Question about using a chalk line on dark hardwood

I was laying some ebony-stained oak and my chalk line marks were basically invisible, which threw off my whole layout. A guy at the supply house said to use a white carpenter's pencil instead, and it was a total fix. Anyone have a different method for marking dark floors?

3 comments

3 Comments

skyler_kelly6923d agoTop Commenter

Oh man, I feel that pain. I was doing a really dark walnut floor last year and ran into the exact same thing, total nightmare. What saved me was a white china marker, the kind they use in fabric stores. It shows up super bright and wipes off with a damp rag no problem. The carpenter's pencil is good, but the china marker line is way finer for detailed cuts.

hollyscott23d ago

Wait, you can actually get those white china markers to show up on dark walnut? I tried one once and it just sort of faded into the grain. Did you have to press really hard or get a specific brand? The soapstone idea is smart too, I always forget that stuff exists outside of welding.

logan_anderson4023d ago

Yeah, that white carpenter's pencil is a solid move. I've also had good luck with a silver or white grease pencil on really dark woods. Another trick is to use a sharp piece of soapstone if you have any lying around, it leaves a bright line that brushes off easy later.