masonary (specfically wall building)

Rhino

Anyone know how to build a stone wall? I'd like to build a free standing one. I've looked at some youtube videos and doesn't look to hard; but nervous about putting down a lot of money for bricks and then dicking it all up.

Is there any um, courses that a person could take were an instructor goes over the basic things?

Also were can you buy supplies? Merads, Lows and Home Depot?

lastly, how hard is it to build a field stone wall versus a cut brick wall? What's the easiest most basic wall one could build?

Slagmire

Can't give you a whole lot of personal experience, but I was a laborer for a couple years in a masonry company and remember a few things about it (at least from a brick perspective):

On top of the typical trowels for laying in the cement, you will need a large level. You have to make sure that wall you're building is straight and level so it doesn't topple over. Typically, you'll want one that's a few feet long on top of any normal ones you might have. Every time you finish a row, make sure it's level length-wise and height-wise. Additional tools you'll want to consider getting are a brick/mason hammer (different then your typical claw hammer), a jointer (this smooths out the access cement that comes out when you lay bricks) and a folding rule (you could use a tape measure, but having to pull it out every time is annoying). You can find all of these at any typical Loews, Home Depot or Sears.

Using a tied line as a sight guide is pretty useful, just remember to raise it to the top of the brick each time you start a new row of them.

I would say the stone wall might be a little easier to build seeing as it doesn't need to be as level as a brick wall. Granted, a brick wall will usually always look better.

Is this an outdoor or indoor wall btw?

Szechuanosaurus

Building a dry stone dyke properly isn't as easy as it might look. It's not just a case of piling misshapen rocks on top of each other.

In fact, I'd argue a brick wall is probably easier considering a) the bricks are shaped to easily slot together and b) you are using cement to hold them in place. With a properly built dry stone dyke you have to build parallel walls on top of large foundation stones, with interlocking stones periodically spanning the two walls and then large cap stones on top spanning both structures all whilst selecting stones from misshapen stock that will fit together reasonably well. You do it right and you get a strong, durable structure that lasts years, you do it wrong you get a precariously balanced pile of stones that will crush your dog first time cocks a leg at it.

The easiest type of wall to build? Probably a dirt mound, double it up with an external moat for added security. Sharpened steaks on top are optional.