Hand Tools - Page 6 - Recent Questions, Troubleshooting & Support

When working on walls for floors that have very large expanses of flat area, without a laser level it can be very difficult to mark long, straight and level lines. There is a very simple tool that many carpenters and construction workers favor over the laser level, it is the chalk line (or chalk box). Using the chalk line is very simple, you lay the string down on the surface that you want to level. Many of the chalk lines have a hook like piece on the end to hook on to a nail or edge so you won't need a helper to hold it it place. When you reach the other side of the area you want to level, pull the string taut and pluck the string. This will transfer the chalk from the string to the surface. If you are using a manual winding chalk line you will need to roll the string back into the box if you want to do another line. Some chalk boxes are automatic and will have a release that will wind the string back up like a tape measure. The reason that you need to rewind the strong after every line drawn is because you need to reload the strong with more chalk. Its like how when painting you need to reload the paint brush with more paint when it runs out. The chalk inside the box can come in a few different colors that are used for differnet purposes. The most common color is blue, red is more permanent so its good for a line that needs to last for a day or more, and white is good for interior painting because it can wash off easily and doesn't bleed.