For the floor of the shelter I am building a kind of hypocaust system. I wanted to prefabricate some of the pillars because, as I know, bricks are much easier to join vertically than horizontally. I can make stacks of three bricks and then turn them upright once the mortar has cured. I realized once again the importance of having the right tools and equipment. I was using a scrap piece of MDF for the base, but it was very uneven when I placed it on the ground. I was cleaning up some of the mortar and I knocked over one stack...and the whole row fell like dominoes. After being rather angry for a couple of minutes I decided to make some proper tools and start again the day after. I found a long board for the base, much stiffer than the sheet of MDF. I also made myself a guide so that I can line up one set of edges. The board and guide. I used clay again to support the first brick of the stack and to position it against the guide. Only the small ends of the bri...