Marxman broked? Dried out?

[Gaogier]

Hello

So, I don’t know if you have come across the marxman, a tool that helps mark holes for where to drill that pencils, pens etc can’t reach.

My workshop is small, smaller than bike sheds just taller, and I have a clear roof, so I can make use out of the sun. Problem is this acts like a greenhouse, it gets very hot inside, if it’s not open in the daytime, it has reached over 65°c when building it a couple of years ago. Anyway, I last used the marxman in February or January this year, brand new.

I have come to use it today, but it won’t work, the same thing happened before last summer, and 2 more earlier in the year.

Anyway, is it the chalk, the propellant/pressure is it something I can fix or do I have to buy a new one, hoping I won’t have to buy a few more this year.


Here is the marxman from Toolstation https://www.toolstation.com/marxman...C5zVPLyJlCBUWulALNvVd_HY9_2GdIWxoCZJMQAvD_BwE

 

[foxhole]

Gas will have seeped away .

 

[Gaogier]

Still full of gas… when you press it you can clearly hear it. It sounds as if the chalk has gotten thicker or something

 

[foxhole]

Still full of gas… when you press it you can clearly hear it. It sounds as if the chalk has gotten thicker or something

Damp

 

[Gaogier]

Yeah, it’s gotten damp…

I am now on the lookout for a new marker…

 

[foxhole]

Have you heard of pencils ?

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

Sometimes your posts are like a broken pencil foxhole.

 

[Gaogier]

Using a pencil is always something that I will use if I can, but sometimes I just need something that I can hold up using one hand (let’s say for a shelf) and when it’s level, I need to hold the other side of the shelf, I won’t have a spare hand to mark the hole for drilling, where the Marxman comes in handy is that I can use it to help keep the shelf level (by pushing against it, against the wall) and once it’s level I can just push harder to shoot out the chalk.

The other reason is if it’s a deep hole, they claim the “regular” can mark a set depth but I have found it marks a lot deeper if you shoot it a few times (for the chalk to build up enough to see clearly) with the deeper hole marking I can get at least 5” and if the hole is small, no pencils will mark deeper.

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

I'm not sure a pencil is much good when you might otherwise have need to use a Marxman though a thin punch or long thin screwdriver or whatever will work just as well. The other thing about a Marxman is you don't always get a nice little circle, it can be more of a splat sometimes.

 

[stevie888]

I stick the screw in the hole and just give it a tap to mark the location, Simples!!