Homestead mailing list

["Jerry W. Shepperd" <shepperd AT austincc.edu>]

At 08:46 PM 2/27/2008, Gene GeRue wrote:
> Congratulations, Jerry. That has to feel mighty good.
>
> Don and I have a similar-size project planned for this summer. We
> would welcome your advice and help. I will teach you what I know about
> stone masonry.

Gene, I'm probably better on advice than I am on help, although I 
sometimes give that, as well.

Although, I have done lots of work with concrete and adobe, about all 
I know about stone masonry, beyond that I like how it looks, is it is 
mighty hard work.   Adobe is hard work, but it is low skill, and it 
is hard to do it wrong, as long as you line up the blocks.  A string 
helps in that regard, although I have seen old men in Mexico eye-ball 
adobe walls and get them about as straight as I can do it with a 
string.  These were men who were older than me, smaller than me, and 
who could work me into the ground.  They never seemed to rush, never 
seemed to hurry, but managed to get a great deal done.