Line Pin

• Art. Nr: 301002
• Size: 6" (152 mm)
• Material: Please contact sales
• Construction: One-piece steel pin, bright surface as shown in the catalog photo
• Handle: None, the pin is the whole tool

Product Name & Model

Line Pin — Art. Nr 301002 — Size 6".

One art number, one size. This product has a single entry: 301002, size 6". There is no diameter option, no second length, and no handle code. Anything a buyer asks for under "Line Pin" is this one item.

What the tool is. A line pin is a steel pin that is pushed or tapped into a mortar joint so that a mason's line (the taut string that sets the top edge of a brick course) can be anchored and tensioned against it. Two pins, one at each end of the run, plus a line are the complete system. The pin is not a fastener and is not left in the wall: it is set, the course is laid to the line, and the pin is then pulled and moved up one course.

Core Features

• A one-piece steel pin, no assembly. There is no handle, no ferrule and no joint to work loose.
• Spear-point (leaf) blade for entering the joint. The point is flattened and leaf-shaped, widening from a sharp tip into the shank. A tapered, pointed end is the key design feature: it drives into the joint and grips rather than sliding back out under line tension.
• A flat head at the top of the shank. A disc-shaped head sits at the opposite end from the point. It gives the line a positive stop so a wrap cannot ride up off the pin, and gives a hammer a flat face to tap against.
• 6" (152 mm) working length. The nominal size is 6".
• Bright surface. The catalog photo shows a bright, reflective surface; for the surface treatment, please contact sales.
• Sold per piece: one art number is one pin (1 pc); a line needs a pin at each end, so order two per line.

Product Advantages

It solves the one problem a corner block cannot. Corner blocks, the plastic or wooden blocks that hook a line over a finished quoin, need a built corner to hook onto. At the start of a wall there isn't one.

Line pins are the tool for exactly that stage: the first course off the foundation, or the middle of a long run where there is no corner within reach, because the pin creates its own anchor by going into the wet mortar joint. In practice the two tools are used together across a job, not as substitutes: pins for the early courses, blocks once the corner is three or four courses up and the mortar has taken its initial set.

A 6" pin gives you shank to hold and depth to bury. The 6" length gives more shank in the hand when you push it home, and more length available to bury in the joint before the line wrap reaches the wall face. That matters where the mortar is soft and a shallow-set pin would pull.

The steel is the whole product. With no handle and no moving parts, the only things that can fail on a line pin are a bent shank and a blunt point. A pin that bends is scrap, because the bend puts the point and the line wrap out of the same plane and the course walks off line over its length.

Keep it dry and lightly oiled. A line pin lives in wet mortar and then goes into a bag or a bucket. Wipe it dry after use and store it with a thin film of oil.

A pin does not get in the way of the trowel. The pin sits inside the joint and projects only a short stub. There is nothing standing proud of the wall face to catch a trowel or a brick as the course is laid.

How to Use

When to Use

Basic Technique: Step by Step

Setting into green mortar

The pin's grip comes from the mortar closing around the buried blade, so the joint has to still be workable.

Push the point in with hand pressure first and only tap if it will not enter; a pin that has to be hammered hard is usually going into mortar that has already set, and the joint face will spall rather than accept the pin. If the pin will not seat, move along a course or a joint and try again rather than forcing it. When you tap, use a brick hammer or a mallet on the flat head, not a heavy engineer's hammer that will mushroom the head over the shank.

Working alongside corner blocks

On a normal wall the two tools hand over to each other. Pins carry the line for the first course or two while the leads are being built; once the quoins are up three or four courses and the mortar has taken an initial set, most masons switch to corner blocks, which slide up the built corner without disturbing any joint. Keep both in the bag: a corner that has to be rebuilt or a mid-run datum on a long wall will put you back on pins the same day.

Repointing and restoration

When raking out and repointing an existing wall, the pin goes into a joint that is already open, so it disturbs nothing that was not going to be re-filled anyway. Use light line tension on soft historic lime mortar; the mortar will not hold a pin under the tension a modern cement joint tolerates.

FAQ

Q1. What is a line pin for, and how many do I need?
A. It anchors and tensions a mason's line so a course of brick or block can be laid straight and level to that line. You need two, one at each end of the run; two pins and a line make the complete system.

Q2. Is a line pin the same thing as a corner block?
A. No. A corner block hooks over a corner that is already built, while a line pin makes its own anchor by going into a mortar joint, which is why it works at the first course when no corner exists yet. Most masons carry both and switch to blocks once the corners are three or four courses up.

Q3. How long is the pin?
A. 301002 is 6" (152 mm) long, which gives shank to push against and length to bury in the joint. This is the only size offered.

Q4. The pin pulls out of the joint, or will not go in at all. What is wrong?
A. If it pulls out, the mortar is usually too soft or the pin is not buried far enough, so set it deeper, move to a firmer joint or reduce the line tension. If it will not go in, the mortar has cured: a line pin is a tool for fresh mortar, so choose an open or freshly filled joint instead of forcing the pin and spalling the joint face.

Q5. The line sags, or my courses drift even though the line is tight. What should I check?
A. For sag, re-tension first; if it returns, add an intermediate anchor point rather than pulling harder, because over-tensioning is what pulls pins out of fresh mortar. For drift, check that the bricks are not touching the line: if each brick is laid hard against the string, the line is pushed out and the wall bellies, so the front edge should sit a fraction back from the line.

Specifications Overview

Product data

Design features

Selection Guide

Is a line pin the right tool for this job?

What to use with it

Full Size Reference

There is one article number for the Line Pin.

Care & Maintenance

• Clean the mortar off before it sets. Mortar left to cure on the blade builds up and changes the profile that has to enter the joint. Wipe the pin down at the end of each day.
• Dry the pin before it goes in the bag. A wet pin in a closed toolbag is the worst case.
• Check the point before each use. A blunted or rolled point will not enter a joint cleanly and will not grip once it is in. Replace the pin if the point is blunted or the blade has lost its taper.
• Check the shank is straight. A bent pin puts the point and the line wrap out of line with each other and the course will run off. Replace bent pins rather than trying to straighten them.
• Oil for storage between jobs. A light wipe of machine oil protects the pin when it is stored in humid conditions.
• Deal with rust immediately. Remove light surface rust with a fine abrasive and re-oil. Replace a pin with deep pitting.
• Keep enough pins on hand. Line pins are used two at a time, one at each end of the line, and a single pin is close to useless on site. Replace a damaged pin promptly and order by quantity.