Using Laser Light for Alignment Testing / Setting

A laser transit and detector can be purchased at Home Depot for less than $100.00. They're great for leveling or grading slopes. For aligning rail or finding center of overhead objects (plumb) I use a comon red laser level with a 500mw output. It's good for about 100' at a time but pretty useless if you're in direct sunlght or in a brightly lit area. Works best in low light. I can get about 1/4" accuracy over 100' on a straight line due to beam spread but for crane rail or structure, this is usually close enough.

G. Luck

Kranguru

I agree, I bought one about 5 years or so ago, I realigned it better than it was as sold with no great problem and I used it to get all the ground floors in my 100 year old house to the same level!!!

If I was going to use it outside work over long distances, I would recommend in setting up white target boards where you need them to allow seeing the spot easier and if necessary, work when the Sun has gone down, or build a dark material type tent to shield the position of where you must work. Make it light and portable to be able to move it around. Also use laser eye protection.....not that they are powerfull but......

The longest run in my house was only about 90 feet, but being inside I could see the spot easily all the time!!!

There was more than 7" difference between the highest and the lowest points on the floors! Our lounge alone had 6" differences!!

None of my friends believed it was possible!!! THEY WERE WRONG!!

Laser levels are fantastic......and cheap. Just make sure that you can align it fully, they are not usually set up to well from new.