What’s in a Mason’s Tool Bag?

We’re going to explore the typical tools a mason is responsible for owning and bringing to a masonry job site. Let’s break it down into categories: PPE, safety, trowels, levels, measuring devices, cutting tools, jointing tools, brushes, and bags.

Safety and PPE

Every job starts with safety. The minimum personal protective equipment (PPE) includes:

• Gloves
• Safety glasses
• N95 dust mask

On commercial jobs, additional PPE might be required, such as:

• Hard hat
• High visibility clothing (e.g., t-shirt or vest)

Trowels

Trowels are the mason’s trademark tool. Here are some types you might need:

• Plasterer’s Trowel: For parging walls.
• Margin Trowel: Great for scraping and mixing.
• Pointing Trowel: Used for repair work and fitting into specific joint spaces.

Levels

A good, heavily constructed four-foot level is essential. It’s used to check the level of a wall as you go, ensuring accuracy. A two-foot level is also handy for tighter spaces, such as checking window openings.

Measuring Devices

• Tape Measure: The standard measuring tool.
• Stick Rules: There are two types:
  • Block or Modular Stick Rule: For marking block walls.
  • Brick Rule or Mason’s Rule: For handling brick joints.

Marking Tools

• Carpenter’s Pencil: Use a red lead for better visibility on concrete blocks (CMU).

Line Block and Twine

• Line Block and Twine: Used to keep layers level. Colored twine is preferred for better visibility.
• Twig: Helps straighten the line if it sags over long distances.

Cutting Tools

• Utility Knife: Opt for a safety retractable utility knife.
• Coal Chisels or Brick Chisels: For knocking out brick or block joints.
• Brick Hammer: Features a hammer edge and a blade edge for shaving and chipping bricks or stones.

Jointing Tools

• Thumb Jointer: For smoothing out joints. The convex joint is the most popular and default joint type.
• Sled Jointer: Used for longer distances to ensure a straight joint. There are different sizes for brick and block joints.
• Ball and Bullet Joints: These come in various sizes and are used to create convex joints.
• Rake Joint: Used for architectural specifications outside of normal joints.
• Acrylic Joint: Ideal for white mortar or glass block mortar to prevent discoloration.

Brushes

• Whitewash Brush: Keep a bucket of water and a whitewash brush on hand for slinging water at the wall as needed.
• Beaver Tail Brush: A soft bristle brush used for light cleanup without damaging fresh joints.

Bags

• Grout Bag: Used like a cake decorator for filling spaces between adhered veneers.

Tool Bag

Believe it or not, all these tools (except the levels) will fit in a mason’s tool bag.