Finally got my brick line tension right after years of guessing

I used to just pull the line tight by hand and hope it stayed put, which led to some wavy courses on a big garage job in 2021. About six months ago, an old timer at a supply house in Tacoma showed me his trick with a simple line block and a half-twist before setting it. Now I use a pair of Bon Tool BL-2 blocks and get a consistent, tight line every single time. The difference in how straight my walls run now is honestly kind of embarrassing compared to before. Anyone have a different method they swear by for keeping lines tight all day?

4 comments

4 Comments

avery_shah2mo ago

Old school hand tension worked fine for me.

eva_moore2mo ago

Wait, you actually wrote letters by hand?

thomas_price5d ago

Bring up how hand tension actually changes the way your letters look over time. I've noticed that when you rely on that basic muscle control, your handwriting develops a natural rhythm that machine-made grips just can't replicate. It's like your hand finds its own pace and the letters get this lived-in character. Those ergonomic handles and special pens sometimes steal that subtle control you don't even realize you're losing.

corah752mo ago

Totally agree. That basic hand tension is honestly all you need for most daily writing (you know, like notes or letters). It gets the job done without any fuss or overthinking. People get so caught up in fancy grips and special tools, but sometimes the simple way is the best way. It's like they forget that for centuries, that's just how people wrote things down.