Okay, so I was messing around with some bricks the other day, trying to build something cool, you know, like those fancy arches you see in old buildings. I’ve always thought they look super neat, but man, they’re harder to make than they look! I mean, Louis Kahn, the architect, made it sound so simple. He said a brick “wants” to be an arch. What a load of bull! These bricks definitely didn’t get the memo.
First, I had to figure out what kind of arch I was even going for. There are tons of different arch types, like flat ones, pointy ones, and even ones shaped like horseshoes. After looking at a few pictures, I decided to try a semicircular arch. Just like most builders use, I went with that.
I started laying out the bricks, trying to get that nice curve. That was hard! Getting those bricks to stay in place while I worked was a total pain. There is nothing holding them up, you know. There’s no steel or whatever that builders usually use. And let me tell you, it took forever. I thought it should be easy.
I tried a few different ways to build the arch. One time I tried to just stack the bricks in a curve, but they kept falling over. Then I tried to make a support frame out of some wood scraps, but that didn’t really work either. It was all wobbly and stuff. So I gave up that.
- First Attempt: Just stacking bricks – Epic fail.
- Second Attempt: Wooden support frame – Still a fail.
Finally, I found some articles about how to build arches, and I realized I needed something called a “centering.” It’s basically a temporary structure that holds the bricks in place until the whole arch is done, and then the mortar dries, and the arch can support itself. I found some articles online and thought I should give it a try.
So, I spent some time making a centering out of plywood and some two-by-fours. I’m not really a carpenter, so it wasn’t the prettiest thing, but it did the job. It’s not like anyone’s gonna see this thing.
With the centering in place, I started laying the bricks again. It was still tricky, but at least the bricks weren’t falling all over the place. I had to be careful to get the spacing right, but the centering helped to keep the curve nice and even. Finally, the curve started to take shape.
Once I got all the bricks in place, I had to let the mortar dry. That was the longest part! I had to wait like a whole day before I could take the centering off. I was so impatient.
Finally, the big moment came. I took off the centering, and… the arch stood! I couldn’t believe it. It actually worked! It wasn’t perfect, but it was definitely an arch. So the articles did not lie!
Building an arch with bricks is definitely not as easy as it looks, but it’s totally doable. You just need some patience, the right tools, and maybe a little bit of luck. Next time, I’m gonna try a pointed arch. Wish me luck!
What I learned
- Using a centering is key when making an arch.
- Bricks don’t always want to be an arch, no matter what Kahn said.
- Patience is super important.
