My chalk line routine got a lot better after a trip to Pueblo

For years I used a standard chalk line and just snapped and hoped. Lines would fade on hot steel or get smeared if I pulled the line too fast. Then last fall on a job in Pueblo, a foreman showed me his routine: he wipes the surface with a rag dipped in mineral spirits first, lets it flash dry, then snaps. The chalk grips way better and the line stays sharp for two or three hits. I also started using blue chalk instead of red on dark plate, and I stopped yanking the line so hard. Seems small, but I used to re-snap every mark at least twice. Now I get clean lines on the first try, even on vertical surfaces. Has anyone else found a trick that cuts down on re-snapping on oily or mill-scale plate?

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christopher_hunt11d ago

Man, that mineral spirits trick is a total game changer, I feel your pain on the re-snapping for sure.

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