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That brick arch in Charleston nearly broke my brain
Last month I was walking around the historic district in Charleston and saw this old brick archway that's been standing since the 1800s. The way the bricks are laid, they're all tapered and cut so precise, no mortar gaps bigger than a dime. I got to wondering how they figured out the angles without laser levels or CAD, just string and a story pole. Has anyone here ever attempted a real radial arch, and what method did you use to lay out the cuts, or do you mostly stick to jack arches?
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wesleyflores28d ago
That dime gap detail got me, I remember squeezing my fingers into the mortar joints of the St. Michael's churchyard wall and barely fitting a nickel. I built one small brick arch over a garden gate a few years back and laid it out with a string tied to a nail at the center point, then just swung it to mark each brick on a plywood template. Took me three tries to get the skewbacks right but the thing is still standing, which surprised everyone including me.
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