Some Brick Laying Tips

• Ensure that you mortar mix is not to wet & not to dry. It should just hold together, but get creamy if you work (slap it around) it abit.
• A dribble of detergent in the mix will make it more workable
• Make up small batches at a time. I've used a Cockburn Cement Creme Mortar mix. It's one of their dry mix products and comes in 30kg bags ready to go. You just need to add water and mix it up.

• I used 4 of these bags of mortar to lay the bricks for the dome of this oven.
  
• I plunge each brick into a bucket of water just before I use lay it. I helps the mud to stick to it.
• Watch your hands. The lime in the mortar makes abit of a mess of your hands, and is pretty painful when it comes into contact with any wounds. If you've got soft pen-pushing hands like mine, I'd suggest using a barrier cream and gloves.