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Brick Maker

Teacher note: A number of students contributed to these pages on Colonial times. Each contributed different information or a different perspective. You may find that each article adds to your understanding and research base.

By: Bridgette B. (2002)

My project was to work on the brickmaker. A brickmaker made bricks for many uses. Some include making houses, sheds, fireplaces, and public buildings. Making the bricks is a long process. First, you have to get the clay out of the ground. Then, they would mix the clay with water. To mix it they would put their feet in a large bin with the clay and water and step on it to mash in the right consistency the right consistency. Then, they would put ashes and sand in the bricks to make different colors. They would put the clay in a wooden mold to make it the right shape. Then, they would fire the bricks for six days and nights the kiln would reach 1,850 degrees Fahrenheit.

The brick makers didn't use many tools. They used their hands, feet, a wooden mold, and a kiln. A kiln is a massive fireplace made of bricks with no top. A wooden mold is a mold made of wood and cut to precise depth, height and width.

The setting was normally anywhere. This is because they would build temporary kilns (otherwise known as clamps- small, temporary kilns) in front of houses they would be building. So the kilns (clamps) could be anywhere.

The brickmaker would have to know many things to do this craft. They would need to know a little bit of carpentry to build the wooden frames. Also they would need to know how to build a fire. They would need to know how to calculate the cost of the job. A person got their training from their family. Normally there was 1 man 2 women and 2 children in the family.

The society depended on this craft because they built their houses public buildings, like churches and the capital This craft was both necessary to survive and produced luxury. This is because you needed a house and you could have more then you needed. This craft was use full to everyone because, again, everyone needed a home.

One thing that would be satisfying about this craft is that you can make money to survive. I would enjoy this craft because you get to put your feet in clay. Also, it is casual work so you don't have to dress up. Today this is called the same thing brickmaking. Also, this craft I still very use full because we still make houses out of bricks.

one thing I found very interesting was that there is a kind of brick that gives the elusion of reflection. This is called the Flemish bond. These are made the same way that all the other bricks are made. What gives them their “glow” is they are closer to the fire so they get this covering that makes them shine. I hope you learned a lot about brick making and I hope it was interesting.

Bibliography

Web sites

Brickmaker 11-10-02 Trades of Colonial Willamsburg

11-12-02

Books

Andrew Barry, Brick work @ the Peyton Randolph complex, Colonial Willamsburg, Copy right 1999, 5 ff

Edited Peter Stockham, crafts and trades, Dover publications, 6

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Brick maker

By Mehmet H. & Rahul G. (1998)

Brick making is a craft in which a person makes bricks out of clay, and makes houses out of bricks.

 

This person must bring clay from a shop and build a mold out of wood. Then the person must crush and remove impurities out of the clay. The mixture is mixed with water to make it stiff. The material is then put in to the molds and pressed by other pieces of woods. The mold is then put into the fireplace to heat the bricks to make it hard. After the bricks are made they are used to make houses and walls. Bricks are usually laid on the walls horizontally in layers. Bricks are bound together with mortar. And that's how walls are made. You need mathematical skills to build molds and to get the shape of the bricks right. First of all you need to know how to mix and use clay to make bricks. Then you need to know how to lay the clay in the mold so that the bricks can be in a perfect shape. At last you are supposed to know all the different bands to decorate the house.

 

 

This craft was needed in different societies so people could have a better place to live. This person might like doing this job so he could help other people.

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This site is created and maintained by Holly Geddes.
Last updated on April 3, 2003