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I used to roll my eyes at string lines until a buddy's prank during a backyard job showed me why they're not just for show.
I mean, he pretended the whole fence was leaning and everyone believed him, which finally got me to stop guessing and just use the darn line every time.
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granth606mo ago
On my uncle's farm in Texas, we built miles of fence without a string line most days. I see the value in them for sure, but I've always trusted my own sight and years of practice. That prank proves how a group can be tricked, yet on your own you develop a feel for what's straight. Sometimes pulling a line just adds extra steps to a simple job. I worry new folks might lean on tools too much and never learn to judge by eye. For me, tools are aids, not rules, and experience often beats a string.
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mark1576mo ago
Wait, you built MILES of fence by eye? On a farm? I'm picturing those long stretches, and even gate posts, and my brain just shorts out. I get trusting your sight on a short run, but over miles, the tiny errors must add up into some wild waves. I'd be terrified to hang a gate on a post I set without a line.
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jordan9786mo ago
My first solo fence was 150 feet along a property line. Thought I could eyeball it, felt pretty good. By the end, it had a gentle curve you could see from the road. Had to pull up two sections and redo them with a line. Now I use one for anything over 20 feet. That little bit of time saves a huge headache later.
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