Remembering the old way we used to mark out a 12-foot header

Three years ago on a job in Toledo, we were still using chalk lines and a framing square for the whole layout. Last week, the apprentice just pulled out his phone with a laser level app and had it done in ten minutes. Anyone still keep the old methods in their kit, or is it all digital now?

3 comments

3 Comments

karen_martin2mo ago

Still carry a chalk box in my truck every single day. Watched a guy last month try to use his tablet for a simple rafter check, battery died in the cold. Had to lend him my speed square to finish the cut. The new tools are great until they fail, then you're stuck. Muscle memory from the old ways gets the job done no matter what.

alexj992mo ago

My buddy's laser level froze solid on a Vermont roof last winter.

drew_grant521mo ago

Last winter on a Chicago job site, my laser level's screen went completely black after twenty minutes in the sleet. I had to finish the floor layout with a chalk line and my trusty 25-foot tape, just like @alexj99's buddy. Those apps are slick until your phone dies or your hands are too cold to work the touchscreen. My chalk box has never needed a battery and it's saved my butt more times than I can count. You can't beat tools that just work, no matter the weather.