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?

2 comments

2 Comments

taylor.amy6d 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.

adams.spencer6d 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.