Stonemasonry competition overview
Masonry is the craft of shaping rough pieces of rock into accurate geometrical shapes, at times simple, but some of considerable complexity and then arranging the resulting stones, often together with mortar to form structures.
Stonemasons create practical stone items that can last for centuries, they need to be skilled in creating stone items using traditional tools. Stonemasons work from sawn blocks of stone to shape everything from cladding for a new office block to intricate and important carvings for famous historic buildings, working with materials such as slate, sandstone and limestone. They use templates and drawings as a guide and often copy decayed or broken stones to create identical replacements. Stonemasonry is one of the oldest professions within the construction industry.
This competition has been designed to reflect the role of a stonemason and the standards that are expected within the construction industry.
Competition overview
Competitors will be marked throughout the competition:
- Competitors have to work in a safe manner and will lose marks if this is not adhered to
General information:
- At the Regional Qualifiers the maximum working time for the task is 8 hours
- At the UK National Final the maximum working time for the task is 18 hours
- SkillBuild UK National Final competitors could progress onto EuroSkills and WorldSkills competitions if all the relevant criteria have been met
Core competencies
To take part in this competition you should be able to:
- Produce full size setting out from a working drawing using the appropriate geometrical techniques
- Produce templets in both plastic and zinc from a full size setting out (fully marked up)
- Apply templates to a stone for transference of relevant information
- Apply templates in a way that minimise defects and faults
- Mason chamfers, checks and fillets
- Mason concave and convex mouldings
- Mason flat and curved surfaces
- Produce internal and external mitres
- Produce ashlar stops
- Check stones for true and square, and correct if necessary
- Select correct tools for the work to be carried out
- Demonstrate knowledge of geometrical processes
- Keep the work area clean and tidy
- Work in a safe manner
See also:
- Bricklaying competition overview
- Carpentry competition overview
- Joinery competition overview
- Painting and decorating competition overview
- Plastering competition overview
- Plastering and drywall systems competition overview
- Roof slating and tiling competition overview
- Wall and floor tiling competition overview