Rather than scatter handfuls of lime to mark out excavations, I use flour. It’s cheaper than lime, less toxic and very available. I put the flour in a coffee can that has a grid of nail holes punched in the bottom. To make the can easy to control, I insert the top rim of the can into a kerf cut in a 4-ft. to 5-ft. 2×2 handle. Screws secure the can to the handle.
To use the tool, I let it hang loosely in one hand with the can about 6 in. from the ground. I run the handle along my dry lines, tapping it with a block or hammer to sift a line on the ground worthy of a football field.
Eric Carter, Green Valley Lake, CA
