The message
from Iain Robinson contains these words:

I posted here earlier in the week and some kind souls pointed me in the
right direction, clarifying what I should lay my patio on. But I need a
bit more clarification please.

After whacking down my sub-base I am putting down a drymix mortar to lay
the slabs onto. It seems one part cement to four parts sand is the right
ratio - correct?

It depends how strong the mortar needs to be. 4:1 will set *VERY* hard.
If I were doing the job I'd use hoggin, or if it was really necessary,
mix the sand cement at (say) 10:1 or weaker.

Lay the sand or drymix flat, then scoop out a shallow hollow in the
middle of where the block should be, amounting to about half the area of
each slab. Yhis allows you to tamp down the slabs till they are all
level, and IMO, a bit of cement in the sand helps maintain the level,
unless you are a - ahem - paving expert.

I had read that the sand for patio work should be sharp
sand (as it 'locks' in place) but I see that pavingexpert.com recommends
that soft sand be used for mixing up mortar. Which is correct?

Knowing Cormaic (from posts here) the proprietor of pavingexpert.com,
I'd say he was.

If it
should be soft sand what would the result of using sharp sand be? I have
already ordered the (sharp) sand. I went through what we wanted to do
with someone at the builders merchant and he seemed to agree that we
were on the right track, so hopefully this is not our first stumbling
block.

I'd ask Cormaic if I were you.

I was also recommended to put down extra cement at the sides of the
patio to keep the sand in - should this be pure cement (put down dry, as
the mortar?) or just a mortar mix with a higher ratio of cement in (if
so what ratio).

Yes, a nice touch, and also tends to prevent mice etc undermining it. If
I were doing it I'd extend the rubble base enough to make a retaining
wall one brick high, either flat or on edge. You may then use your 4:1
mortar mix to lay the course so it doesn't fall apart in no time.

Apologies for the dumb questions but this is all new to me. I have this
week off work this week to do this - I want to be sitting on the patio
having a beer by Friday. In any spare moments during the process I also
have to decorate the kitchen........

They're not dumb questions at all - if you've never done it, how would
you know?

--
Rusty
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