I got some rebar and used them as "stakes" for where my building will
be. I stretched a string between each one. To measure the difference in
level of the ground, how do I put up the string? I mean, do I put one
end on the ground and the other at level? What I am having trouble with
is I can get the line level in the center, but if I slide it ot eiher
end the bubble is off.

Does any of this make any sense? What I am trying to do is determine
how "off" my ground is from being level.

Line levels are only acurate at the center of the line. Off to either side
the sag will not be equal so it will read high towards the side closest to a
stake. To level other places a clear plastic tube full of water and a
couple of sticks works great. Tie one end of the tube to a corner stake
extending the end up another couple of feet. Tape the other end to your
measuring stick with a couple of feet extra above it. Hold the measuring
stake next to the corner stake and fill the tube with water until it reaches
the line and make a mark on the tube. (a little food color makes it easier
to see).

Move around the area placing the measuring stick on the ground. If it is
high the water will be below the mark and vis versa.

--
Glenn Ashmore

I'm building a 45' cutter in strip/composite. Watch my progress (or lack
there of) at: http://www.rutuonline.com
Shameless Commercial Division: http://www.spade-anchor-us.com

wrote in message
ups.com...
I got some rebar and used them as "stakes" for where my building will
be. I stretched a string between each one. To measure the difference in
level of the ground, how do I put up the string? I mean, do I put one
end on the ground and the other at level? What I am having trouble with
is I can get the line level in the center, but if I slide it ot eiher
end the bubble is off.

Does any of this make any sense? What I am trying to do is determine
how "off" my ground is from being level.

A transit or laser level would be good to have. I suppose you can rent
them.


wrote:
I got some rebar and used them as "stakes" for where my building will
be. I stretched a string between each one. To measure the difference in
level of the ground, how do I put up the string? I mean, do I put one
end on the ground and the other at level? What I am having trouble with
is I can get the line level in the center, but if I slide it ot eiher
end the bubble is off.

Does any of this make any sense? What I am trying to do is determine
how "off" my ground is from being level.

I have a laser level but it will not show up in sunlight.

wrote:
I have a laser level but it will not show up in sunlight.

Laser levels shoot a straight line but are not necessarily level. The
ones I've seen have lousy bubbles. The only way to know you are level
is to shoot from two different bench marks from each direction. If it
is dead on from both directions it's level, otherwise the difference is
double the error. Surveyor's levels are tested exactly the same way.
Laser levels show up fine after dark,
Bugs

wrote:
I have a laser level but it will not show up in sunlight.

Laser levels shoot a straight line but are not necessarily level. The
ones I've seen have lousy bubbles. The only way to know you are level
is to shoot from two different bench marks from each direction. If it
is dead on from both directions it's level, otherwise the difference is
double the error. Surveyor's levels are tested exactly the same way.
Laser levels show up fine after dark,
Bugs

wrote:
I have a laser level but it will not show up in sunlight.

Laser levels shoot a straight line but are not necessarily level. The
ones I've seen have lousy bubbles. The only way to know you are level
is to shoot from two different bench marks from each direction. If it
is dead on from both directions it's level, otherwise the difference is
double the error. Surveyor's levels are tested exactly the same way.
Laser levels show up fine after dark,
Bugs

wrote in message
oups.com...
I have a laser level but it will not show up in sunlight.

You need to use an electronic target with a laser level. I wouldn't trust
the new ultra-cheesy rotating lasers over any distance. I think they're more
appropriate for putting up shelves in a closet.

On 17 Jun 2005 05:29:54 -0700, wrote:

I got some rebar and used them as "stakes" for where my building will
be. I stretched a string between each one. To measure the difference in
level of the ground, how do I put up the string? I mean, do I put one
end on the ground and the other at level? What I am having trouble with
is I can get the line level in the center, but if I slide it ot eiher
end the bubble is off.

Does any of this make any sense? What I am trying to do is determine
how "off" my ground is from being level.

If you can afford the $19.95 or whatever the current price for a laser
level is...they make life much easier at leveling things.

Stick it on a tripod, locate the thing at the point you want things to
be level From..and measure the dot above grade with a simple tape
measure at each point you wish to check. Subtract from the distance
above ground at "grade" where your dot is at the level and you have
how high or how low you are at any given place. They work very very
well and quite quickly. Wear a white shirt so you can find the dot
easier G

Gunner

"Pax Americana is a philosophy. Hardly an empire.
Making sure other people play nice and dont kill each other (and us)
off in job lots is hardly empire building, particularly when you give
them self determination under "play nice" rules.

Think of it as having your older brother knock the **** out of you
for torturing the cat." Gunner

christ, whats wrong with a water level? 10 bucks worth of fittings and
clear tubing, a length of garden hose and you are good to go.

"yourname" wrote in message
news:TLCse.9130$aR1.5312@trndny02...
christ, whats wrong with a water level? 10 bucks worth of fittings and
clear tubing, a length of garden hose and you are good to go.

The real problem is that most people don't know how to use a water level.
That's why those silly things with the buzzer on one end were made. (BTW...
they suck. ONE use and two months of storage destroy them, due to corrosion
and mildew on the pickup contacts. Even with the "cleaning brush" they
_sometimes_ supply with them, you cannot keep one working for long in a very
damp climate.)

A right-good water level is made with a long length of transparent tubing
(about 1/4" to 3/8" i.d.) and a large vessel at the "home" end. The vessel
should be twenty or more times the total volume of the hose to make the
system both easy to use and accurate. A gallon milk jug works fine for most
lengths.

Adapt the lid of the jug so it snugly holds the tubing all the way down to
the bottom of the jug. Fill the hose completely, and fill the jug to at
least the 1/2-full mark. Purge all bubbles from the hose. Provide a clamp
or plug for shutting off the free end of the hose so the water doesn't pour
out when you move it around or set it down.

Place the jug at your "home" reference, and note the distance from its water
level to the "level mark" you want to establish. Then just move the other
end of the hose to the various locations where you want to strike marks.
Measure up or down from the hose's water level the same distance you
measured up or down from the jug level.

If you let the water "settle" between moves of the hose (for say five to ten
seconds after it seems to stop moving), you'll be within a 1/16" or so
everywhere -- even up to a hundred feet from the jug. Bubbles in the hose
will drastically impair its accuracy.

LLoyd

"Lloyd E. Sponenburgh" wrote in message
...
Adapt the lid of the jug so it snugly holds the tubing all the way down to
the bottom of the jug.

I should have noted to drill a small vent hole in the lid, too, or the
system won't work PERIOD. (duh!G)

LLoyd

"Lloyd E. Sponenburgh" wrote in message
...

"yourname" wrote in message
news:TLCse.9130$aR1.5312@trndny02...
christ, whats wrong with a water level? 10 bucks worth of fittings and
clear tubing, a length of garden hose and you are good to go.

The real problem is that most people don't know how to use a water level.
That's why those silly things with the buzzer on one end were made.
(BTW... they suck. ONE use and two months of storage destroy them, due to
corrosion and mildew on the pickup contacts. Even with the "cleaning
brush" they _sometimes_ supply with them, you cannot keep one working for
long in a very damp climate.)

A right-good water level is made with a long length of transparent tubing
(about 1/4" to 3/8" i.d.) and a large vessel at the "home" end. The
vessel should be twenty or more times the total volume of the hose to make
the system both easy to use and accurate. A gallon milk jug works fine
for most lengths.

Adapt the lid of the jug so it snugly holds the tubing all the way down to
the bottom of the jug. Fill the hose completely, and fill the jug to at
least the 1/2-full mark. Purge all bubbles from the hose. Provide a
clamp or plug for shutting off the free end of the hose so the water
doesn't pour out when you move it around or set it down.

Place the jug at your "home" reference, and note the distance from its
water level to the "level mark" you want to establish. Then just move the
other end of the hose to the various locations where you want to strike
marks. Measure up or down from the hose's water level the same distance
you measured up or down from the jug level.

If you let the water "settle" between moves of the hose (for say five to
ten seconds after it seems to stop moving), you'll be within a 1/16" or so
everywhere -- even up to a hundred feet from the jug. Bubbles in the hose
will drastically impair its accuracy.

LLoyd

And there will almost always be bubbles in the hose somewhere.

"ATP*" wrote in message
...

And there will almost always be bubbles in the hose somewhere.

I'm not talking about tiny bubbles that adhere to the sidewalls of the tube.
I'm talking about full-diameter bubbles that occupy some portion of the
length.

It's not hard, nor does it take more than a few moments to purge the hose
sufficiently.

LLoyd

wrote:
I got some rebar and used them as "stakes" for where my building will
be. I stretched a string between each one. To measure the difference in
level of the ground, how do I put up the string? I mean, do I put one
end on the ground and the other at level? What I am having trouble with
is I can get the line level in the center, but if I slide it ot eiher
end the bubble is off.

Does any of this make any sense? What I am trying to do is determine
how "off" my ground is from being level.

I bought a peep sight level 30 years ago and have used it ever since.
The level cost $25 and I bought a regular rod that cost $45. I cut a
piece of 2 X 2 exactly 5 feet long and cut a vee notch in the top of it
that sets the level's centerline at exactly 5 feet. Looking through the
peepsight level with your legs spread, you see the level mark and a
precision bubble. Get the bubble level and read the rod. Subtract the
5 feet and there you are. I have done a lot of landscaping, leveling
for building sites and even building walls with this setup. As someone
also said, if in doubt, check from both ends. Don't drink and level.
Unless you set the rod up, you need 2 people to do this efficiently.
I recently got a somewhat expensive self leveling laser that
produces very bright dots over about a 10 degree arc. Its rotation is
controlled by a remote, so you can set it up, go to the place you want
to mark and, if there's no dot exactly there, you just hit the remote
until one comes your way.
In the daytime and outside, I still like the peepsight level.

Pete Stanaitis

wrote:

I have a laser level but it will not show up in sunlight.

Maybe it does but not on what you are looking at - try a white card.
Martin

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"yourname" wrote in message
news:TLCse.9130$aR1.5312@trndny02...
| christ, whats wrong with a water level? 10 bucks worth of fittings and
| clear tubing, a length of garden hose and you are good to go.

ISTR Lowes or Home Depot selling a nifty little kit you attach to your
water hose to do just that. It had everything you needed, for a decent
price I recall, although it assumed you were a homeowner from the design.
It's been awhile, and I couldn't find it on either of their web sites.

Just a drop of dish washing detergent in the water reduces the surface
tension and makes the "air/water interface" more sensitive.


Tom


"yourname" wrote in message
news:TLCse.9130$aR1.5312@trndny02...
christ, whats wrong with a water level? 10 bucks worth of fittings and
clear tubing, a length of garden hose and you are good to go.

In article ,
"Tom Miller" wrote:

Just a drop of dish washing detergent in the water reduces the surface
tension and makes the "air/water interface" more sensitive.

One trick I've used on hygrometers is to treat the inside of the tube
with Rain-X, so the water meets the wall perpendicular to the wall,
making the location of the water level unambiguous. This also makes the
interface more sensitive because the water doesn't stick to the treated
wall. Likewise battery acid.

Joe Gwinn

"carl mciver" wrote in
ink.net:

"yourname" wrote in message
news:TLCse.9130$aR1.5312@trndny02...
| christ, whats wrong with a water level? 10 bucks worth of fittings
| and clear tubing, a length of garden hose and you are good to go.

ISTR Lowes or Home Depot selling a nifty little kit you attach to
your
water hose to do just that. It had everything you needed, for a
decent price I recall, although it assumed you were a homeowner from
the design. It's been awhile, and I couldn't find it on either of
their web sites.



Stanley makes a water level that comes complete with clear tubing.