Masonry Magazine July 2009 Page. 22
BRICKLAYER'S TOOLS
Bon Tool Co. Rubber Face Paver Hammer diameter head and a nine-inch wood handle, and weighs slightly more than 5 pounds.
"Any time you're laying down masonry for a flat surface, this hammer would be great," says John Wight, VP of sales and marketing for Bon Tool. "The wider face gives you a larger surface when you're pounding pavers or a retaining wall."
Wight says the hammer is perfect for setting brick pavers and retaining wall block, since it can deliver a heavy blow without harming the surface.
Mason contractors can also expect more comfortable chisels. Trow & Holden is expanding its Comfort Grip hand chisel line. A contoured handle on the chisels gives users a better grip so they can deliver a more powerful blow.
"We currently offer the Comfort Grip on three chisels and are looking to add more," Akley says.
Product Watch
Electric saw for masonry block, stone industries
The MK-5010 Super-matic electric saw addresses the needs of the masonry block and stone industries. The wet-cutting industrial block saw has a heavy-duty blade shaft and bearings for trouble-free performance, an industrial heavy-duty Baldor motor, and a third set of wheels on the conveyor cart to support additional weight. All saws are fitted with a NEMA 12 waterproof enclosure. The MK-5010 also can be customized to fit specific cutting needs. Additional options include a third handle for easy material movement and operator safety, an inverter drive for changing speeds easily, and an advanced blade guard system that keeps the blade covered during cutting. MAS
Akley is also seeing a resurgence in his wedge and shim sets, which are available to fit holes from 3/8-inch to two inches in diameter.
"These are new in the sense that people are finding that they are a simple and cost-effective way to split stone," he says. "This is the simplest tool out there, and it's still very effective."
Better designed mortarboard
GATORBACK in Lakeville, Minn., offers mortarboards and mortarpans made with water-resistant polymers, so they don't absorb moisture from the mortar.
"One of the benefits of our mortarboards is that when the temperature increases in the middle of the summer, the mortar will not dehydrate," says Shelly Carney, company VP. "With 1/2-inch plywood, you're basically putting mortar on top of an absorbent sponge."
The mortarboards and mortarpans also increase the workability of mortar in cold temperatures, Carney says.
"When you have a wet board in the winter, it freezes. When you put mortar on it, that rapid-
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TORPEDO GROOVER
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READER SERVICE #177
MASONRY July 2009 www.masoncontractors.org
The Voice of the Masonry Industry