A Twisted Pier

I made this twisted pier from old reclaim bricks. Using a special jig that's specifically made for this job. It was set on a 12" x 12" patio stone as a base.

You can add lights to the top and set a pair in your driveway to guide your way, you could also put a mailbox atop. It can be pre-made ahead of time and transported to the job.

I laid down a patio stone as a base and set a few courses of brick in dry bond to check the fit.(gauge)

Next I mixed up some mud (mortar) type N, sand and water. The ratio is 3-4 shovels of sand to 1 shovel mortar just add water until you reach a desired consistency. I mixed it in a wheelbarrow using a garden hoe to mix with.

Set the jig for the amount of twist you want the pier to have, around 6-degrees gave me this twist.

Lay out your first course and apply the jig on top. Lay the next course following the angle of the jig.
The next course you need to move the jig opposite or across from the previous course. This process will repeat until you reach the top.

Take a joiner tool and clean the joints, fill in any spots with no mud and brush it well to get any mortar that may have stuck to the face of your brick. You can also take a clean damp sponge and wipe off the bricks, being careful not to wipe the joints.