How to check if your spirit level is "out"

[Leatherface]

One last hopefully informative post before I go to bed.
This came about, when I took a spirit level back to the shop because it was well out and inaccurate, far above the allowed tolerance. Had to explain to the guys behind the counter how I knew, so guess one or two members may not know either.

Place your level on the wall horizontally, level the vial and draw a line, then turn it upside down, level the vial and draw another line as close as you can to the other. These lines should be parallel - any difference will show how inaccurate it is.
Repeat process vertically.

Most levels will not be 100 percent. This is why it is best to "end to end" your level when putting your datum line around a room.

[devonmark]

An informative post, could be most helpful to those not in the know....

[doug boardley]

yep, and always datum right round a room before tiling, as even a new level can be wrong!!

[Colour Republic]

I guy that used to labour for me spent two weeks fitting his own kitchen and then called his brother-in-law who is a roofer to come and help him sort out the mess he'd made of it, the two of them spent a whole weekend on it to no avail. I pop round one day and he shows me, clearly not wanting to look a fool he grabs his level and proves to me its level, now this kitchen was anything but level, it resembled the Titanic just before she disappeared out of sight! Without saying a word I calmly pick up his level turn it around place it back down and the bubble shoots out of sight. To this day I still don't know how he managed to fit his whole kitchen and only use the level in the same direction!

Two weeks earlier we were decorating a 4 bed house and the owners were having 40sqm of travertine laid, the tiller had absolutely murdered the floor and the owners had kicked him out without paying (rightly so, it was that bad!), guess what he had left behind and who had picked it up? Yes that very same level and my labourer!

That level must have caused at least 4K of damage

[doug boardley]

there's no such thing as a "level level" (earth curvature etc! and me being pedantic/autistic!)

[cornish_crofter]

I always check the level in both directions.

I dispensed with cheap levels some time ago. I will use cheap tools for some things, but a good level is essential. It's the only tool that you have to get right first time!

As a result I use makes like Stabila etc.

I watched a documentry about a houseboat that was being built using an old barge. After doing the major structural work the barge was moored in a berth and fitted out. Guess what, they couldn't use a level!

They basically came off parallel to existing structures.

[Leatherface]

Still worth checking anyway, the level I took back was a Fisco, and have also had a Rubi level that was badly out as well !

[Dave]

I always check the level in both directions.

I dispensed with cheap levels some time ago. I will use cheap tools for some things, but a good level is essential. It's the only tool that you have to get right first time!

As a result I use makes like Stabila etc.

I watched a documentry about a houseboat that was being built using an old barge. After doing the major structural work the barge was moored in a berth and fitted out. Guess what, they couldn't use a level!

They basically came off parallel to existing structures.

Should have used a water level...

[Leatherface]

One thing I have never used before, have heard that they are hard to use by yourself ?

[brian c]

GOT A SET OF STANLEY LEVELS AND FOUND THEM OK.caps sorry

[pjc]

Still worth checking anyway, the level I took back was a Fisco, and have also had a Rubi level that was badly out as well !

they are the most accurate level in the uk that surprises me :Pete

[cornish_crofter]

Should have used a water level...

Not sure if you were joking there dave, A water level woudn't have helped, for two reasons:

1) The barge never sat completely still, and true. Work going on at one end/side on one day could tilt it out, making all levels out for the following day

2) When the tidw wend out the barge rested on the bottom. This was quite acceptable in this situation, but it would have never sat quite the same from one low tide to the next.

[wetdec]

Not sure if you were joking there dave, A water level woudn't have helped, for two reasons:

1) The barge never sat completely still, and true. Work going on at one end/side on one day could tilt it out, making all levels out for the following day

2) When the tidw wend out the barge rested on the bottom. This was quite acceptable in this situation, but it would have never sat quite the same from one low tide to the next.

UH !!!

Piece of clear tube with water in..........No batteries..........No lectric............No laser..............No sales man.......and no bl00dy barges

Best tool invented...................

..

[Leatherface]

they are the most accurate level in the uk that surprises me :Pete

Fisco I know, must have been dropped prior to sale !!!
Still use them !!

[wetdec]

Stabila for me. Fisko if you can aford to pay that much for a bubble I got a pint of Welsh air you can have to refil it for 30 quid

[cornish_crofter]

Dave, wetdecs

getting things straight on the barge was important. Obviously getting the kitchen worksurfaces level was the ideal but dead level one minute would not be dead level the next.

If you've ever tried to use ANY level on a boat, even a water level, you will know that even a relitively small variation of weight distribution from one end or side to another can put paid to two given points being level.

If you and I held each end of a water level against the bottom of a window on this barge when the barge was dead level, whilst the tide went out and the barge settled on the uneven mudbank, the levels in the water level would still be level, but they would not be in line with the windows any more.

So, the next best thing was to get surfaces that would have ideally been dead horizontal/vertical true to structual features that the guys knew would be pretty close to level most of the time.

Perhaps the only level that could be used is a laser level. But this would need to be lined up with features on the barge, not on the level.

My head hurts now......

You'll never have to worry about it unless you fix tiles on a barge.

[Dave]

Sorry hugo..just pullin your leg......

you do use a fixed datum on the boat and tranfer from there...this datum of course must be a fixed type of level..if the boat was level...

[Leatherface]

Dave, wetdecs

getting things straight on the barge was important. Obviously getting the kitchen worksurfaces level was the ideal but dead level one minute would not be dead level the next.

If you've ever tried to use ANY level on a boat, even a water level, you will know that even a relitively small variation of weight distribution from one end or side to another can put paid to two given points being level.

If you and I held each end of a water level against the bottom of a window on this barge when the barge was dead level, whilst the tide went out and the barge settled on the uneven mudbank, the levels in the water level would still be level, but they would not be in line with the windows any more.

So, the next best thing was to get surfaces that would have ideally been dead horizontal/vertical true to structual features that the guys knew would be pretty close to level most of the time.

Perhaps the only level that could be used is a laser level. But this would need to be lined up with features on the barge, not on the level.

My head hurts now......

You'll never have to worry about it unless you fix tiles on a barge.

I feel seasick reading that !!!!!

[cornish_crofter]

Sorry hugo..just pullin your leg......

you do use a fixed datum on the boat and tranfer from there...this datum of course must be a fixed type of level..if the boat was level...

It wasn't you Dave, it was tony talking about using water levels on a boat. Any tool that works on the principle of gravity on board a floating vessel is doomed, I tell you DOOMED!!!!!!!!!!!!

He may well have been widing me up..........

Nick - Don't worry about the sea sickness, just keep taking the pills.

[wetdec]

If I'm honest Hugo I missed the barge post m8......my foot init.....chill

[cornish_crofter]

Ahh it's all clear now!

I wondered what you were rabbiting on about tony, I thought maybe that welsh air you're selling for £30 a pint was going to your head

[wetdec]

lol do you a deal if your interested................

[devonmark]

my solution for the level on a boat is this....don't buy or work on one...problem solved...

[Oli]

my solution for the level on a boat is this....don't buy or work on one...problem solved...

[murf]

I used to tile floors on ships under construction
in a local shipyard. When a ship is in dry dock it is not
sitting level so spirit levels are useless. We used to screed the
floors with cement and sand using a batten with a nail in either end,
the required thickness, and just follow the shape of the plate metal floor

[STEVEROG]

Gents, why not build your own reference, all you need is a length of clear plastic tubing. Fill the tube with water, fix it to any reasonably flat wall using whatever you like with the two open ends vertical and as far apart as you can get them. Now mark the two points where the water settles to in the two vertical sections of the tube. Take the tube away and get your string line out and strike a straight line between the two points you marked. The resulting line is the best horizonally level line you can get, no arguments.

You can then use this to calibrate your naff levels by simply adding new marks to show where true is. Note this technique for finding level is thousands of years old and still used today.

Steve

[cornish_crofter]

Gents, why not build your own reference, all you need is a length of clear plastic tubing. Fill the tube with water, fix it to any reasonably flat wall using whatever you like with the two open ends vertical and as far apart as you can get them. Now mark the two points where the water settles to in the two vertical sections of the tube. Take the tube away and get your string line out and strike a straight line between the two points you marked. The resulting line is the best horizonally level line you can get, no arguments.

You can then use this to calibrate your naff levels by simply adding new marks to show where true is. Note this technique for finding level is thousands of years old and still used today.

Steve

Steve, we've just covered that These are called water levels, and despite what the name may suggest they are useless on board a floating vessel of any kind.