If you need a stringline on a job because you’re laying out a foundation or you’re straightening out a framed wall, you could spend 10 minutes trying to untangle a mess of string, but there’s a better way.
You always start out with the best of intentions when you get your new string–you wind it up carefully, but eventually, over time, it ends up looking like a tangled mess. Shawn Burgess of Whitehorse, Y.T., has figured out a way to keep his stringline neat and tangle-free all the time. Here’s what he does: He gets a gear-driven, quick-rewind chalkline and he doesn’t put any chalk in it. Instead, he uses the string that it came with. It has a hook on one end, ties it off on the other, and when he’s done he winds it up. Nice tip, Shawn!
Kevin Ireton is editor-at-large and a good friend and former colleague of Chuck Miller’s. Keep your eye out for more There’s a Better Way videos from Kevin and several of our other regular contributors in the near future.
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More handy tips:
Make a door buck with scrap material
How to Make a Custom Dust Collector for Your Router
How to Apply a Weathered Finish to New Wood Siding
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