Laser level for DIY

Hi Harry. Bucket on table with water level approx at height to be struck. One end of tube (min dia 3/8 inch internal bore) in bucket, drain out from open end until desired level reached. Wander about rooms with open end and site on wall to mark your points. Obviously when you prime it you start off with water slightly higher than level you need then drain off to reach optimum height
 
ebee said:
Obviously when you prime it you start off with water slightly higher than level you need then drain off to reach optimum height
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I usually mark high, then measure down, using a bit of timber if it's a ground level..

Last year, we decided to level off an uneven area at the back of the garden, using a homemade water level, plus two bit of timber - one stuck in the ground with a reference mark, the other to wander round with. I then just knocked stakes in all to the same level, Avril watching the reference - saying up/down a bit.

Next time, I'll use the bucket method, thanks!
 
Yes Harry. Going high then dropping down a constant amount can be an excellent strategy quite often. The bucket method for one user is a godsend too and it can put basic accuracy at over 40 to 1 so it’s just parallax to watch outfore and it trumps any laser that is only as good as the level it is based upon. Say half a mm per metre. But the real point is it is dirt cheap and I am of the “save a shilling era” we had it battered into us when young
 
Back in my youth, I laid out several floors of a large bank, and very accurately - using nothing more than a very long length of pipe, and water.
 
^woody^ said:
The cheaper lasers, even green are difficult to see outside unless you're on the night shift. You would normally need a pulse laser and a separate detector.

Traditional line and square is normally best.

For 3,4,5, a piece of timber with the units marked on it is easiest as there is no flex or stretch. It matters not what units you choose, but avoid bananas.
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Thanks. Well today I marked out two adjacent sides, using homemade profile boards, bricklines and a large square from Toolstation. I measured the diagonal, and it differed from the calculated value by 8 mm, 3770 mm calculated and 3778 mm measured, so I count that a success. Measuring lengths with a tape measure is a right pain. The large square I bought is a really nice tool.

I could have made a large square from planed timber, but it would have cost ~£20, so I thought I might as well buy an aluminium one. And the wood one would warp over time when stored in the garage.

I’d never earn a living doing this at the slow pace I work !
 
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Thanks for the suggestions. In the end I used a long spirit level and a metal square. It wasn’t hard to do, it just required a bit of care. The outside edge of the finished wall is accurate to +/- 1 mm, and the greenhouse frame fitted perfectly.

IMG_1010.jpeg
 
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