Tapering bricks with a chisel.

[cynon767]

The inner face lines up fine (unless, like me, you're a little fast and sloppy); there's just a slight ridge on the outside, but nobody will ever see that. Even if it's not visually perfect, though, it will still work fine. From the inside, there's no way to tell the difference between.

[Lars]

David,
Like most of us, you will find that the finer points get lost in the reality of mortar and bricks. When I laid out my first chain, I thought I could exactly measure each chain and really predict how it would all lay out. Not so for me.

I did find that the 'dome like' nature of the project just kept itself in round just by lifting up the back ends of each brick by the prescribed amount ( about 1/2") the circles just kept leaning in correctly. I never felt I needed the 'indespensible' tool. However, it would have come in handy at then end ( had I decided to keep going round and round, instead of arching over the top.)

Good luck.

Lars.

[dublintom]

Lar
Did you wet the bricks before using the chisel?
Tom

[Lars]

Tom,
Nope. I did not wet the bricks for cutting w/chisel. You DO want to wet them before mortaring them in, perhaps, depending on the type of mortar you are using.

Lars.

[dublintom]

Thanks Lar. Just realised i can't use your system as i have a taper in the bricks already but i have started splitting them with a chisel. Its a nice sound when you know its about to break.
Tom