# Raised Bead Tooling Technique Advice



## oxygenrace (Jan 15, 2013)

I have a job coming up where the client wants his stone foundation pointed with a raised bead finish. I have done this in the past but with limited success. My technique is to point the joints proud and then strike them with the raised bead tool continually dipping the tool in a cup of water to keep it clean and lubed. The joint gets really wet and goes white as a result. Any other techniques or advice out there. this is what i'm going for: http://traditional-building.com/War...013/01/Hamilton-6-IMG00351-20091008-07031.jpg

thanks


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## CJKarl (Nov 21, 2006)

I point them flush and while the mortar is still damp I go back over with the beading tool. I mix the mud like stiff block mortar put some on a trowel and load the jointer, then press it in the joint and slick. It's definitely an art to make it look good. I don't keep dipping the jointer in water, but I do start with it spotless. If mud dries on I'll stop and completely wash it. Took me a while to get a feel for it.


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## CJKarl (Nov 21, 2006)




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## JBM (Mar 31, 2011)

That looks great!


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## dom-mas (Nov 26, 2011)

I have had the same problem. Dip the jointer in water then dry it off by shaking it or letting it dry between runs or wiping it off. As Karl says, make sure the jointer is super clean, no rust whatsoever, that way you don't need as much water for lubrication. I usually sand it with a dowel and some fine sandpaper before starting. Even just the dowel works well . 

And rather than making the joints proud and running the jointer across, you can make them slightly proud, pick the mud up off your trowel and apply it to the joint. The same technique that you have to use when doing a red bead on a buff joint. The mud doesn't have to be as wet with this technique


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## jomama (Oct 25, 2008)

CJKarl said:


>


That looks great, it would take me a week to joint those two walls, and a lot of headaches!!!!

I've done a small repair in the past with smaller beaded joints and had to walk away and allow my employees to finish it, even though it did take them three times longer than I anticipated. It is a complete PITA..........


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## Bobble head 1 (Feb 20, 2013)

If you add some dollar store soap to the water it helps a lot to lubricate the jointer! Not a lot of soap, and the cheap stuff at dollar store. White dish soap... Luv it's called.


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## oxygenrace (Jan 15, 2013)

CJKarl said:


> I point them flush and while the mortar is still damp I go back over with the beading tool. I mix the mud like stiff block mortar put some on a trowel and load the jointer, then press it in the joint and slick. It's definitely an art to make it look good. I don't keep dipping the jointer in water, but I do start with it spotless. If mud dries on I'll stop and completely wash it. Took me a while to get a feel for it.


So do you apply the bead to the pointed joint when it's thumbprint hard? It the joint is bigger than the bead do you tool the joint and then apply the bead? This would make sense if the joint and bead were different colours.

Mark


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## TimelessQuality (Sep 23, 2007)

Do a search...Superseal had a thread about doing it somewhere on here... I think he used a double knife tool..


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## dom-mas (Nov 26, 2011)

TimelessQuality said:


> Do a search...Superseal had a thread about doing it somewhere on here... I think he used a double knife tool..


That's for doing a square bead


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## dom-mas (Nov 26, 2011)

oxygenrace said:


> So do you apply the bead to the pointed joint when it's thumbprint hard? It the joint is bigger than the bead do you tool the joint and then apply the bead? This would make sense if the joint and bead were different colours.
> 
> Mark


Do the joint at the same time. Waiting for the flush joint to go thumbprint is only for different coloured joints.

When you put on the bead you will need to take a tool (I use a very flexible margin trowel)and flick off the the excess that squeezes out the side. You do the FLICKING when it's thumbprint hard, this also scrapes the flush joint effectively tooling it.

You can also get a VERY soft brush and brush the joint before it cures,, that helps with the lightening.


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## TimelessQuality (Sep 23, 2007)

Here's the link to the SS thread... I guess he was doing 'raised ribbon'.

Superseal Pointing Ruble Foundation


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## dom-mas (Nov 26, 2011)

Similar result, different technique. I think Oxygen already has a bead jointer and knows how to get the bead, just not how to make it go so light.

http://dominionmasonry.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/103_1104.jpg

I did some bead joint on the foundation here (not all of it, some joints were still good and it wasn't in the budget to do all of the foundation, several hundred sqft worth, I only did what was marked) When I first tried it kept turning out pink, then I started wiping the jointer with a rag and using a richer, slightly less wet mud and it cured an acceptable dark red. ( I don't know why the camera makes all the bed joints look grey/white. They are all the same red in person)


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## oxygenrace (Jan 15, 2013)

by richer do you mean more portland. Was it a 1-1-6 lime based mix? The joint i am matching has coarse sand which makes it more difficult. The mix drains fast so the water goes to the bottom of the pail. I'm eager to give the new technique a go. I like the soap idea, it shouldn't change the colour and anything that makes things slippery but not too wet is great.


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## dom-mas (Nov 26, 2011)

It's a type O, 2 lime, 1 porty and 9 sand. I used 8 sand instead and kept the mix more like soft cream cheese rather than block mud.


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## CJKarl (Nov 21, 2006)

I also used Type O on the church in the previous pictures.


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## dbrons (Apr 12, 2010)

I haven't done the raised bead joint, but if I were to try it, I would consider washing with acid or vanatrol the next morning to even out the bleached out look. (depending of course on the material, and if there is pigment added etc.)

Dave


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## CJKarl (Nov 21, 2006)

dom-mas said:


> I have had the same problem. Dip the jointer in water then dry it off by shaking it or letting it dry between runs or wiping it off. As Karl says, make sure the jointer is super clean, no rust whatsoever, that way you don't need as much water for lubrication. I usually sand it with a dowel and some fine sandpaper before starting. Even just the dowel works well .
> 
> And rather than making the joints proud and running the jointer across, you can make them slightly proud, pick the mud up off your trowel and apply it to the joint. The same technique that you have to use when doing a red bead on a buff joint. The mud doesn't have to be as wet with this technique


Whats a " red bead on a buff joint"?


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## dom-mas (Nov 26, 2011)

CJ, it's a 2 tone bead joint. A buff coloured flush joint that has a red bead on top. It's buff coloured now because the old mortar goes buff/tan colour with age. I'll see if I have any pictures

Oh, maybe you're asking what buff is? Tan, sand coloured


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## CJKarl (Nov 21, 2006)

Thanks, never seen that. Sounds "Victorian ".


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