Basic Leveling Tools -V2

M. S. MartinSept. 2005,Revised June 2009

Hydrostatic Level

• Consisting of clear tube and working on the principle that water finds its own level.

• It’s critical that there are no air bubbles in the line.

Spirit Level• All Carpenters have one in their

tool box.• Typically features slightly

curved glass tube, incompletely filled with liquid (yellow coloured) leaving a bubble in tube to indicate level line

• Items can be deemed level (horizontal plane) and plumb (vertical plane)

• It can also be used in set-out work. See next slide for an example of this.

Line Level

• Spirit bubble as for other level

• Only to be used for approximate work

Plumb Bob

• A pointed weight suspended from a string line. Used to give a “plumb line” or vertical reference point

• Examples on next slide

Boning Rods• T-shaped timber, used

in sets of three to achieve a level line by sighting along them.

• Sometimes used for trench bases.

• Look at larger picture on next slide.

Automatic Level / Dumpy Level

Base Plate

Horizontal Circle

Eye PieceCircular Bubble Sighting Pointer

Objective Lens

Focusing Knob

Fine Adjustment

Foot Screw

Laser Level• Used similarly to a

Dumpy level.• But, where a dumpy has to

have two people to use it, one for the staff. A laser can be used with only one person.

• The staff itself incorporates the use of a receiver, to pick up signal from laser level line.

A little History

This is a 1927 Survey Compass

Dumpy Level by Baker• The simplest form of

leveling equipment, from the early 1900’s.

• Look at P11 in your student notes,you have a copy.

• The following slides show some other early equipment, from 1900 onwards.

1927 Transit Level

Gurley Theodolite

Modern Theodolites are more like this one