Noticed every new guy treats mortar like cake frosting

I've been laying brick for 8 years now, mostly residential around Columbus. Last week we had a green kid on site, second week on the job. He had his trowel loaded up like he was piping a wedding cake, thick globs slapped on every joint. Foreman walked over, looked at the mess, and just said "you're building a wall, not a pastry." The kid had no idea the extra mortar was causing the bricks to shift out of level by the time we finished the row. I showed him the trick, lay a thin bed, tap it once, check the line. He looked at me like I solved a puzzle. Is it just me or does every apprentice go through a frosting phase before they get it? Has anyone else had to break that habit on their crew?

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richardk2616d ago

Why you so sure that's a bad thing right off the bat?