Rant: Everyone swears by power jointers and I just don't get it

Been laying brick for 12 years in Cleveland and I still use a classic jointing tool by hand. All the young guys on the crew tell me I'm wasting time. Last month I watched one of them blow through a whole wall with a power jointer and the joints looked like garbage. Had to touch up half of them with a hand tool anyway. Am I the only one who thinks the finish is never as clean with the power rigs?

2 comments

2 Comments

ross.angela7d ago

Watched a guy on my crew last spring burn through a whole patio with a power jointer in under an hour. Looked like a mess. He had to go back and redo half the lines by hand anyway. Took him longer than if he just did it right the first time with a hand tool. Some of these young guys just want to use every machine they can get their hands on. They don't get that a good joint takes patience, not speed. Cleveland winters are tough enough on brickwork without loose joints from a rushed job.

nathan8515d ago

Yeah but some guys just learn better with the machine first, then figure out the finesse later.