When we were in San Carlos, Sonora this past winter
we would often go by where this fine gentleman
was working on this nice stone wall.
When I was doing stonework I was a purist
about doing drystack work with no mortar.
But that doesn't mean I don't appreciate a nicely built mortared wall.
Notice how some stones project past the center line
of the wall helping to lock the wall together.
The mortar is packed tightly between the stones
to insure a good bond.
For this style wall the string lines are very important.
A finished section of wall.
The mason pictured above was very proud of his wall
as he should have been.
Despite the rather wide mortar joints what the viewer
will mostly see is the outline of the wall.
In this case the lines formed on the top
and at the corners define a well constructed wall.
