Do any of the big box stores carry levels long enough to plumb raised walls?
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I seem to recall seeing a Husky level that extends for walls. In the local depot it was in a box across the isle from the other levels. In other words, if you were looking at the 3 and 4 foot levels turn around 180 degrees and you would be looking at this display. Didn't look close at the package to tell you any more.
Thanks Bill, i'll take a look.
You can make a longer level by temporarily attaching a 4' level to a piece of wood stock, like a rip from the long side of a piece of plywood.
If you are careful, and you check for plumb on opposite sides of a corner that process will work.
I also like to use a laser plumb bob to plumb corners, you make marks on floor 4" from inside corner and draw square lines, then you temp mount a piece of scrap ply of top of wall corner and do the same thing, mark 4" from inside corners and draw square lines.
Then set laser plumb bob on marks on floor and level (if you have the manual laser like me) and the dot on the scrap ply above will show you what way you have to move the corner to get it plumb.
Also I would set up several corners with scraps on top and all marked out and ready to go. That way you can just move laser to check opposite corners. If anything is off just split the difference and you will be fine. Split the difference means instead of having two corners perfect and two corners out of plumb 3/8 of an inch, have all four corners out 3/16 and you are within tolerance of plus or minus 1/4 inch everywhere. The laser plumb bob gives a good visual on this, you can mark the spot the laser hits with red ink to dial it in so corners are in the best spot for your frame. Going around and looking to see it is all evenly off (by small amounts) in the same direction, interior vs exterior.
Thanks for the idea. I'll look into the laser plumb while i'm at the big box store.
Dewalt makes a nifty plumb bob laser. When they fire me from work, the DeWalt is coming with me.
Snap a line on a 2x4 and rip an edge dead nuts, then add a block on each end as a standoff..tape a torpedo ( if nothing else) and there is your plate to plate level.
But in all honesty, plumb, level and square is over rated..go with the flow, it's all gonna work out when ya get done..seriously, it will. ( within reason, that is)
Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
Repairs, Remodeling, Restorations
They kill Prophets, for Profits.
If all else fails i'll give that a go. Thanks S.
Snap a line on a 2x4 and rip an edge dead nuts, then add a block on each end as a standoff..tape a torpedo ( if nothing else) and there is your plate to plate level.
The only framing crew I ever worked on was a 70 y/o man, his two sons, and me. The Sparks was their name (the old man's dead now - I ran into one of the bros about 5 yrs ago) and at the time they were known as one of the best crews around. They framed two houses at a time in the summer. Worked from 7am 'til 2pm on one job, ate lunch on the way to the other frame and finished up about 8pm. I only worked on one job - the early one - with them because they were behind schedule on it.
I told that to tell this: They rolled up in a little car. Had extension cords, a Skil worm gear, some chaulk lines, squares, a sledge hammer, cloth aprons, wafflehead estwings, cat's paws, a torpedo level and a 4' level.
Took them about 5 mins to roll out and 5 more to roll up. But old Arthur would cut himself a new plumb stick every day and tie that torpedo to it.
And everything they built was dead on. Learned about as much from that old fart in the month I worked for him than I have in any other month of my life. View Image
Big grin.
I dunno if it is my German/Celtic ancestry or just good old fashioned "make it so" attitude, but when the going gets iffy, do SOMETHING..LOL.
I'm moving on Grant, I have a standing order to be a part of the Shaker Village at Pleasant Hill. I'll be interested to see how it pans out, I don't cotton well to 9-5 jobs, but this place is up my alley..and at least will provide some sort of stabilty, vs. the chaos of 100% self contracting.
I can still maintain my current clients on an as need basis ( read working nights and weekends) but have a steady gig that is more teaching than sweating. The travel time is gonna be the killer tho', ain't no shortcuts from here to H-burg.Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
Repairs, Remodeling, Restorations
They kill Prophets, for Profits.
The world of people goes up and
down and people go up and down with
their world; warriors have no business
following the ups and downs of their
fellow men.
Hmm.
Good luck.View Image
I was just at HomeDepot and was surprised to see that they offer not one but two long level options.
First I saw their 8' empire level. Seems like a nice level, it's an aluminum box beam level and seems a little heavier built than my Stabilas....$99.00 reg price
Second, I turned the corner and saw they were running a promo on Husky extension levels. They were all packaged and inside of their carry cases so all I could see was the pictures on the packaging. Seemed a bit underbuilt and more resembled a surveyor's rod. It even had measure marks on it.......$149.00 (IIRC)
Personally, I use Stabila levels and am saving up for the plate level.
gk
Thanks Dc. BTW, what does IIRC stand for?
IIRC= If I Recall Correctly
Most of us here have Oltimers Syndrome, and memory is the first thing to go, I forget what the second is.Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
Repairs, Remodeling, Restorations
They kill Prophets, for Profits.
Man and all this time I thought you guys were referring to a code book or something. LOL!!!
How about a plumb bob. Chuck Slive, work, build, ...better with wood
ditto!
.. but then that's old school, tried and true, infallible, it works, cheap .. too simple, not complex enough, the batteries never die, electronics never quit, no one makes money of you upgrading ..
"...memory is the first thing to go, I forget what the second is."
The way I always said it was:
Your eyesight is the second thing to go. I don't remember what the first thing is".
Everyone has a photographic memory. Some just don't have film.
Do I know you?Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
Repairs, Remodeling, Restorations
They kill Prophets, for Profits.
Do we ever REALLY know anyone ???
We love those who know the worst of us and don't turn their faces away. [Percy Walker]
between the two of you, we know what the first two are.What were we talking about?
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
A little warning: I have the Stanley laser plumb bob sold at HomeDepot and have found that it is NOT super accurate. I got it for remodeling/adding partition walls and found that every wall was about 1/8" off the plumb mark in 8'. For installing lights it is great, especially for punching in remodel cans. Has many great uses for the money ($35?) including walls....just remember to double check using a level.GK
Will do Dc. Thanks
DC, Was the expandable level called a Slide Bob? HHConstructing in metric...
every inch of the way.
I haven't a clue what they call it, but it looked to be junk.
Don't get too carried away with all the fancy plumbsticks. Just use decent studs in the corners and a four foot level will be good. If you can get the four foot level to read good at eyelevel, you will fool 99% of everyone that follows in your footsteps and puts a level up to that wall. Proof? Did you ever see a plumber or drywall guy whip out a 12' level to check a corner? Nope! They'll take out a 4' level and check your corner at eyelevel. So, if you get a fancy level and get the plates plumb to within .0000001 of an inch, and the area in the 4' level is out 1/8", they'll call you a HACK! Ps When we sheath and square the walls on the ground, all we need is a torpedo level to "plumb" the corners because everything is locked in perfect every time.
You got a point there Jim. It must be the aerospace and competition engine building in me that is getting the better of me. I grabbed my 4' level yesterday for grins and checked my corners and they were pretty much dead on using that method. Actually all the walls were very,very close. Maybe i'm getting carried away a little on this.
If you're REALLY a stickler for accuracy , check your 4' level for level and plumb. Simply set it on some reasonably "level" surface and check where the bubble is , then flip it over to it opposite side and see if both bubbles "measure " the same. Odd but true not all levels are plumb or level. Quality Woodchips. Bill D.
Thanks Bill for the calibration tip.
No problem, I found out the hard way,( years ago), I think I was installing a door ( really can't remember)with a 4' level the family got me for Fathers Day. And I was having a H#LL of a time plumbing the hinge side. Took me awhile before the light came on. Now when I need a level or going to give one to a new guy, I always check for plumb and level. First time I checked one in the store , the guy in the tool section wanted to know what the F__K was I doing . I found one that was off and show him the difference.. Only maybe a 1/16-1/8 ,But over 8-10' you're off 1/2" or more. Bill D.
Hey Billy. I checked one of my levels yesterday when I got home and guess what, it's off. Is there anyway to correct it?
There are several ways to "fix" your level. Try this. Put two screws 47" apart. Get them level using the same bubble in the same position. Then flip it end for end. If the same bubble reads exactly the same, the screws are level. If they aren't, adjust the screws slightly. Eventually, you'll be able to rotate the level end for end and the bubble will not change. You then have two options. YOu can start messing with the vial to fix it (not recommended by me) or you can erase the lines that are appearing to make your level unlevel and mark new lines. Obviously, the simplest solution is to mark new lines.
Thanks Jim.
You can try what Jim_Allen says , you might even be able to remove the glass that protects the vials , and try to "adjust " them. But for me I'd just bite it and get one that is accurate. Sorry can't come up with the magic fix. AND it's raining here ,with no inside work till next Tuesday, it's back to the paperwork ( or maybe I can skip the paperwork for awhile and go play in the shop.. heh,heh) Quality Woodchips. Bill D.
You really don't have to do anything. I worked for years with a 6' 6" level that had one bubble at eye level that I had to make the bubble touch the line. I simply wrote a little note "touch this line". So, when plumbing something, if the bubble touched the line and had 1/4" gap at the other line, the wall was plumb.
True, the first level I mentioned that was out , I simply marked the one bubble that was closest to being correct with an arrow. Worked just fine that way. Of course every time someone on the job would borrow it I'd have to explain the whole thing. And that took too much time ,so I wound up just buying one that was correct.Back to the shop. Bill D.
Worked on one job where we had a multi vial level that had only one good vial for plumb.
No one could remember which vial it was so one of the carps drew a stick figure of a human around that vial with the vial in the pelvic region of the stick figure.
Crew got to saying "She's happy Now" when it read plumb. Everybody adopted that phrase and it was a running joke right up until the woman owner showed up one day and was standing around watching the crew. She came to me and asked :
"What do your men mean when they "She's happy now""? I was a bit slow in answering that one while I thought up a reasonable answer for her.
They can't get your Goat if you don't tell them where it is hidden.
LOL!If memory serves me...I used to allow the crew to pick up my level and use it. They couldn't remember which bubble was the right one, so inevitably, they would just look for a bubble that was in the middle. That led to problems. My solution? I hammered out all the vials.
add to that your two bubbles for plumb and you have another eight agreements that need to match. one in five at most stores I check are accurate all around. I hate it when an HO gets out his 19.95 'level' and tries to point out where my work is off a notch
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
call it a laser level and you can plumb up to the moon
Welcome to the
Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime.
where ...
Excellence is its own reward!
Here's the level. you can't beat it for plumbing a wall.
View Image
http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=stabila+level&tag=googhydr-20&index=tools&hvadid=1099667561&ref=pd_sl_6atrnxk5s9_b
You get out of life what you put into it......minus taxes.
Marv
That's a nice one. Might be a little too much for my price range though. Thanks
Out here in Ultra-Violet Land a lot of us framerboys use Plumb-It extension levels. They have four models currently I believe. The one I use the most is 6 feet long collapsed and will extend to over 17'. They are based in Tucson, Arizona. 1-800-759-9925 or give them a Google.
Edited 8/28/2008 6:09 pm by framerboy
I use one of these. PIX 5
http://www.plumb-it.com/extendables.html