PSA: Using a torpedo level to check your butter joints actually works

I was laying a herringbone patio last month in Columbus and kept getting frustrated that my butter joints on the cut pieces were slightly off. After the third time pulling a piece back up, I grabbed a 6-inch torpedo level I had in my truck and set it across the joint before the mortar set. Leveled it out perfect in about 10 seconds flat. Has anyone else tried using a small level like that for checking individual pieces instead of pulling them up?

3 comments

3 Comments

james_kim1mo ago

Didn't a buddy of mine try this and end up dropping the level in wet mortar?

terry_lewis211mo ago

Buddy might've been using a 6-footer instead of a torpedo level.

terrybennett13d ago

Did you ever have a guy on site who thought a 3-foot level was good enough for a 10-foot wall? I watched a framer try to straighten a stud with one of those little torpedo levels once, and the wall ended up looking like a rollercoaster. Had to rip half the drywall down because the whole thing was off by over an inch.