Masonry Magazine July 2006 Page. 23
Anchor Bending Made Easy
THE IMPETUS for masonry tools is as varied as the tools themselves, but something many share is that they evolved from an existing tool. In the case of the Split-Tailer, it started as a tool not even marketed to masons.
"It was a tool designed specifically for tin knockers - the sheet metal guys," said Matt Redabaugh, special projects coordinator for the International Masonry Institute (IMI) in Annapolis, Md. While manning IMI's booth to promote union masonry at the StonExpo in Atlanta several years ago, he noticed masons were drawn to a tool displayed at his booth.
"The tool, which cuts, punches, bends and twists metal straps, had for years been sold under the name of 'Bohn-Combi, but was now called a Strap-Master and manufactured by a company called Shaw Aero Development Corporation," Redabaugh said. He contacted company representatives to relate the masons' interest and opened their eyes to a new market.
"Out of this contact, I started the development of the Split-Tailer, which came about through my defining the various shortcomings of the Strap-Master within the stone industry and how Shaw Aero could possibly address our needs more effectively," he said.
Distributed by Eastern Marble and Granite, the tool ($825) bends the split-tail to complete the field fabrication of a typical stone anchor.
"One of the biggest problems in stonemasonry is when an anchor can't be used in it's specified location, and then the mason has to fabricate them on the job," Redabaugh said. "To create split-tails on the job site, you're creating a lot of bloody knuckles and a lot of swearing."
The Split-Tailer makes the task so easy a child could do it. Literally, kids have bent stainless steel anchors to prove how simple it is.
"As with any tool, the tool's job is to make our projects more efficient, more productive and more safe," Redabaugh said. "I think it meets all of those criteria."
For more information, visit www.easternmarble.com.
Bigger and Cheaper than the Original
IT'S NOT OFTEN that a company upgrades a best-selling tool to make it bigger and better, yet less expensive, but that's exactly what Quickpoint Inc. of Concord, Mass., did with its Quickpoint mortar gun.
"It's basically the tool of the industry," said Joel Aronie, company vice president. "Would you go back to nailing by hand? That's the same as going back to pointing without this tool."
Quickpoint is up to five times faster than conventional pointing methods, he said, adding that over the last 16 years, the company sold 30,000 of the old units.
"We just upgraded it to make it better," Aronie said. "We've made it a nice tool at a better price."
Improvements to the tool include a plastic hopper that holds three quarts of mortar (rather than two), changing the color from orange to blue, and dropping the price from $469.
Haul More Grout, Slash Labor Costs
LABOR IS TYPICALLY the biggest expense on masonry jobs, so tools capable of cutting that cost often pay for themselves. Grout Grunt, a dual-handled plastic scoop, falls into that category; it quickly and efficiently scoops and pours mixed grout.
"The purpose of the Grout Grunt is to ease the grouting procedure. With this, you can increase the amount of grout you get into the wall with less labor," said Steven Agazzi, principle for the Livonia, Mich.-based company. His father, Giovanni Agazzi, a bricklayer for more than 30 years, invented and designed the tool.
Best used by two people in rotation, it can empty a standard mortar tub of 9 cu. ft. in fewer than 5 minutes. "You can scoop faster and transfer three to four times as much grout," Agazzi added.
The Grout Grunt ($35) weighs less than three pounds and washes clean with water.
For more information, visit www.groutgrunt.com.