Choosing Masonry Tools

Tamper

• Pressing exposed aggregate into concrete
• Compacting soil before pouring concrete

Cement Mixer

• Mixing concrete or mortar
• Have gasoline or electric motors

Bull Float

• Floating down (leveling) large concrete pours
• Made of aluminum or magnesium

Darby

• Floating down or leveling concrete after screeding
• Made of aluminum or magnesium

Float

• Floating down or leveling small concrete pours after screeding
• Made of aluminum, magnesium, steel or wood

Concrete Trowel

• Creating a smooth finish in concrete after floating
• Made of stainless steel, blue steel, sponge rubber, aluminum or magnesium

Edger

• Shaping and forming concrete edges
• Made of stainless steel, blue steel or bronze

Outside Corner Tool

• Shaping and forming outside corners in concrete

Inside Corner Tool

• Shaping and forming inside corners on concrete

• Forming joints in concrete slabs or treads in steps
• Made of stainless steel, blue steel or bronze

• Forming joints in brick, block or stone

• Scoring, cutting or trimming brick or masonry

• Making small masonry repairs— repairing mortar joints etc...

• Mixing and moving mortar in brick laying

Hawk
(Mortarboard)

• Holding mortar while laying brick, block or stone

• Setting or cutting brick, block or stone
• Usually 15 to 24 oz. with wooden, fiberglass or steel handles

• Measuring and marking
• Scaled on one side to measure brick courses and lengths, the other is scaled for inches graduated to 1/16"

• Laying out construction lines for masonry work
• Sighting level and plumb in brick and block

• Stretching and holding construction line on block

• Walking in wet concrete during pouring

• Protecting the wearer's knees and protecting set, uncured concrete

• Carrying six to eleven bricks at once

• Dressing, cutting or finishing cured concrete
• Made of silicone carbide

• Applying different finishes and textures to concrete

• Removing air pockets from concrete pours (Power tool)