense I'm sure you get me. Gerard lynch does course for this work, these are methods he shows, if he still does those courses that it is.

[@IzzytheBricky]

Fantastic work Rob! Great to see these methods being used👌👌Also that blood blister under your thumb 😨😨 gotta be one of the worst pains out there

[@davebloke829]

Good job, nice to see our craft being kept alive!

[@SJBBrickwork]

Best bricklayer I’ve seen 👏🏻

[@CharlieCollison]

Found this one really interesting 👌🏼

[@brickrightbuildinglandscaping]

Id love to work on this type of work the old methods of bricklaying have always interested and fascinated me so impressive

[@danbishop7875]

Excellent work as usual. 👌🏻

[@93eze2]

Top notch as always x

[@gilespanton9354]

Amazing arch mate from one bricky to another your exceptional 👏👌

[@agstine66]

Great job Rob, what did you rub the bricks on, I've never seen that

[@anthnymalclmrberts3847]

What quality workmanship buddy 👍

[@martinvandyke3316]

Great work from the, ANTI Charlie !

[@capkangbangunan9512]

Good skill and nice work 👍

[@ian_s7481]

Impressive

[@jimmymorgan3324]

ROB , THAT,S. A BIG. CARBORUNDUM. STONE ,’. NEVER SEEN ONE THAT BIG ) in 45. YEARS AS A BRICKLAYER Old School. , god bless you . JIM

[@garywheeley5108]

It's a long time ago but seem to remember a box being made for the bricks as a holder so you could not make them to small if you get the idea ?

[@danforster5531]

Tidy work, but it must be a ballache doing all those cuts.

[@JeffersS13]

Brilliant insight into how this is done. What were you running the bricks on? Why are they called ‘rubbers’ ? Are they softer then regular brick so the can be shaped easier?

[@Steve_Van777]

Hi Rob. I’m a I’m a 17 year time served bricklayer. I’m just lacking the experience of the detail of the work you do. If you need an extra hand any time from some keen to upgrade his skill level give drop me a message. Cheers for your videos 👌🏻

[@Steve_Van777]

I used very similar muck to that for 9 years doing refractory work as well. I’m doing the usual brickwork and gardens at the minute. Wanting my labour to slow down but my skill step it up

[@anthonygordon9056]

Gday Rob good work does the arch centre have to be curved and did you have to put a angle on the arch bricks from front to back.

[@anthonyworthington6495]

Brilliant 👌👌

[@BB-mv9wl]

Are they not supposed to have Joggle Joints etched into them?

[@simplysimon9868]

Great to see Rob. Awesome job. What's in the lime putty?

[@PaddleDogC5]

Lime 😂

[@PaddleDogC5]

Bricklayers didn't joint the brick with a pointing trowel like that they used a full size trowel.

[@stone16310]

Хорошая работа!

[@КириллБарсуков-у7я]

Hello Rob! Greetings from Belarus. What kind of grinding stone do you use?

[@robsonger1]

we requested York stone but we used a concrete block while we waited for it..

[@КириллБарсуков-у7я]

@@robsonger1 wow, gotta try. I process the brick with files and sandpaper - but it takes longer and a lot of dust gets clogged into the tool. I have to clean it with a wire brush :-( I think this concrete block you are using is lined with gravel and granite chips? :-)

[@Владсерегин-т8д]

Супер мастер! Молодец!

[@SimplyAu]

Noice bro!

[@stanieman]

I assume them bricks are soft since you can rub them down?

[@PaddleDogC5]

Rubbers were very soft I have read so they could be carved.

[@stihl3826]

You mentioned putty in your comments Rob. Is that air lime you are using or hydraulic?

[@robsonger1]

Lime putty is semi hydraulic, the silver sand acts as a pozzalan (?)

[@jynnandtonnyx]

I would general labor for this crew in a heartbeat :)

[@PaddleDogC5]

Yes you wouldn't be doing much.

[@paddy202]

Here you are again 😂😂😂

[@anthnymalclmrberts3847]

What stone block are you rubbing on 👍

[@robsonger1]

we used rejected York Stone slabs from the patios we do..

[@anthnymalclmrberts3847]

@@robsonger1 cool . always interested how you did them . getting back into traditional brickwork with NHL 3.5 lime mortar 👍🔥

[@eddstoddart8096]

Rob , have you got a link for the Britannia bricks you use please mate

[@robsonger1]

Britannia Bricks Dan 01603 559450

[@eddstoddart8096]

@@robsonger1 cheers mate,ganna get some specials for the lads at our training centre

[@leamcmullen1941]

Hi Rob, I hope all is well with you - I sent you a message last year in reference to your courses are you able to kindly provide any further info on availability and costs at all? Kind Regards Lea

[@ВиталийНоваков-ж3ц]

Класс🐰!