Article: Check for the right consistency and empty the mortar into a wheelbarrow or into individual buckets to lay out on a board and start using. Make sure everything is pre-wet, or you'll have some trouble with the mortar sticking to it. It should slide out easily, if you've done everything correctly. Getting dry concrete in your eyes, lungs, or on your hands can be very painful and dangerous. It's very important to wear gloves any time you're handling mortar, as well as safety glasses, and a face-mask when you're mixing up the dry cement. It can have a tendency to cloud up and get in your face, and is very hazardous to the lungs. Use caution and always equip yourself safely. Mortar dries quickly, which is partially why it's effective and so good to work with. You can lay courses as fast as you can keep up with it. Eventually, the mortar on your board will start to dry out some, so it's helpful to keep a small cup of water with you to drip a little on and mix up with your trowel to keep that good consistency. Using overly-dry mortar will result in weak walls, which can especially be a problem if you're laying a foundation. It's important to keep the mix wet enough and workable enough to be effective. After an hour and a half or two hours, mortar tends to start to become too dry and unworkable, even if you add a tiny amount of water to what you're using. Plan out your work project carefully and only mix as much as you'll need for the job at hand. You won't be able to use it later. When using lime and you are not as fast or it is your first time laying brick, try mixing smaller batches. Mix just enough mud to use within 45 - 60 minutes. If you are able to get help, have someone mix and carry the mortar for you. At the end of a hard day of block-laying, you've still got an important job to do: knocking all the hard and dried mortar off the mixer, your boards, your wheelbarrows, and other tools. There are all sorts of different methods for doing this, but the most effective is also the most simple. Use a hammer to bang on your tools and collect the dry mortar to dispose of it properly. Don't neglect cleaning your tools. Electric mixers especially can become bogged down if you haven't done a good job cleaning off the dried-up cement. There shouldn't be too much of it if you've been mixing properly, but there'll be some.
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Start laying your block. Always wear the proper safety gear when handling mortar. Add a small amount of water periodically. Never make more than you'll use in 2 hours. Clean the mixer and all tools at the end of the day. It is always better to mix less and have to mix another small batch than having excess material harden on your tools or a big hard lump to pick up and dispose of.