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An old guy at the lumber yard changed my mind about using a chalk line for long cuts
I was picking up some 16 foot 2x12s for a deck frame in Tacoma last fall, and I was just going to snap a pencil line. This retired carpenter, maybe 70, saw me and said, 'Kid, you'll be a quarter inch off by the end of that. String don't lie.' He showed me how he hooks the line with his speed square to get a perfect start. I tried it on the job and the cuts lined up perfect. Anyone else have a simple trick that saved them a ton of time?
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taylor.amy4mo ago
That snap back is no joke, it'll take a chunk out of your leg. Seen a guy get his line tangled around his ladder once and it was a whole mess. Those little hooks really do save you from a world of hurt.
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taylor.amy5mo ago
Honestly, that speed square hook is a game changer for keeping the line tight. I've seen guys mess up a whole string of rafters from a wobbly start.
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adams.spencer5mo ago
Oh man, watching someone fight a loose chalk line is pure comedy. I saw a guy last week try to hold it with his boot and it snapped back so hard it left a mark on his jeans. That hook is worth its weight in gold just to avoid the show.
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