|
Post by AudioHTIT on Jun 15, 2020 7:11:49 GMT -5
Normally, if say you had a point on the ceiling that you wanted to line up in the floor, you could use a plumb bob, and if done right would be very accurate. But what if you want the reverse? A point on the floor, transferred directly above to the ceiling? I assume there’s a laser device for this that could be set on a point, would have a way to either manually or automatically level Itself, and shoot a laser point to the ceiling.
Has anyone used such a device, and is there a reasonably priced one that’s fairly accurate? Of maybe you can rent them?
Has anyone saved this problem another way (without taking measurements from the walls)?
|
|
geebo
Emo VIPs
"Too bad that all the people who know how to run the country are driving taxicabs and cutting hair"
Posts: 24,161
|
Post by geebo on Jun 15, 2020 7:18:50 GMT -5
Normally, if say you had a point on the ceiling that you wanted to line up in the floor, you could use a plumb bob, and if done right would be very accurate. But what if you want the reverse? A point on the floor, transferred directly above to the ceiling? I assume there’s a laser device for this that could be set on a point, would have a way to either manually or automatically level Itself, and shoot a laser point to the ceiling. Has anyone used such a device, and is there a reasonably priced one that’s fairly accurate? Of maybe you can rent them? Has anyone saved this problem another way (without taking measurements from the walls)? What about turning the room upside down and using a regular plumb bob?
|
|
geebo
Emo VIPs
"Too bad that all the people who know how to run the country are driving taxicabs and cutting hair"
Posts: 24,161
|
Post by geebo on Jun 15, 2020 7:22:08 GMT -5
|
|
|
Post by simpleman68 on Jun 15, 2020 7:36:24 GMT -5
Agreed, lots of choices out there on laser levels. Some give a 2 axis grid (useful for installing drop ceilings) and other higher end units self level as well. If you were closer to PA/NJ border, you'd be welcome to borrow mine since it's one of those tools that the casual DIY'er will only use once every couple years.
Scott
|
|
|
Post by AudioHTIT on Jun 15, 2020 9:20:47 GMT -5
Normally, if say you had a point on the ceiling that you wanted to line up in the floor, you could use a plumb bob, and if done right would be very accurate. But what if you want the reverse? A point on the floor, transferred directly above to the ceiling? I assume there’s a laser device for this that could be set on a point, would have a way to either manually or automatically level Itself, and shoot a laser point to the ceiling. Has anyone used such a device, and is there a reasonably priced one that’s fairly accurate? Of maybe you can rent them? Has anyone saved this problem another way (without taking measurements from the walls)? What about turning the room upside down and using a regular plumb bob? geebo! Thinking outside (and inside) the box! I’ll get started and report back on my progress. 🙂
|
|
|
Post by AudioHTIT on Jun 15, 2020 9:31:37 GMT -5
Agreed, lots of choices out there on laser levels. Some give a 2 axis grid (useful for installing drop ceilings) and other higher end units self level as well. If you were closer to PA/NJ border, you'd be welcome to borrow mine since it's one of those tools that the casual DIY'er will only use once every couple years.
Scott
Thanks Scott, yeah, we built the house and have about 20 years of projects completed without needing one of these (though maybe some things would have been easier). Now I’ll find projects to use it with. 😀 Thanks, that looks like it will work, but I might try this cheaper version that came up with it. www.amazon.com/Huepar-Self-leveling-Soldering-Reference-Positioning/dp/B07WS5MXBK/ref=sr_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=bosch+gpl2&qid=1592230557&sr=8-3
|
|
|
Post by ttocs on Jun 15, 2020 9:53:51 GMT -5
|
|
DYohn
Emo VIPs
Posts: 18,333
|
Post by DYohn on Jun 15, 2020 9:56:27 GMT -5
I use a Craftsman laser level that is multiple axis and will throw a spot or a line. Very nice and self-leveling. Many options out there.
|
|
|
Post by AudioHTIT on Jun 15, 2020 10:24:27 GMT -5
Nice catch ttocs, I’ve been getting close with the one we have that does just lines, but lines and plumb dot would really ‘hit the mark’ and be much more useful! Edit: I ordered one of these you posted, should arrive Wednesday.
|
|
|
Post by markc on Jun 15, 2020 10:34:04 GMT -5
Normally, if say you had a point on the ceiling that you wanted to line up in the floor, you could use a plumb bob, and if done right would be very accurate. But what if you want the reverse? A point on the floor, transferred directly above to the ceiling? I assume there’s a laser device for this that could be set on a point, would have a way to either manually or automatically level Itself, and shoot a laser point to the ceiling. Has anyone used such a device, and is there a reasonably priced one that’s fairly accurate? Of maybe you can rent them? Has anyone saved this problem another way (without taking measurements from the walls)? Ermmmmm... Use a normal plum-bob obviously! (If you don't have one then use a roll of sewing thread and a washer or nut from just about anywhere. You will be accurate to 1-2 mm so plenty good enough 1) Adjust the length of your string so that the bob is hanging just raised up off of the floor 2) Move the string on the ceiling until the bob hovers just above your spot on the floor. 3) Mark this point on the ceiling. I had to re-read your post and all the other other responses just to make sure that everyone was being as dumb as they look.
|
|
|
Post by ttocs on Jun 15, 2020 10:34:39 GMT -5
Nice catch ttocs , I’ve been getting close with the one we have that does just lines, but lines and plumb dot would really ‘hit the mark’ and be much more useful! Yeah, I bought a Bosch 5 point laser years ago and found it quite limiting, especially after seeing all the carpenters on our house building projects using the points/lines versions.
|
|
|
Post by markc on Jun 15, 2020 10:53:45 GMT -5
Normally, if say you had a point on the ceiling that you wanted to line up in the floor, you could use a plumb bob, and if done right would be very accurate. But what if you want the reverse? A point on the floor, transferred directly above to the ceiling? I assume there’s a laser device for this that could be set on a point, would have a way to either manually or automatically level Itself, and shoot a laser point to the ceiling. Has anyone used such a device, and is there a reasonably priced one that’s fairly accurate? Of maybe you can rent them? Has anyone saved this problem another way (without taking measurements from the walls)? Ermmmmm... Use a normal plum-bob obviously! (If you don't have one then use a roll of sewing thread and a washer or nut from just about anywhere. You will be accurate to 1-2 mm so plenty good enough 1) Adjust the length of your string so that the bob is hanging just raised up off of the floor 2) Move the string on the ceiling until the bob hovers just above your spot on the floor. 3) Mark this point on the ceiling. I had to re-read your post and all the other other responses just to make sure that everyone was being as dumb as they look. These laser dot projectors are perfectly accurate. A perfect straight line. Precise to 1000's of a mm However you have no idea that your laser level is actually sat level on the floor or wall. Just 1 degree off on the floor level will move your ceiling spot several 47mm from where it should be with a 2.7m ceiling. (1 degree tilt moves your spot 2 inches from where it should be with a 9ft ceiling!) Use gravity. It is never wrong, and better than a visual check with a spirit level then firing a laser from an uncertain reference level
|
|
|
Post by ttocs on Jun 15, 2020 11:01:24 GMT -5
However you have no idea that your laser level is actually sat level on the floor or wall. Just 1 degree off on the floor level will move your ceiling spot several 47mm from where it should be with a 2.7m ceiling. (1 degree tilt moves your spot 2 inches from where it should be with a 9ft ceiling!) Use gravity. It is never wrong, and better than a visual check with a spirit level then firing a laser from an uncertain reference level Laser levels do use gravity, which is why they are so accurate. The little ones have an operating range within a few degrees, they don't "lock" into position. The rotary laser levels have automated servos that adjusts and checks and adjusts and checks until it "feels" that no more adjustment is needed. Gravity, it brings everybody down.
|
|
|
Post by AudioHTIT on Jun 15, 2020 12:51:04 GMT -5
Normally, if say you had a point on the ceiling that you wanted to line up in the floor, you could use a plumb bob, and if done right would be very accurate. But what if you want the reverse? A point on the floor, transferred directly above to the ceiling? I assume there’s a laser device for this that could be set on a point, would have a way to either manually or automatically level Itself, and shoot a laser point to the ceiling. Has anyone used such a device, and is there a reasonably priced one that’s fairly accurate? Of maybe you can rent them? Has anyone saved this problem another way (without taking measurements from the walls)? Ermmmmm... Use a normal plum-bob obviously! (If you don't have one then use a roll of sewing thread and a washer or nut from just about anywhere. You will be accurate to 1-2 mm so plenty good enough 1) Adjust the length of your string so that the bob is hanging just raised up off of the floor 2) Move the string on the ceiling until the bob hovers just above your spot on the floor. 3) Mark this point on the ceiling. I had to re-read your post and all the other other responses just to make sure that everyone was being as dumb as they look. From my first post you can see that I know how to use a plumb bob, but don’t really want to go into all the detail regarding why doing it in reverse isn’t that simple (in my case). Hence I asked for a better tool and received some good suggestions.
|
|
|
Post by AudioHTIT on Jun 20, 2020 15:14:33 GMT -5
|
|
|
Post by AudioHTIT on Jun 20, 2020 15:35:09 GMT -5
New laser question: We have two laser devices that are supposed to measure distance, I didn’t know we had them, but my wife pulled them out when I was trying to solve the plumb problem, one is a Craftsman, the other a Stanley. Neither works very well, especially for non-level measurements like listening position to ceiling speaker. I know some of you have written about using laser distance measuring ( ttocs also?), so what are you using, and what are it’s limitations?
|
|
|
Post by ttocs on Jun 20, 2020 17:41:13 GMT -5
New laser question: We have two laser devices that are supposed to measure distance, I didn’t know we had them, but my wife pulled them out when I was trying to solve the plumb problem, one is a Craftsman, the other a Stanley. Neither works very well, especially for non-level measurements like listening position to ceiling speaker. I know some of you have written about using laser distance measuring ( ttocs also?), so what are you using, and what are it’s limitations? Mine, which I bought 6 years ago, is the older version of this: It has features not needed for most users, although some of those features come in handy. One feature I used on a job site was to figure out how high something was that couldn't be measured directly, so I measured distance to the base, distance to the peak, and told the device the two points were plumb, and it figured out the height. Sort of like calculating angles etc for stairs. Mine works just like new, use it all the time. I've verified the accuracy is less than 1/16" in 100'. This one has a backlight (mine doesn't) and is a lot cheaper:
|
|