rotary laser level - Page 4 - Contractor Talk - Professional Construction and Remodeling Forum

**BuiltByMAC** · 05-21-2009, 08:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChrWright

Wow... sounds like the stone age...

Get yourself an audible receiver

.

I've got a grade rod and an audible receiver. I've used them once or twice...
found the grade rod cumbersome and the audible receiver not precise enough.

When I shoot a laser out, I can measure down from ledger to dot and have a number that works all the way around the house. Align the laser over my footings and I've got a measurement from footing to laser.
Add those two and I've got total rise from footing to top of ledger.
Then, it's just simple math figuring post heights.

When I'm pullin' tape off the dot, I've got 1/8" margin of error, depending on size of dot. I usually measure from center of dot. When using the audible receiver, I've not been able to get a continuous tone for that tight of a tolerance.

I'm perfectly willing to accept that my methods are stone-age (funny term seeing how we're talkin' about lasers!!) - do you have pointers for updating my process?

Mac

naptown CR · 05-21-2009, 09:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lou5577

WOW i just registered an came to this page ..Holy SH--T are you guys gonna bite my head off if i ask a stupid ,lame ,back to 1st year carpentry school question like that.

That would be yes

shanekw1 · 05-21-2009, 09:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BuiltByMAC

found the grade rod cumbersome and the audible receiver not precise enough.

I only use the receiver if I'm grading a sloped driveway or something. If I'm laying out posts or anything like that it's the rotary laser line and a tape for me.

**ChrWright** · 05-21-2009, 09:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BuiltByMAC

I've got a grade rod and an audible receiver. I've used them once or twice...
found the grade rod cumbersome and the audible receiver not precise enough.

When I shoot a laser out, I can measure down from ledger to dot and have a number that works all the way around the house. Align the laser over my footings and I've got a measurement from footing to laser.
Add those two and I've got total rise from footing to top of ledger.
Then, it's just simple math figuring post heights.

When I'm pullin' tape off the dot, I've got 1/8" margin of error, depending on size of dot. I usually measure from center of dot. When using the audible receiver, I've not been able to get a continuous tone for that tight of a tolerance.

I'm perfectly willing to accept that my methods are stone-age (funny term seeing how we're talkin' about lasers!!) - do you have pointers for updating my process?

Mac

Naaa, not for what you do... I use the dot & tape as well to be more precise...

But for footers, excavation, grading, etc... audible is the only way to go.

CharlesD · 05-21-2009, 10:35 PM

Seeing the picture reminded me how much I hated working with Advance Forms.

tgeb · 05-22-2009, 08:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BuiltByMAC

I've got a grade rod and an audible receiver. I've used them once or twice...
found the grade rod cumbersome and the audible receiver not precise enough.

I'm perfectly willing to accept that my methods are stone-age (funny term seeing how we're talkin' about lasers!!) - do you have pointers for updating my process?

Mac

Yes.

The most accurate way to measure with a receiver is to move the receiver into the beam from above or below consistently from the same direction, when you get tone use that point.

As you have found, the width of the beam and the "window" of on grade can make for a pretty wide margin of error, by essentially using the edge of the beam and the edge of the "window" you can increase the accuracy of the layout.

Kgmz · 05-22-2009, 09:15 PM

Most laser detectors have 3 settings for beam sensitivity.

Mine are
fine .75mm or less than 1/32"
medium 1.5mm or less than 1/16"
Coarse 3mm or less than 1/8"

lou5577 · 05-31-2009, 07:53 AM

Don`t remind me!