Heard a guy at the lumber yard say he never uses a chalk line for long cuts anymore

I was picking up some 2x12s for a deck frame in Eugene last week and this older guy ahead of me was talking to the yard manager. He said, 'I haven't snapped a chalk line for a straight cut in ten years, I just use a 4-foot level and a pencil.' It made me stop and think because I use my chalk box all the time for sheathing and layout. His point was that chalk can drift if the board isn't perfectly flat, and a long level gives you a true straight edge you can follow with your saw. I tried it yesterday on some 16-foot treated pine for a stringer, and you know what? It worked really well. The cut was dead straight and I didn't have any blue chalk dust to clean up. Has anyone else switched to a method like this for long rips instead of chalk?

3 comments

3 Comments

emerycarr3mo ago

Honestly, that tracks. I watched a guy frame a whole garage with just a speed square and a sharp pencil. Sometimes the extra step just gets in the way.

olivers283mo agoTop Commenter

Exactly, @emerycarr. A sharp pencil and a steady hand beat a fancy tool you don't know how to use. I've seen guys waste half a day just trying to set up a laser level for a simple job. Keep it simple and trust your marks.

brookerobinson14d ago

So you tried the level trick on those 16-footers and it worked? That's pretty cool because I had a similar situation last month on a deck job. I was ripping some long 2x6s for a skirt board and my chalk line kept skipping on a slightly warped board. I grabbed a 6-foot level just to see, and it made a perfect straight edge. I ran my circular saw right along the edge of the level and the cut came out cleaner than my chalk line ever did on that board. I always thought having chalk dust everywhere was just part of the job, but now I'm thinking I might start keeping a level closer to my saw setup.