Here’s a trick for quickly and accurately marking the centers of holes for 3/4-in. anchor bolts in 2×4 mudsills. First, chalk a line on the foundation that corresponds to the inside line of the mudsill. Place the mudsill flush with the chalkline, as shown in the drawing. Now place the tip of a 16d nail against the anchor bolt, square the nail to your mudsill stock, and strike the side of the nail’s head with your hammer. The mark it leaves shows the center of the hole for the anchor bolt.
In order for this process to work accurately, the nail must be 3-1/8 in. long, and the bolt 3/4 in. in diameter. If you’ve got 1/2-in.-dia. anchor bolts, the nail will have to be 3-1/4 in. long.
Mike Klein, Studio City, CA
