A workstone is a piece of quarried rock that has been cut, dressed, and sized for placement in a building. Masons distinguish these finished blocks from rough rubble or fieldstone because they require precise leveling and jointing. The quality of the dressing determines how tightly the stones can be laid together in the final wall.
Make sure the workstones for the archway are staged on the scaffold before the mortar gets mixed.
Handling large workstones requires proper rigging and lifting tongs to avoid chipping the dressed edges before they are set.
Related terms
Ashlaring
The short vertical timber framing installed in garrets to cut off the sharp angle where the roof meets the floor.
Stereotomy
The geometric art and science of cutting solid stone into precise shapes for complex architectural structures.
Plain work
A style of masonry featuring smooth, flat stone surfaces without decorative carving.