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.
_________________________________________________
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
_________________________________________________
Attention all tipsters!
We’re looking for any smart idea that would make a great There’s a Better Way Video or that could be featured in the Tips & Techniques department in Fine Homebuilding magazine.
We pay for any tips that get published
You can post tips in our submit a tip blog, or just email them to Fine Homebuilding care of Chuck Miller. Thanks!
Plus, browse 30 years of great ideas in our Reader Tips department.
Fine Homebuilding Recommended Products
Reliable Crimp Connectors
8067 All-Weather Flashing Tape
Affordable IR Camera
Large-Capacity Lightweight Miter Saw