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Finally got the arch on that old fireplace to look right after three tries
It was a repair job on a 1920s house in Tacoma, and the homeowner wanted the brick arch over the fireplace rebuilt exactly like the original. My first two attempts had a slight dip on the left side, but on the third try, using a plywood template I cut myself, the curve finally matched perfectly. Anyone else have a trick for getting those tricky arches to line up without a ton of trial and error?
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the_tara18d ago
Three tries is nothing! My last arch project had me redoing the formwork so many times I started dreaming about mortar lines. The plywood template is a solid move, though. I usually end up using a giant compass made from a stick and a pencil, and it's a total mess every single time. Your method sounds way more professional than my backyard engineering. That perfect curve must have been a huge relief to finally see.
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sarah_hart18d ago
You started dreaming about mortar lines? That's some serious dedication to the craft.
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jason32823h ago
Man, it's wild how often the thing you're working on just takes over your brain like that. Happens to me with all kinds of stuff, not just building things.
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