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Showerthought: watching a laser level get knocked off a ladder in Tulsa made me switch how I check my own work
Was doing a 1,200 sq ft commercial job in Tulsa 4 months ago and my laser level took a tumble off the top rung, still worked but read 1/4 inch off on the long runs. Now I double check with a chalk line before I trust it on anything over 30 feet. Anyone else run a backup check on their lasers or just me being paranoid?
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susan811d ago
Used to figure a laser was either working or dead, no in between, so I never bothered checking mine after a drop. Then I had a cheap one that started reading an eighth off over 20 feet and it cost me a whole morning resetting door frames, and now I check every time. I catch drift by marking a point at one end, shooting to the far wall, then flipping the laser around and shooting back to the same spot, if the return line doesn't hit my first mark I know something's bent. For vertical I hang a plumb bob next to the beam and see if they stay together top to bottom, and I do this before anything over 30 feet now.
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ivan_harris1d ago
So when you say it read 1/4 inch off on the long runs, how did you actually catch it? Like were you checking against a known distance or did something just look wrong when you went to set cabinets or frames? I ask because 1/4 inch over 30 feet is sneaky, it won't show up on a short check, you'd swear the thing is dead on until you're way down the wall and suddenly nothing lines up. Did it stay off after the drop or did it drift more over time? I've got an old rotary that took a hit and I keep telling myself it's fine but now you got me wondering. Chalk line is smart but that only gets you two points, what do you do to check the vertical on it too?
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