We select a tripod for a construction laser level

Manufacturers overview

Nowadays, many manufacturing companies present their products on the market for tools, measuring equipment and accessories. Naturally, the leaders of the segment are such giants as Bosch. And in this case we are talking about the largest developer of power tools and electronic devices. For many, this brand is associated with traditional German quality.

In addition to the German giant, other manufacturers are also presenting their developments.

ADA Instruments is a company that started its activity more than 10 years ago. It was initially positioned as a brand name for diagnostic and measurement equipment developed for a wide variety of industries. By the way, ADA stands for ADditional Accuracy, which means “additional accuracy”. The manufacturer offers potential buyers models of geodetic and telescopic tripods and rods.

Due to the variety of accessories available, high quality AEG tripods can be found in some specialty stores. Despite the fact that these structures are developed for the installation of lighting devices, laser levels can also be fixed on them. By the way, the company has almost 40 years of history and today it is a part of such large associations as Electrolux Group and Clatronic Group.

Another representative of Russia is the Praktika company, which produces, among other things, wall brackets. Now her products, including high-quality measurement tripods, can be found in many stores.

Manufacturers from the United States also do not stand aside. These include, for example, Dewalt, an American brand that specializes in the development of power tools and accessories.

Selection Tips

The higher the class of measurements performed, the more stringent the requirements for the sets of equipment used.

Based on this, special attention should be paid to the main selection criteria, including tripods for laser levels. One of the key points will be the material from which the device is made.

Most often used:

• metal (in the overwhelming majority of cases it is aluminum, one of the main characteristics of which is lightness);
• wood;
• fiberglass (fiberglass).

Each of these materials has its own characteristics that should be considered when choosing a specific tripod model.

First of all, you should pay attention to deformation under temperature influence. By the way, metal has the highest coefficient of expansion, and therefore it will deform under the influence of sunlight.

Wood and fiberglass fixtures have almost identical coefficients of thermal expansion. Based on this, it is difficult to give one of the options a clear advantage. In this case, they most often rely on personal preferences.

Weight plays an important role when choosing tripods. Heavier structures provide maximum stability. But at the same time, transportation is significantly hampered and the mobility of equipment is greatly reduced. Another important criterion is the features of the "legs" fixation mechanism. Currently available models equipped with:

• clamping screws;
• fasteners in the form of special clips;
• combined elements.

The use of models with fastening clips allows you to maximize the speed of work. In situations where rigid fixation of the level or level is at the forefront, tripods with screws or combined mechanisms should be preferred.

Taking into account all the existing nuances, the following basic rules for selecting the most suitable device can be distinguished:

• with increased requirements for accuracy, heavy models made of fiberglass or wood will be a priority;
• if maximum mobility of the entire structure is required, then it would be wiser to choose aluminum tripods equipped with clips;
• if there is a level with a compensator, you can be guided solely by preferences, taking into account financial capabilities.

Naturally, the list of key criteria includes product quality.

In this case, it is worth focusing on the tripod manufacturer. Experienced professionals prefer to use proven and proven products from market leaders

These tripods and holders are, of course, expensive to purchase. However, their performance and durability will fully pay off all financial costs.

How to do it?

As noted above, high-quality devices from famous brands will not be affordable for everyone. You can reduce costs by purchasing Chinese models that are significantly inferior to them in quality and basic characteristics. But do not forget about the possibility of making the necessary structure with your own hands. A homemade tripod can be assembled in several ways, namely:

• equipped with fasteners in the form of magnets;
• using the so-called cross-tripods;
• using belts for fixing devices.

One of the simplest and lowest cost options is to use a conventional camera or camera tripod. If there is such a device, it remains only to adapt it to the installation of the laser level. An equally simple way would be to independently make a tripod with a platform for a level from any materials. The main requirement in this case will be the stability of the entire structure.

A telescopic rod can be made independently and at relatively low cost. To do this, you need two tubes, the diameters of which are selected so that one fits into the other. One of them should be twice as long as the other. The manufacturing process includes the following steps:

• cut the large tube in half;
• from both ends of a smaller pipe we put on a large one to achieve a telescopic effect;
• holes are drilled in the tubes, on which nuts are welded;
• for fixing the components, thumbs with a corresponding thread are used.

The most budgetary option would be to build any stable stand. It can even be a shovel handle with a stand made of plywood or OSB board.

It is important to set this structure strictly vertically, using a regular level or plumb line.

Do-it-yourself tripod for an optical level made of polypropylene pipes

To use the optical level comfortably, it requires a tripod, sometimes you need to hit the horizontal line somewhere on the wall, while the level is on the floor, you have to come up with supports for it. Of course, tripods are sold, their cost depends on the height and type of construction, and starts from 1,500 rubles (the smallest), and given the fact that you will use a tripod very rarely (trust me), there is no point in spending money on it, well, or not quite so, it's a pity to buy an expensive tripod, so I decided to make it myself from polypropylene pipes, and at the same time try out a welding machine for these pipes.

Of course, if you think that you will use a tripod very often, and even more so you need to carry it with you, then it is better to choose a factory-made tripod, if there are a lot of such tripods on Ali, you can see this link.

Well, okay, let's proceed directly to manufacturing, for this we need:

1. PP pipe (D 25 mm, 2.5 m) - 1 piece
2. PP pipe (D 20 mm, 2.5 m) - 1 piece
3. Tee PP 25 mm - 3 pieces
4. Pipe holder 25 mm - 5 pieces
5. Hot glue gun
6. Than cutting pipes, I had a reciprocating saw
7. Polt or hairpin that is screwed into the level (bottom)

Almost everything is assembled

We cut the pipes to size, I chose the size of the support legs about 30 cm

We figure out how it will look, you need to observe the proportions somehow

We heat up the machine for welding polypropylene, bought by the way in Leroy Merlin for 800 rubles, it seems to be cooking not badly, the water supply in the country was mounted with it, there were no leaks yet.

When I welded the center tee to the pipes, I bent them down a little to the floor (relative to the tee itself) so that the center is slightly raised, this makes it easier to operate the tripod on an uneven surface. The arrows show where to bend.

The legs were also bent down so that the side tees would also rise from the floor, as a result, the level stands on four points of support (point), and not flat

I welded a central tube into which a 20 mm tube will enter, because the tripod is telescopic.

I cut the pipe by 25 mm, at a height of 1 meter, inserted a pipe with a diameter of 20 mm into it (in the store I immediately measured what would fit into each other), cut it completely inserted, and left a few cm.

Next, you need to fix the bolt with the thread up, in the tube on which the level or something else will be attached. I did it with a heat gun, a very convenient thing in the household. You can buy in a hardware store or order in China (cheaper and more choice)

I soldered the bolt into the pipe, it keeps well. Here's what happened

I fixed the optical level on the tripod, extended it to the maximum, it turned out to be an impressive height. The closet in the background will not let you lie.

I tried it with the level turned on, it is self-leveling, it was calibrated along the horizon without any problems, as evidenced by the green color of the power button.

Field trials already at the construction site

In fact, I can say the following:

The pipe holders at the ends of the legs can be omitted, due to the fact that the pipes are bent relative to the tees, it is normal.

The cost came out to about 200 rubles.

For those who do not have a laser level, but wants it

I bought my level in Leroy Merlin, it is not expensive, 2500 came out, a very useful thing, I do not regret buying it. For those who do not have such stores in the city, and the greed of sellers is off the charts, you can order from China, I will leave here a link to the search page for Ali, namely Laser levels, read the reviews before buying. Inexpensive levels are domestic, they are not visible in daylight, you can work only indoors even during the day, their range is several meters. In general, see for yourself.

And yet, I almost forgot, these scissors are used for cutting polypropylene and metal-plastic.

I bought in Leroy Merlin, rubles for 400, who does not have the opportunity, you can buy on Ali, made a selection for not expensive ones, a link to Ali.

I have everything, thank you for your attention. Ask questions, I will answer if possible

Additional parameters and functions

In addition to the basic parameters, there are also some additional ones. They make things easier, so it's more about usability. After all, additional functions affect the final result only indirectly or partially.

Self-leveling

For the measurements to be correct, the level must be installed vertically upward. In simple models, their position is checked by simpler devices, usually a bubble level. In some models it is built into the case, in some it is not. Then you have to resort to the usual construction, which is not very convenient. In addition, incorrect readings are possible - if during operation he changes position and you do not see this, the work will be done incorrectly. In order not to face such a situation, it is necessary to double-check the position of the device several times.

Self-leveling (self-compensation for a small tilt angle)

Some lasers have a self-leveling or self-leveling function. When deviated from the vertical by a small angle (usually up to 4 °), they adjust the position of the mirrors and prisms so that all readings are correct.If the slope exceeds the maximum allowable, they either emit a sound / give a light signal, or turn off the beams. Work is restored when it returns to normal.

Having a laser level with this function, the device is easy to set up at the very beginning of work. Also, during its use, you do not have to worry that it has changed position - it will give a signal.

However, sometimes the level needs to be set at a specific angle. The presence of the self-leveling function will not allow you to do this. Therefore, it is advisable to purchase a model in which this function can be blocked.

Self-shutdown

This function allows you to save battery power. If the device does not move for 10-15 minutes, it turns off. On the one hand, this is useful, on the other hand, some work takes more than 15 minutes and self-shutdown can be unnerving. Whether you need this function or not is up to you.

Automatic shutdown is not always a good thing

Operating temperature

If you plan to work in the warm season or only indoors, the temperature regime does not matter. Basically, the laser level can be operated at temperatures from + 5 ° C to + 40 ° C, that is, they are suitable only for heated rooms or work in the warm season.

Most of the laser levels are designed to work in a heated room

If you need to choose a laser level for outdoor use with the ability to operate in the cold season, there are "frost-resistant" models that can withstand temperatures as low as -10 ° C. Even more resistant to frost must be looked for on purpose, there are very few of them.

Mount type

In addition to the standard installation of the laser level on a horizontal plane, there may be several additional options for its mounting:

On a special tripod. Most often needed for working outdoors, but some work (drawing horizontal lines on walls when hanging furniture, for example) is also easier to do with a tripod. Sometimes a tripod is included, sometimes it is purchased separately

When buying, pay attention to the diameter of the thread on the body of the level - the tripod must have the same.
On magnets. Magnets are soldered into the case of some models

This makes it possible to mount it to any metal surface / part.
The type of fastening affects the ease of use
On a special magnetic base. Some models of laser levels in the kit have a small plastic pad, into which the magnets are soldered. A platform is installed on a metal surface, and a level is placed on it.
On a self-tapping screw / stud. A special hole is made in the body of the level, into which the head of a nail or self-tapping screw is threaded. Not the most convenient mounting method, but still.

With these options, everything is clear. You can, of course, do without them, come up with some kind of your own way. These are just opportunities for more comfortable operation.

Shockproof housing and the possibility of self-adjustment (commissioning)

Very useful if the laser level has a shockproof housing. Construction or renovation is a high-risk area for any tool, so it falls frequently. If the case is shockproof, chances are high that it will survive even after a fall.

Shockproof case won't hurt

If dropped or carelessly transported, the level settings may go astray and it may start to lie. To eliminate this "phenomenon" in some devices, the possibility of self-tuning is provided.

For which it will be necessary to carry out certain manipulations described in the instructions.

DIY laser level: correct use

It is not enough to make a laser level at home, you also need to know how to use it. It is necessary to fix the stick with the sharp end down, on the desired surface, then using a bubble level, align the angle of the bar in order to achieve the most accurate horizontal position.You need to turn on the laser pointer and carefully point it at the desired surface.

Before using the laser level, it is worth watching the training video and studying the instructions for use.

After there are two points, you need to draw a horizontal line connecting them to each other. If the result is a perfectly flat line, the level is working and set correctly. The dots are an indication of whether the stand and stand are ideally installed. When working with such a device, it is better to have protective glasses that relieve eye strain. Adjustment will be even faster with a plumb bob. A homemade laser level has a slightly primitive design, but the ability to save a decent amount of money mitigates this problem.

Experts highlight a number of advantages that a home level has:

• A sufficiently large beam length that allows it to be used in almost all works related to repair and construction;
• A small level of error, which is an insignificant drawback;
• High speed of marking and convenience, which does not have a regular bubble level;
• But builders highlight the main and most significant feature - the ability to project rays in a horizontal plane.

The homemade device can be used in further work, it will serve faithfully during the construction of the fence, if necessary, mark the boundaries on the personal plot, during the facing of any structure. Professional workers will need purchased levels, they are of these types. Bubble - it is a plastic or wooden case with three flasks inside. Each of them is filled with alcohol and has a bubble, it should be in the middle, showing the exact location.

Water - are a hose of small diameter and up to 25 meters long, with two flasks, all elements are interconnected. Each flask has a printed scale, such a device has both advantages, in the form of low cost, and disadvantages - accuracy is needed when pouring liquid, and it works only on horizontal surfaces. Magnetic - their advantage is ease of fastening - it quickly and firmly installs on any metal surface and gives accurate readings. Pipe - it is made in the form of a rectangle and is equipped with a magnet and a cord. Laser - it is distinguished by high accuracy, range, but has one significant drawback - high cost.

Laser level

Any design using a laser emitter has a rather serious design, but this design is quite suitable for anyone who wants to make it. For a laser level, you will need a conventional laser module with a specialized light filter that draws a crosshair on the surface. This module will cost about 350-400 rubles.

An ordinary laser pointer will do just fine, but do not forget that the better the pointer, the more effective the result. We also need a transparent container with a wide neck filled with water, a wire, 4 small nails and an even strip of foam plastic 2 centimeters thick.

When all the components are available, it is worth starting to manufacture the structure we need. It is necessary to wind the wire on the laser in a spiral, while leaving tails at each end. This is done to secure the laser in place.

Now we put the laser on the foam and fix it on both sides with pre-prepared nails. The last manipulations will be filling a transparent bowl with water, where the assembled structure is carefully placed. Even on very uneven surfaces, gravity and water will do their part to level the level.

However, there is a certain difficulty when measuring outdoors in windy weather.The wind will sway the water, which means it is necessary to use a liquid of a higher density, for example, used engine oil. Unlike this design, a homemade optical level will cost much more.

The main advantages of the device

Of course, you do not need to expect that a level created by your own hands will perform all complex marking operations. But for use in domestic conditions, such a device is quite suitable and even surpasses in its quality a water device in many ways. Also, such a device is provided with the following functions:

• long length of the emitted projection;
• the minimum indicator of a deficiency with a comparative ease of use;
• an increase in the speed of space marking.

But the main advantage of such a device will be the projection of the beam onto a horizontal plane. It is with the help of this property that the builder can accurately determine the vertical and horizontal markings of both the floor and walls with a ceiling. In addition, such a device can be used to mark a summer cottage, house facades, or when creating a fence.

What do we do?

As for work on the ground, here the choice of the leveling method is unambiguous - eye, see below. But it is better to make a construction and repair level laser: its advantage, such as a multiple reduction in the labor intensity of marking work, cannot be overlooked.

3D laser level and laser level

There are generally 2 types of laser levels on sale: 3-axis (3D, pos. A in the figure) and laser levels, pos. B. A 3D level that draws lines, corners, crosses and even, under the control of an external computer, the contours of openings or finishing panels is a complex optical-mechanical design, which is hardly repeatable with your own hands. But the main thing is that such devices are already very flimsy. Not only an accidental shovel of earth or a dropped tool, but also common building dust indoors can damage your 3D level once and for all. Therefore, devices of this class find rather limited use, and we will take up the laser level - it, homemade, can be entered into the given conditions in all parameters.

What we have?

Making a laser level would seem as easy as shelling pears: attach a laser pointer to an ordinary bubble level - and you're done. Put everything together on a flat stand, twist and mark on the wall. It takes the manufacture of such a "mini-level" usually no more than 10 minutes, see eg. video:

Video: homemade mini laser level

But in practice, it turns out that the final accuracy of the marking is not good anywhere. And when using a "new, good" branded laser level, one more circumstance emerges: in the process of operation, it is often required to adjust the device. Which practically negates the reduction in labor costs. Let's try to figure out why and how to fix things. The laser level device is shown on the left in Fig. There you can see its main Achilles' heel - the initial setting for a tubular bubble level. For an accurate initial setting, the beam of the device must be set to the horizon along 2 mutually perpendicular planes. But on the object, when setting the level on a random support (on the right in the figure), both adjustments are interdependent! I twisted the tripod leg under the horizontal in one direction - along the perpendicular, the beam "went" up or down. As a result, it is easier to beat off the markings with your hands than to suffer with the laser setting.

Laser level device and how to use it

Based on this, we will immediately introduce 2 modifications into the design: the installation of the leveling block on a 2-coordinate level (see below), and a lightweight portable support, independently adjustable vertically. On an exactly vertical support, and if you immediately see where and how much the leveling block has tilted, it can be quickly and easily set in one step for the entire marking cycle at a given object.

Although the device of a homemade laser level with a laser pointer instead of a special head is simpler, the procedure for setting it up (see next figure) is no less laborious, and the accuracy and stability are much worse than with manual marking. In this case, 2 more weak points are added to the design: the pointer head and the rotation unit. Where is the guarantee that the pointer beam "hits" exactly along its optical axis? In order to simply guide the beam back and forth, their axiality (alignment) is not required, therefore laser pointers are cheap. And if the beam is beveled, then when marking by points, instead of straight contours and plumb lines, tangentoid segments will be obtained. Their deflection by eye may not be noticeable, but the marking error will go beyond the permissible limits.

Device and methods of adjusting a homemade laser level

As for the rotation unit, making parts for it to order will hardly cost less than the cost of a finished laser level. Lovers with a knot of rotation are wise. It's good if in the storerooms (simply in the trash) there are suitable ready-made parts for it, as, for example, in the plot:

Video: rechargeable level from the laser module

But this is a single unique product. If there are no suitable components in the "store", the craftsmen manage to make laser levels even from ... sewer pipes, see the video:

Video: laser level from a sewer pipe

We will try to get out of the situation even easier, but observing the conditions set above: accuracy, stability, simplicity.

Equipment device

Securing the laser device and the level requires a variety of equipment to be used as a support or holder. Specialists use rods and tripods, popularly called tripods; they allow you to fix the optical device in the position that allows you to get the most accurate readings and measurements.

The tripod allows you to install and fix the laser optical device at the required height. With this equipment, a technician can work with a permanently installed device. Any vibration or vibration when using a tripod will not affect the laser level or the level. The use of optical instruments with a tripod makes the work the most versatile and convenient.

A tripod is a movable support for instruments that have an optical component for obtaining accurate results and aiming the laser beam at an object in maximum quality.

The design consists of a base and a tripod head, which is installed on the base and allows you to fix the optical device. As a rule, compact tripods are equipped with a fixed head. Professional geodetic tripods for levels have a removable head for various types of optical instruments. The laser is attached to the bracket with screws.

The base of the holder consists of a classic tripod. The legs of the equipment are adjustable so that it can be used on uneven surfaces or steps. The design of the tripod is telescopic, it consists of three metal tubes or profiles that allow you to change the height and raise the base. Metal tubes are fixed with transverse brackets. The support base is made in several forms: rectangular, triangular or spherical.

The versatile compact tripod has a slightly different design. It consists of a tripod, but in the center of the structure it has a central pull-out bar. The retractable rod is equipped with a worm gear that allows you to change the position of the central rod with millimeter precision. The compact holder allows you to change the position of the devices not only with the device legs, but also with the central rod.