Making a water level

Hi

I'm new to the forum and am planning a major extension of our highset two bedroom house on Brisbane's southside. We are still in the early design stage before visiting a planner, and I am looking at what tools I will need.

My woodwork experience is limited to making simple furniture, so I have a Triton work centre, power saw, routers, drills, chisels, carpenters work bench and the usual stuff. My workshop under the house is going to get the chop as I rip out the old concrete, so I suppose I'm looking at erecting a temporary shed in the back yard.

One thing I know I will need but have never actually seen one in use is a water level. I'll need one to establish the levels of the concrete floor under the house and of the bearers for the floor upstairs. I would imagine it is a clear plastic hose containing water and open either end with an indication mark at each end to establish the level point.

Are there any special tricks to making this level, such as water colour, types of markings, etc, that can make it easier to use?

No doubt I'll be pouring in the questions as the months pass, so I look forward to establishing some contacts.

Regards


Alan

althebuilder,

I've recently built my first water level and, as for most things, it was easy once you know how.

I got the details from a web page, but basically you need a bucket and a hose. The hose can be clear throughout or just insert a clear portion at one end - whichever is easier.

The steps are:

1) Drill a hole with diameter slightly smaller than the hose in the bucket near the bottom of the bucket
2) Cut the hose along its length for about 1 cm. (This is to allow the hose to collapse onto itself)
3) Insert the hose in the bucket. (It is self sealing since the hole is slightly smaller than the hose.)
4) Fill the bucket with water
5) Let the water run out of the bucket through the hose until the bucket is about half empty. This step is to clear the hose of all air bubbles. Any air bubbles in the hose will give you a false reading. If you want to be super cautious (like I did), keep filling the bucket with water and then it run through the hose for as long as you like.

You water level is now ready for use. There is no need to mark the hose. To use:

1) Place the bucket at the level you have as a reference (on a chair, suspended by string, etc). All that matters is the water level in the bucket. That is, the reference level is the water level in the bucket.

2) Travel wherever you want with the other end and the water level is the same as the reference.

I found no need to colour the water as it was quite clear (pardon the pun) where the water was.

If you ever want to do a check on the accuracy, just move the free end of the hose next to the bucket and the water levels should match perfectly.

You could theoretically remove the hose from bucket once all the air bubbles are out, but it's more convenient just to leave it in.

Cheers,
Casa

Hello althebuilder,Casa is right about the water level been easy to make and use.The method described is spot on if you are taking levels by yourself,but if you have someone with you just buy a piece of clear (you can see trapped bubbles)tubing and have a person at each end.This eliminates the need for the bucket etc.Just measure up from your floor and make a mark,hold the water on this mark and once the water has settled tell your off sider to mark his or her end and measure up to it from the floor.The difference in the measurement is how far it is out of level.Although very common once we don't use water levels all that much anymore although they are very handy if you want to transfer a level mark around a blind corner etc.I hope this helps.Regards Terry.

Thanks Terry and Casa

I have the idea now. It was as I expeced. My wife has slightly vision impaired, so I'll set up a mark for her to mark by and ways to hang it up when not in use..

Thanks Again. No doubt you will be hearing from me again.

Regards


Alan