Masonry Magazine March 2004 Page. 56
BRICKLAYERS' Tools
"If you have nice, clean masons that don't throw slop as they go up the wall, it's going to last a little longer," laughs Dommel. "The joint cleaners are made out of carbide, which is the hardest thing you can get. We've had some out for four years and they haven't needed to replace them - they've just bought more for additional teams. Probably the biggest problem with them is they get legs and walk away."
SLIP Industries has a new twist on an old favorite, introducing a new joint cleaner to their line to keep up with industry trends. Many of the talented masons are now throwing a V-shaped joint into their bag of tricks. The problem is, most tools are unable to clean this new shape... until now.
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SLINGIN' MUD WITH STYLE
Sometimes the tool that's needed for the job is more than just a trowel, grade pole or hod, but leaning more toward safety and protection. Every once in a while a job requires a hard hat, so if you have to wear one, why not do it with style.
That's the idea behind the Western Outlaw cowboy hard hat, designed and patented by Bret Atkins, a former sales rep for a machine-tool company. Made out of high-impact, UV resistant, special HDPE blended plastic, not only does the Outlaw meet OSHA Requirements and ANSI Z89.1 1997, the brim also protects your face and neck from sun exposure.
"When they first came out and were first available to us, we probably sold about 200-300 of them," says Wendell Smith, President of Capitol City Scaffolding and Equipment. "Since we're online now, we're starting to ship them to people who haven't seen them before."
Smith says that they've sold the Outlaw not only to hard-working masons that are cowboys 24-7, but they've also come in handy for groundbreakings too.
"While they were building the stadium here in Nashville, we took a white cowboy hard hat down for Bud [Adams] to wear when he came to visit," Smith remembers. "He wore it, and about a month later we got a thank you note from his secretary out of Houston."
Capitol City claims to be, "The one stop shop for all your masonry needs," so while you're choosing any one of the four colors that the Outlaw comes in, you can also pick up some of those line pins that you're always needing or a Crick level, which Smith says are his biggest sellers. And, just like their company's name suggests, they also rent scaffolds, mortar mixers, saws and other equipment.
Extra Moving Muscle
ANOTHER EXAMPLE of small innovations to traditional tools is the introduction of the Springbarrow. You won't find this product out on the market just yet - the patent is pending and the inventor is looking for a manufacturer. You will likely see this innovation on wheeled devices everywhere in the near future, though.
The concept is relatively simple: Why push a heavy load when you can have a device pull most of it for you? That's the idea behind the Springbarrow, which uses a heavy-duty spring action to assist the user in pushing a wheelbarrow up steep inclines and over rough terrain. The device is wound with a foot crank in seconds, and the power assist will last about 40 to 50 feet before rewinding is needed. Another added bonus is the fact that drawing the device back down the incline will load the spring up for the next run. Just set the hand brake, fill the bucket, release the hand brake, and off you go!