Client tells me "He has this ancient survey instrument" I get my hopes up, (old Rittenhouse compass, and chain) But, it turns out to be a LEVEL, that is functionally useless. In it's BEST day, it was ok for setting up a building, if it was not too big, and you indexed it!
It is in an old dovetail box, covered with dust, and obviously was built via copying something else. And is of little worth. I was even once conned into doing some extra work for one. Turned out to be a "Bostrom Brady", complete with legs, and the stick!
Cracks me up now, but it still comes to mind, when I type "Theodolite", into ebay, and the levels start popping up. I'm sure folks selling, don't know what they have... and need rid of them, but those construction levels, "Just ain't survey Grade".
🙂
I hope every ones else is having a great day!!
Nate
Huh
Been through identical
Experience except for bartering work.
It was adjoiner on a large project and needed to tie his corners and ingress.
Just had to be patient. It seems that those Bostom construction/farm levels were sold through Sears or Something like that. I think he thought I was going to whoop and wow about it when he brought it out of the shed and make him a cash offer. Just was pleasant with him and asked him about his survey experience.
I had an employee once that purported to have a older member of the family that had been a surveyor. My interest was drawn when he mentioned an "old" surveying instrument. I told him I'm love to have a look at it.
It took a while but he eventually brought to the office a very worn out and dirty red HDPE plastic cased "David White" builder's transit/ level. It was in horrible shape.
I was polite and feigned a slight interest.
On the other end of the spectrum, I was out surveying one time and had occasion to notice that a Zeiss Th43 theodolite (with K&E branding identifying it as ca. 1968 or so) was set up on a tripod outdoors under a roof, but otherwise open to the elements. I asked the landowner whether she'd be interested in selling it and so I rescued the instrument for a couple of hundred bucks, getting a Seiler copy of a Wild tripod to boot. The point is, you never know.
Kent McMillan, post: 382405, member: 3 wrote: On the other end of the spectrum, I was out surveying one time and had occasion to notice that a Zeiss Th43 theodolite (with K&E branding identifying it as ca. 1968 or so) was set up on a tripod outdoors under a roof, but otherwise open to the elements. I asked the landowner whether she'd be interested in selling it and so I rescued the instrument for a couple of hundred bucks, getting a Seiler copy of a Wild tripod to boot. The point is, you never know.
I can't even find arrowheads...
In the '90s one of my friends had a construction surveyor tell him his first order levels were wrong "because I checked it with my trusty David White"... a level-transit to boot.
Monte, post: 382443, member: 11913 wrote: I can't even find arrowheads...
Lol. I know that you're just jokin' us, Monte.
I'll bet you have a big wooden box full of them at your place. We used to find them after a rain out in the chicken yard and along the road to my grandparents' home back when I was a youngster, so I'll just bet you have a bunch of them. My grandparents lived on a small ranch (+/- 1,000 acres) about halfway between Cotulla and Laredo.
Nate reminded me of this in the Museum of Flight at Boeing Field in Seattle, saw it just had to take a picture.
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Even funnier that it says "shop 19", but the tag says it was used in shop 3.
Jack Chiles, post: 382455, member: 24 wrote: Lol. I know that you're just jokin' us, Monte.
Actually... I am pretty good at finding stone mounds or other old corners, picking out old buildings, old roads, even found a few graves, but I think I have found one distinct arrowhead my whole life. I have found 3 old knives. (I don't think they were worth anything old, just lost old, ya know)
crazy that you show that wye level at this time. i picked up a Buff & Buff wye level at the local pawn shop today for $100. they originally wanted $140. it's a little corroded, the reticle doesn't turn yet, the crosshairs aren't evident, and the box is in poor condition. other than that it's in great shape (wink, wink). there is also a local instrument shop's business card attached to the inside of the box that is dated May 27, 1972 which i suppose indicates that it was serviced at that time. that company no longer exists as it sold out to Geoshack several years back. i believe that i will be accosting Dave Ingram to fix it up after he retires pretty soon. now i just need a good looking old tripod to go w/ it.