# Absolutely the Most Useful, Inexpensive Marking Tool...



## CharlesA

All I could find when I remembered to look for chalk was multi-colored sidewalk chalk. But I use it. I like it when I'm flattening a board by hand to identify the high areas.


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## BoardSMITH

I use three to four boxes of that same brand each month. To add to the uses you mentioned, I use it to mark a face before I run it through the double drum sander to make sure there aren't any low spots left, I mark three to four diagonal lines across an edge before going through the jointer to make sure it has been jointed all the way across, calculating yields and all sorts of math. Good stuff and invaluable here!


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## longgone

I have been using white blackboard chalk for many many years. I keep pieces all around my shop…near the saws, planer, sander, workbench and places I probably forgot that I put some there. You can still get it at Office Depot.


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## gfadvm

Yep, I use chalk in the shop for all kinds of things. I also use it to date and ID all the wood I saw on the mill. My granddaughter is constantly saying: "Papadoc, did you take my chalk AGAIN!"

She has that chalk that comes in big, fat sticks that don't break as easily as the thin white sticks (is this 'sidewalk chalk'?). I never knew where to buy it so I just grab hers.

I've also 'borrowed' a couple of her pencils with the fat, soft lead. They are great for marking things to be bandsawed as the mark is much easier to see/follow.

Grandkids are great!


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## Halc

I also had trouble finding white chalk in stores. The colored chalk seemed harder to remove than I thought it should be. I didn't think of looking for it at Home Depot, but I found it at Amazon.com.


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## gfadvm

Pretty sure mine comes from Toys R Us!


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## DJPeck

Using chalk is a good tip for beginning woodworkers.

Office and school supply stores are the surest source of blackboard chalk. Chalk holders are available online, 2 to 7 bucks. Not essential, but they stop breakage. Buy one that won't roll.


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## oldnovice

*Chalk* one up for common sense!
You are in the class of *David Marks* as he uses that all the time!


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## Kentuk55

Ditto oldnovice


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## DJPeck

I was surprise when a LJs search returned no mention of the usefulness of chalk as a marking tool. My review is aimed at beginning woodworker. I regret that I spent most of 40 years without chalk in shop.

Mark +1 for Hans, thanks for mentioning David J. Marks, his incredible work can be found here.


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## DMC1903

Thanks for the great tip, I use chalk all the time for marking rough stock. 
The only problem I have with it, is my cousin Daryl and his brother Darly enjoy eating chalk…. it disappears at a rapid pace.


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## DJPeck

DMC, I failed to mention chalk is low cal, low fat, and low salt. Produces dazzling white teeth. And! As a regular part of you diet, there is no need for bowl cleaner.


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## oldnovice

Yes, chalk is almost as good as regular TUMS!


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## Gerry1

Funny. There is always a Physic(al) person in the crowd…...


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