Laying down mortar

[dmun]

Re: Laying down mortar

I don't think you want your mortar anything like soupy. Peanut butter is the idea. Too-wet mortars are weaker. Your bricks may not be wet enough.

I used heat-stop, someone who used refrax may jump in here.

The tendency for bricks and blocks to absorb some mortar moisture and set up quickly make them much easier to lay. i laid up nine glass blocks in the course of my project, and boy was that hard. They stayed loose and wiggly until the mortar set up by its self.

[jcg31]

Hey folk,
This is my first experience working with any sort of mortar, or masonry for that matter. I am reading the posts about waiting for the mortar to set before removing the shims and suggestions that folk have multiple shims in place with multiple brick while the mortar sets, making me wonder if I am on the right path. I am using Refrax and it is setting within seconds of placing the brick. I have gotten to the point where what I am putting down is almost soupy in consistancy. I am wetting the lower brick, and soaking in a bucket the one I am placing. Even with this consistancy I am not able to tap (with rubber hammer) the brick and get any downward movement after about 30 seconds. Am I doing something wrong or missing something?
Thanks,
Jim