A carpenter uses many different tools to mark all kinds of materials: wood, Formica, drywall, concrete, tile, you name it. Most of this can be done with a few basic marking tools, such as pencils, keel, pens, chalklines, and dryline.
While many lumberyards give away standard pencils, flat-sided carpenter’s pencils are more durable, easier to sharpen with a utility knife, and won’t roll away when set down on a board.
Keel (commonly known as a lumber crayon) is easier to see than a pencil on some surfaces, making it better for some kinds of layout work. Blue and red keel show up well on rough lumber and concrete; white works best on new concrete.
A few specialty pens are also useful on the job site. I use mechanical pens for laying out fine cuts on finish work, no-blot pens on wet wood, and felt-tip pens on dry wood.
Chalklines have been around about as long as carpenters and are used about as often as a saw. Anytime you want to
mark from one point to another—if you wanted to rip 1 ft. from an 8-ft. piece of plywood, for instance—you can do it with a chalkline.
Chalklines are available in lengths of 50 ft. or 1 00 ft. and are wound inside a box filled with powdered chalk. I buy chalk by the gallon and refill the box as needed. Years ago I used a teaspoon to fill the box with chalk, but now I use a plastic squeeze bottle with a nozzle, making the process easier and quicker.
Using a chalkline is pretty simple. To ensure that the snapped line will be straight, stretch the line taut before pulling it up and snapping it. Also, snap perpendicular to the surface to be marked, or you may leave a curved line.
For short distances, hold one end of the line with your foot, stretch out the line to the measuring point, and snap it. Or you can hold one end of the line with one hand and the other end with the little finger of your other hand. Pick up the taut line with the thumb and forefinger of your second hand and snap it (see the photo on p. 33).
On long runs, secure the line at both ends, go to the center of the line, hold down the line at that point, and snap each side individually.
A dryline is simply a stringline without chalk. It is often made of yellow or orange nylon for visibility. I buy dryline in 250-ft. lengths and use it for laying out house foundations. [2]
