Tool Box Buzz: Milwaukee Tool continues to expand their Hand Tool offering with the introduction of Bold Line and Precision Line Chalk Reels. Featuring the industry’s first planetary gear system and integrated STRIPGUARD™ clutch, the new chalk reels have been designed from the ground up to deliver the longest gear life in the industry.
7 comments:
I obviously do not use a chalk line on a job site 8 hours a day 5 days a week but I have a chalk line, and I have used it a lot and it has never given me any problem other than running out of chalk so I do not totally see a major need for a “planetary gear system and integrated STRIPGUARD™ clutch.” If I feel that my line is snagged on something I do not just keep pulling it (well, not all the time), I go de-snag it. Even with the new Milwaukee reel I wouldn’t just yank the line. I think it is important to take care of tools and it is clear that if Milwaukee needs to make a super duty chalk line, that people do not take care of their chalk lines because despite what this article says, it is fairly hard to destroy a chalk line. I guy I worked with had a set of tools (including a chalk line) that was very old and since he took care of his stuff it still works like a charm. I think the solution to a simple, well built tool that keeps breaking is to treat it better, not make it more “bold.”
I never realized that chalk lines have a life span that is determined by use. Every time I’ve had a chalk line putz out on me, its been from something stupid like a terrible knot in the string, the end metal hook falling off, or just losing them left and right. But I guess if you’re a real carpenter who requires a chalk line everyday for 30 years, I can imagine how wear and tear can start to take a toll on the inner mechanisms of the device. I don’t know exactly what is enhanced from previous models, but I can say that reducing stress on the gears and by having the crank sit flush along the side of the housing would probably be the two most important assets to protect for this tool, because a not tucked in crank could easily break off from being dropped and the gears would have to be replaced frequently if they weren’t mechanically protected.
I have to echo the sentiments of the previous comments, I didn’t realize this was a common cause of destruction for chalk lines. They don’t normally feel like the sturdiest best made things but I’ve never had one break on me because of something inside its body (like the gears). Normally if something goes wrong its because its run out of chalk or its gotten tangled. Maybe if I used a chalk line everyday for my job I’d have a different opinion/use one enough for wear and tear to start affecting it. But at the same time I’d think if the ones that exist now can survive being in a high school scene shop where they get abused by people who aren’t really paying attention to what they’re doing then they’re probably durable enough. Its always nice to see innovation in things and companies pushing tools further so they can be better but this is one of those times when I’m not all that sure its necessary.
Here it is. The elusive tool article that I am actually interested in. In my experience with chalk lines, my biggest problems have been similar to Kims - the metal bit falling off, the string becoming tangled within the body of the device, etc. Small issues, met with a momentary burst of frustration and followed by demands to go get me one of the numerous other chalk lines floating around. In scenic painting chalk lines have been the bane of my existence, especially when laying out bring patterns or guidelines for inexperienced crew members, so perhaps this new tool could fix some of these issues. But, and I'm not sure how this new chalk line addresses this, one of my biggest issues with previous chalk lines has literally just been having to re-chalk it every three lines or so. Especially over large flats, having to toss the end of the string back and forth over and over is irritating. Show me a tool that perhaps has a strong with greater hold or retention of chalk, so one pull can be used more than three times, and then we'll talk.
Chalk lines are useful in a number of different scenarios. You can preform a number of tasks with this tool and make straight lines for a various number of applications. Since I’ve been at CMU I have use a chalk line from marking out one foot squares on a floor to making a guide line for screw holes. They’re defiantly some problems with the older models, though. The horror stories of trying to recoil the string so that you can reload it with chalk can sometimes be a nightmare. But don’t even get me started on when you make a chalk line and you have a nice dark mark on one end but almost nothing on the other. It is quite a relief to see that a tool manufacture has come up with a solution that supposedly fixes this issue. It seem promising that a series of gears can evenly distribute the pull on the entire line to ensure that you have even distribution of chalk throughout. You will defiantly see me in line buy myself on of these.
Due to their extreme usability across a wide variety of situations, chalk lines see a wide array of use and abuse on any given day. Their simplicity of design and ease of utilization makes them one of the most efficient tools for marking. I am glad to see Milawaukee recognized this, and localized the flaws in the products currently on the market as being related to durability, not overall design structure.
I remember working on a particular assignment for paints and coming across several broken - and subsequently defective, and unusable - chalk lines before finding one that I could actually use. The efficiency I would have gained by using such a tool was lost in trying to find a functional tool. I think these improvements featured in the article will be great assets to the humble chalk line, and I am sure they will be adopted across the industry.
Ooh, a chalk reel with a new gear system. A well-operating chalk reel is a joy to use. I agree with Cassidy and Chris in that I haven’t had the best experience with chalk reels at CMU. Who knows, maybe investing in a few premium chalk reels would help work go faster (not sure by how much, though). I very much enjoy snapping a fresh line of chalk, though. Something about it is just plain enjoyable. Concerning this tool in particular, the 6:1 gear ratio should mean very quick recovery of line, which is definitely a plus. I think the coolest thing about this tool is that its gear system can more evenly distribute chalk throughout the line. No one likes snapping a line only to discover you can’t see half of it. All in all, I think this chalk line brings some neat improvements to the world of carpentry, scenic artistry, and more. I think we should purchase a few.
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