A more in depth look at how to lay the foundation for a dry stone wall with a focus on the internal structure and an explanation of using a string line.
What a lovely start to my day, can't wait for more. I don't build walls (but would love to) but I do build mountain bike features so love using stone :)
A drag rake saves your back and can slide, spin and even flip rocks without having to bend over. A pitchfork is equally handy for picking up smaller rocks and waste. You can "grade" rocks/stones for use as fill as well. I love tools!
You're not from my area then lol. Around where I'm from they use people and avoid using any tools for the people. I started using equipment and tools and worked circles around them lol
I have experience doing professional " Stone masonry", and yes I am a brick layer. More correctly, I was a brick layer, and I don't know it all. I'm hoping to learn some productive lessons, and skills. Thank you for all your efforts in building these videos. With love, and respect. Wes Sept
Thanks for your comment and wise words. None of us know it all. Doing a trade is a lifelong learning journey . Hopefully these videos get people interested in the craft and they will find as much enjoyment in stonework as I do.
Stone is an excellent craft to learn. I’m 42 years in Brick masonry. However I learned stone about 25 years ago from a friend. It has paid off big for me because when the brick and block slow up the stone seems to be there in a tighter economy. And stone is not hard to learn. Hope you the best.
Useful video for beginners, thanks very much. A friend needs a 3ft dry wall and step, down from the river bank at the bottom of her garden. Am sure this video will be useful 👍Cheers.
Thanks so much. I have a few walls to build in my garden, I saw a chap in Marsden huddersfield building a wall last year and he had done a perfect job. Cant wait to do mine.
Just had my first go at drystone walling in my front driveway, using Derbyshire gritstone. This video was super helpful, so thanks very much! Really enjoyed the process and I’m pretty pleased with the result so far. Slow progress for me, but feels great to try and learn a new skill! Enjoying the videos, it’s great to watch artists at work!
Nice one! I love a bit of that Derbyshire gritstone. It usually works quite well with the hammer. No need to go fast if you're just doing you own job , enjoy the process!
Cheers! If there's anything you'd like to hear about in particular let me know and I'll see if I can cover it in a video at some point. Cheers for watching! 👍
Nice vid mate, very informative. I've often wondered, how the dry stone walls you see going up mountains, in North Wales were built. Must have been proper graft.
Yeah its amazing when you see those walls going up massive slopes in Wales and up in the Lakes. I'll do a video at some point showing the technique of walling uphill. Hard to get your head around at first. Hard graft for sure. 🪨🪨
@@drystone-tv Thanks so much for the bloody real instructionals, Bert & Lydia! I've learned so much and really enjoy the relaxed pace of your lessons. It's a privilege to learn from your dad as well. I loved seeing the three of you all working on the same wall in another of your videos. That was really moving. Also, it would be great to see an uphill walling video. I can't find anything about it online, only on retaining walls, so you'd get all the amateur waller traffic. Cheers and many thanks from Nova Scotia!
I'm subscribing not just because it was a good video that I enjoyed but on principle of the fact that you should have way more subscribers! Thanks for the vid
I absolutely appreciate the lack of music through out the video. Sometimes creators really only add music to the video because they think that is "how it's supposed to be done, it's gotta have music in there". But very few deliberately add a piece of music to make for a rather more soothing, easier viewing experience. If you aren't adding music to make for less abrasive viewing, then quite possibly you've added music that makes it more abrasive. Keep it up.
Super helpful. Best wishes from Mississippi.We have to pay a lot for stone here. We have mostly swamps and mud in the winter, but a nice stone wall sticks out in a good way. Only northern MS has much natural stone. My Grandad's house in Starkville, MS was built of Tishomingo Stone with some really nice pecky cypress paneling on the inside.
You're clearly a professional no only in building walls, but teaching, as well a demonstrating. I was particularly impressed with the camera set up, so that it perfectly demonstrated the lining up of the string.
thankyou for your advice greatly appreciated, I'm currently learning about stone masonry just saving up for my tools and stone, could i recommend making a video on the different types of tools and how to use them
Yeah thats a good idea for a video! I'd recommended getting something like an estwing brick hammer for a start they're about £35 so reasonably affordable.
What other work can a man do that would last hundreds of years? I used to repair dry walls along horse farms in Central Kentucky U.S.A. and wished I had found out about it earlier in life, alas, age is upon me and I'm afraid that ship has sailed.
I can’t find my original comment on here to edit it, so I hope it actually made it as a post. I forgot to mention that the cultures I work with did not have any metal tools of any kind. That makes their precision stonework even more impressive. So if my other comment is not on here, about me being an archaeologist in Mexico, sorry about that. Check out Teotihuacán. Truly amazing!
I can't find your other comment sadly! I'm always impressed with the stonework in Central and South America. One day I'd love to have a go at trying to replicate it using the methods set by archaeologists such as yourself. If they worked in any similar way to me then half of the work is done by picking the right stone and thinking hard about the stone choice to make the stone shaping as easy as possible. One of the most impressive things about that kind of stonework though is moving the stones and sometimes moving them a long, long way. Really impressive! And certainly not done by aliens!!
What kind of changes to the foundation would you make for a heavier load bearing structure? exg, two story home with 2nd floor bath tub, kitchen ect. Will it still be a standard extra 6 inch wide foundation, and just dug deeper to more solid bedrock? It would be cool to see a video for stone home foundation. Awesome videos!
Very good video. I learned a lot about stone walls. I had no idea that the fill was larger stones hammered in place and that small stones added no strength. I am a bit worried that you don't use safety goggles, but maybe that was just for the vid. Anyways, cheers mate, good on y'a 😊👍
Im my area is more flag atone like and when you hammer or chisel it the breaks are almost imposible to get square because it flakes like a biscut. I stopped doing stone work for this reason. I realise now why i see more homes in my area in the flag stone manner instead of block lol
I LOVE your explanation of the internal strength of the wall, and also the use of thicknesses to eventually achieve level on a slope. The material in my projects is sawn slab, but many of the principles are the same. I also like the timelapse interludes where you work. I have really enjoyed that technique in a video. Thanks!
I was told that your first cource (foundation) of stones need to run across the wall , not along the line like you have done. In competition you would be marked down significantly
The rule you have to abide by in walling is length-in. But this applies differently to different sized stones. These stones are all touching back to back and therefore couldn't be more length in.
If you are building a foundation for a building with dry stack stones, would you need to make the first course below the frostline? Would you ever need to start below grade for a wall or is heaving not really an issue for walls?
Yes absolutely, you'll need to go below the frostline if you're building for a house or something. Frost heave does affect dry stone walls which is why most of the original new England dry stone walls are totally collapsed
You work efficiently, chiseling the rock and using the chippings as fill. Wish I had that kind of stone you have, I just have bowling ball granite. Hard to work with.
That is a good observation! Where I live we don't get frost heave. We get a couple of shallow frosts every winter of about 6" but nothing to seriously effect the walls. Where there is a problem with frost it's a good idea to dig down and put some gravel down. Whatever the local builders recommend really! 👌
I live in a limestone region. Not the greatest rock for longevity as layers can start to shed due to weathering. But really that is all I have to use and lots of freebies come out of the ground over the years and I use a truckers cheater bar to pry them out. I dry stack, it is like a puzzle and get good results. Hardly hammer any as I can fit angles together well. So far 5 walls, one large fire pit from freebies coming out of the ground. Stacking is fun but the older you get the more aches begin..
Hola from Spain...I'm a Cumbrian lad rebuilding Arab and Roman terracing on mountain olive groves in Andalusia...not much different to walls in south Lakeland really...
@@drystone-tv ****kin hot today...most of the Brickies, called masons over here work in stone as well, also many of the old skool farmers and their labourers can throw something up, but they can be a bit rough...
I have never done any stonework, but one general thing about being economical with your energy that I have noticed is to use your bodyweight to move things when possible instead of using your muscles.
I've filmed the first half of part two. It's going to be a long video with lots of information so it's taking a bit of putting together. Should be up later this month. Cheers!
Hi , this is sandstone- a great building material. I wouldn't recommend solely dry stone for any kind of dwelling , however a Dry stone cladding can look really cool! The problem is that with this technique you don't have any thermal or moisture barrier so it would make a very cold and damp house !
I’m doing right now a 70 foot length 2 foot high 16 inches wide drywall. On my property I have a farmers old rock dump in my backyard. From when this was a cow grazing field, but now has a home on it I went to the quarry yard where they were charging close to $400 a pallet of Pennsylvania flat Fieldstone, I rocked out about 5 pallets in my backyard getting busted granites and fieldstones with a shovel and a yard tractor and a trailer on back. Save myself about $2000 worth of rock. By humping it out of my backyard.
The rainbow in the sky at the end of the video… icing on the cake.
What a lovely start to my day, can't wait for more. I don't build walls (but would love to) but I do build mountain bike features so love using stone :)
Great video for the basics with string & shaping the foundation stones. Also good tip about not carrying more than you have to.
A drag rake saves your back and can slide, spin and even flip rocks without having to bend over. A pitchfork is equally handy for picking up smaller rocks and waste. You can "grade" rocks/stones for use as fill as well. I love tools!
I'm surrounded by them daily.
You're not from my area then lol. Around where I'm from they use people and avoid using any tools for the people. I started using equipment and tools and worked circles around them lol
Tool is also a word for a plonker. So i feel there was some missed humour
Absolute art.
So impressive.
I have experience doing professional " Stone masonry", and yes I am a brick layer. More correctly, I was a brick layer, and I don't know it all. I'm hoping to learn some productive lessons, and skills. Thank you for all your efforts in building these videos. With love, and respect. Wes Sept
Thanks for your comment and wise words. None of us know it all. Doing a trade is a lifelong learning journey . Hopefully these videos get people interested in the craft and they will find as much enjoyment in stonework as I do.
It’s a line, not a string 😁 SUNY Delhi masonry construction 1983.
Best tip I ever got...Just stay on task
@LOYALTOTHEFOIL.I took a Masonry Vocational and we actually did both bricks for walls and rocks for fireplaces and entryways
Stone is an excellent craft to learn. I’m 42 years in Brick masonry. However I learned stone about 25 years ago from a friend. It has paid off big for me because when the brick and block slow up the stone seems to be there in a tighter economy. And stone is not hard to learn. Hope you the best.
Useful video for beginners, thanks very much. A friend needs a 3ft dry wall and step, down from the river bank at the bottom of her garden. Am sure this video will be useful 👍Cheers.
Thanks so much. I have a few walls to build in my garden, I saw a chap in Marsden huddersfield building a wall last year and he had done a perfect job. Cant wait to do mine.
Just had my first go at drystone walling in my front driveway, using Derbyshire gritstone. This video was super helpful, so thanks very much! Really enjoyed the process and I’m pretty pleased with the result so far. Slow progress for me, but feels great to try and learn a new skill! Enjoying the videos, it’s great to watch artists at work!
Nice one! I love a bit of that Derbyshire gritstone. It usually works quite well with the hammer. No need to go fast if you're just doing you own job , enjoy the process!
Great advice - looking forward ti the rest of the project!
Cheers! If there's anything you'd like to hear about in particular let me know and I'll see if I can cover it in a video at some point. Cheers for watching! 👍
Thanks that was very helpful. I’ve got an acre field with my house and tried some repair work on the dry stone wall and it was rubbish.
@@paulreynolds9003 you'll have cracked it by the time you've walled round your acre then! Good luck with it.
Nice vid mate, very informative. I've often wondered, how the dry stone walls you see going up mountains, in North Wales were built. Must have been proper graft.
Yeah its amazing when you see those walls going up massive slopes in Wales and up in the Lakes. I'll do a video at some point showing the technique of walling uphill. Hard to get your head around at first.
Hard graft for sure. 🪨🪨
@@drystone-tv Thanks so much for the bloody real instructionals, Bert & Lydia! I've learned so much and really enjoy the relaxed pace of your lessons. It's a privilege to learn from your dad as well. I loved seeing the three of you all working on the same wall in another of your videos. That was really moving. Also, it would be great to see an uphill walling video. I can't find anything about it online, only on retaining walls, so you'd get all the amateur waller traffic. Cheers and many thanks from Nova Scotia!
I'm subscribing not just because it was a good video that I enjoyed but on principle of the fact that you should have way more subscribers!
Thanks for the vid
I would walk the line with a sledge hammer,evening out every inch of compression level .this was interesting and relaxing on a Saturday morning,thanks
Seems the hard part is setting up the lines and finding the angle of the stakes...need a video on that now! Thank you!
@somehillyvuiygoodHow is that the hardest part?
Thaks for sharing. I'm from Brazil and we dont have to much information here about wall/house stones.
I absolutely appreciate the lack of music through out the video. Sometimes creators really only add music to the video because they think that is "how it's supposed to be done, it's gotta have music in there". But very few deliberately add a piece of music to make for a rather more soothing, easier viewing experience. If you aren't adding music to make for less abrasive viewing, then quite possibly you've added music that makes it more abrasive. Keep it up.
Super helpful. Best wishes from Mississippi.We have to pay a lot for stone here. We have mostly swamps and mud in the winter, but a nice stone wall sticks out in a good way. Only northern MS has much natural stone. My Grandad's house in Starkville, MS was built of Tishomingo Stone with some really nice pecky cypress paneling on the inside.
Aloha ❤ from Germany. Thanks for sharing your know how 😍🙏
thanks!
Stacked rock walls are so cool!
Thanks for the info mate, one of my to do lists in the future 👌🇦🇺
Используйте очки при такой работе, вы еще молоды и ваши глаза вам еще пригодятся.
Успехов.
Excellent!! Only lift what U have 2. B economical! I regret not listening when I was young!
can you do one on how to chip those stones to size nicely like that?
What type of stone is that?
That cement mixer looking lonely in the background lol
You're clearly a professional no only in building walls, but teaching, as well a demonstrating. I was particularly impressed with the camera set up, so that it perfectly demonstrated the lining up of the string.
Amazing work, thank you for sharing!
cheers for watching!
thankyou for your advice greatly appreciated, I'm currently learning about stone masonry just saving up for my tools and stone, could i recommend making a video on the different types of tools and how to use them
Yeah thats a good idea for a video! I'd recommended getting something like an estwing brick hammer for a start they're about £35 so reasonably affordable.
Clearly the rocks in the course need to be of nearly the same height to facilitate the next course ?
yeah, with this type of stone that's the general idea. when you have irregular stone you just need to be at the same height where the stones meet.
That was awesome . Thank you
There’s nothing more that I would love then a stone wall on my property. But the time and cost is incredible.
If you can get a fast waller you might be able to afford your wall! lots of productive wallers in the UK.
What other work can a man do that would last hundreds of years? I used to repair dry walls along horse farms in Central Kentucky U.S.A. and wished I had found out about it earlier in life, alas, age is upon me and I'm afraid that ship has sailed.
I can’t find my original comment on here to edit it, so I hope it actually made it as a post. I forgot to mention that the cultures I work with did not have any metal tools of any kind. That makes their precision stonework even more impressive. So if my other comment is not on here, about me being an archaeologist in Mexico, sorry about that. Check out Teotihuacán. Truly amazing!
I can't find your other comment sadly! I'm always impressed with the stonework in Central and South America. One day I'd love to have a go at trying to replicate it using the methods set by archaeologists such as yourself. If they worked in any similar way to me then half of the work is done by picking the right stone and thinking hard about the stone choice to make the stone shaping as easy as possible. One of the most impressive things about that kind of stonework though is moving the stones and sometimes moving them a long, long way. Really impressive! And certainly not done by aliens!!
Respect to you, sir. Beautiful craftsmanship. 🪨
Good video
Enjoyed the video. That rainbow at the was certainly perfect timing!
awesome vid and clear instruction. can you do a quick vid on how to pick topping stones?
Yep absolutely.
Good informasiont ilmu pondasi
What kind of changes to the foundation would you make for a heavier load bearing structure? exg, two story home with 2nd floor bath tub, kitchen ect.
Will it still be a standard extra 6 inch wide foundation, and just dug deeper to more solid bedrock? It would be cool to see a video for stone home foundation. Awesome videos!
Auspicious rainbow at the end. Keep ‘em coming!
Good video.
I bought the leftovers from a slate stone wall build. Wanting to build around a flower bed in the yard.
I appreciate your guidance.
I guess you could build a stone house too on the same principles but morttared? I am very glad I found your video. Very informative. Thanks a million.
Yes exactly. Lots of houses in the world are built with solid stone walls and a lime/earth mortar.
Those chips definitely serve a purpose, and never just thrown. Its purpose is to secure the big rocks further
Very good video. I learned a lot about stone walls. I had no idea that the fill was larger stones hammered in place and that small stones added no strength.
I am a bit worried that you don't use safety goggles, but maybe that was just for the vid. Anyways, cheers mate, good on y'a 😊👍
Im my area is more flag atone like and when you hammer or chisel it the breaks are almost imposible to get square because it flakes like a biscut. I stopped doing stone work for this reason. I realise now why i see more homes in my area in the flag stone manner instead of block lol
Thank you for taking the time and effort to make these vids....really good.
What tool are you using to trim the stones please? Can you send the name on please.
Such a beautyfull rainbow at the background💕 thank you for sharing your knowledge.
Great skill to have, keep the knowledge alive.
With regards to gettin it straight at the begining. Couldnt you us a plumb line hung off the string?
Do u have a frost line u have to hit or not cause u have not used cement
One stonemason sad: don't put large stone on the ground, save it for next level to tie smaller ones.
So fun to watch the instant progress....when you know how hard someone is workimg!👏👏👏
I LOVE your explanation of the internal strength of the wall, and also the use of thicknesses to eventually achieve level on a slope. The material in my projects is sawn slab, but many of the principles are the same. I also like the timelapse interludes where you work. I have really enjoyed that technique in a video. Thanks!
bloody real!!!
Bleeeedy real job 😋❤️🔥🤙
Save that back, for sure! A blown back sucks.
In that last shot, that’s a rainbow 🌈 over your head dude!
ThankQ
I was told that your first cource (foundation) of stones need to run across the wall , not along the line like you have done. In competition you would be marked down significantly
The rule you have to abide by in walling is length-in. But this applies differently to different sized stones. These stones are all touching back to back and therefore couldn't be more length in.
Nice one
Where can i get a beefy hammer like that please?
What kind of stone is that and how much does it cost?
Limestone 300 a ton
300 bucks?@@OH_Outdoorsman
If you are building a foundation for a building with dry stack stones, would you need to make the first course below the frostline? Would you ever need to start below grade for a wall or is heaving not really an issue for walls?
Yes absolutely, you'll need to go below the frostline if you're building for a house or something. Frost heave does affect dry stone walls which is why most of the original new England dry stone walls are totally collapsed
I built a 200' stone fence on my property. It's like a jigsaw puzzle where nothing fits.
Great video. Can you tell me how many metres its possible to get down in a day? Thanks
Fascinating. Thanks for making this video.
You work efficiently, chiseling the rock and using the chippings as fill. Wish I had that kind of stone you have, I just have bowling ball granite. Hard to work with.
I'm not sure I understand, what keeps a stone wall such as this, built on surface grade, from frost heaving every season?
That is a good observation! Where I live we don't get frost heave. We get a couple of shallow frosts every winter of about 6" but nothing to seriously effect the walls. Where there is a problem with frost it's a good idea to dig down and put some gravel down. Whatever the local builders recommend really! 👌
Thank yoy for putting out this content
I live in a limestone region. Not the greatest rock for longevity as layers can start to shed due to weathering. But really that is all I have to use and lots of freebies come out of the ground over the years and I use a truckers cheater bar to pry them out.
I dry stack, it is like a puzzle and get good results. Hardly hammer any as I can fit angles together well.
So far 5 walls, one large fire pit from freebies coming out of the ground.
Stacking is fun but the older you get the more aches begin..
So helpful for my wildlife garden project, thank you! Better get back to it and put my learning into action...
As in with fencing put the string lower then no need to close your eye simple yes then put more strings on as you go higher simplicity
Hola from Spain...I'm a Cumbrian lad rebuilding Arab and Roman terracing on mountain olive groves in Andalusia...not much different to walls in south Lakeland really...
Nice! That sounds like the dream job. What's the stone like out there? Any Spanish wallers?
@@drystone-tv ****kin hot today...most of the Brickies, called masons over here work in stone as well, also many of the old skool farmers and their labourers can throw something up, but they can be a bit rough...
Cool! I always wondered what the inside of a stone wall looks like. About what I expected.
I have never done any stonework, but one general thing about being economical with your energy that I have noticed is to use your bodyweight to move things when possible instead of using your muscles.
Keep the video's coming, I am very interested 💞🇨🇦💞🇨🇦💞🇨🇦
Great accent. Great video.
∆ 10Stone of theROCK .
any chance of doing some work in limestone?
Aye, I've a wall to do in Derbyshire for my cousin that would be a good demo in limestone.
@@drystone-tv good stuff. will look out for it. cheers
Thank you very much!!! It is a very helpful video. I wish you all the best in life, health, happiness & peace.
Safety squint.
Will there be a part 2 coming soon? 😬
I've filmed the first half of part two. It's going to be a long video with lots of information so it's taking a bit of putting together. Should be up later this month. Cheers!
@@drystone-tv looking forward to it 😊
Can I ask you what kind of stone are you using? Also can you make a two storey house out of a dry stone technique?
Thank you.
Hi , this is sandstone- a great building material. I wouldn't recommend solely dry stone for any kind of dwelling , however a Dry stone cladding can look really cool! The problem is that with this technique you don't have any thermal or moisture barrier so it would make a very cold and damp house !
4:53 cool timelapse
We start the wall build 6 inches down, below the frost line. Is this part of the foundation not necessary?
It is, I'm just showing how to lay the stones. I'm building on a compacted stone base here and didn't fancy digging it up!
@@drystone-tv I’d be curious to see how you do those.
Awesome, thx
great!!!!
You should film n post ALL ur work..
I'll do my best! I've just got a timelapse camera so hopefully that will help.
That’s a great instructional video - thanks for taking the time to do it !
Great work !
Nice 👍
Good.
Subbed.
What kind of hammer are you using?
This is a Riley 4lb northern style walling hammer
Noice 👍
Thank you. I can already feel that heavy stability beginning. Looking forward to e2.
Working with bare hands, no gloves and no safety glasses on the eyes rocking that rock like crazy!
amazing! ✨👍🏻
I’m doing right now a 70 foot length 2 foot high 16 inches wide drywall. On my property I have a farmers old rock dump in my backyard. From when this was a cow grazing field, but now has a home on it I went to the quarry yard where they were charging close to $400 a pallet of Pennsylvania flat Fieldstone, I rocked out about 5 pallets in my backyard getting busted granites and fieldstones with a shovel and a yard tractor and a trailer on back. Save myself about $2000 worth of rock. By humping it out of my backyard.
Don't you have to dig in for the footing? I mean stones below ground
Yes you do, I'm just showing how to put the stones together. Plus this is built on hard-core.
@@drystone-tv thanks mate, is there a rule of thumb? Like go as deep as the wall is high?
Love from Australia 🇦🇺 ❤️
I could watch the speeded up footage all day long.