Chatted with an old timer who said he once went 10 years without a laser level

He just used a string line and his eye every single job, and I gotta admit that made me feel like a bit of a softie with my fancy gear. Has anyone else here gone old school on a project and surprised themselves?

3 comments

3 Comments

parker_palmer441mo ago

Preach. Bet that old timer could eyeball a 2 foot level bubble too. Did a bathroom reno last summer on a 100 year old house. Nothing was square or level in that place. Gave up on the laser after the first hour. String line and a torpedo level got it done. Felt good honestly.

the_wesley1mo ago

Heated up that old school chalk line and let it snap myself last week on a weird corner that was off by a solid 3/4 inch. Did the laser finally make you feel like a caveman with a stick after you picked up the torpedo level, or did it just confirm what you already knew about those old houses?

tessa_murray1mo ago

Exactly. That bathroom in a 100 year old place is a whole different beast. I did a kitchen in a 1920s bungalow last fall and the walls were off by almost an inch in places. The laser level just made me angry after the first 20 minutes. Ended up using a 4 foot level and a chalk line on the floor. There's something about getting your hands dirty with the old tools that just feels right, you know? No batteries to die, no calibration to mess with.