That works until you have to move one hand to operate the dc. I've used the laths. And I can also steady up pretty well without any external props at all. Still, I go with a bipod. This is what quality control is all about - adopting methods that increase the chances of getting a good product.?ÿ
So...I can do it, but can the guy I hired last month also do it? Everytime? More importantly - will he (or she) do it? Using the bipod is my way of being sure (or, at least, increasing the chance) that good plumb is actually being achieved.?ÿ
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I can appreciate that train of thought.
Exactly. When we have MEPF's doing their layout from the same baseline as our carpenters that are laying out their interior walls, things stay in harmony. Can't have floor penetrations and plumbing sticking halfway outside of a wall because Joe Plumber decided to throw around his own control to his liking. Most of our jobs are BIM coordinated, built virtually and clashed detected before they hit the jobsite. That also allows for a lot of pre-fab of mechanical and plumbing systems offsite in a controlled environment for good QA/QC. Saying this, it's imperative we keep error/slop to a minimum. Consistency is golden. We can be off, just off together!
I agree with RKinnie: Getting up and down gets old fast and the older you get the faster it gets old.
If your 360 prism has a point on the top (like the leicas) then use the prism pole inverted whenever the line of sight allows that.
By doing this you eliminate all of the relevant rod bubble error and it's a lot faster since you don't have to spend any time leveling up the prism pole - just hold it close to vertical and the tilt error will be in the thousandths of a foot. This accuracy is adequate for most civil construction staking activities.
It's also faster because you aren't moving from standing to kneeling and standing again - you are right there ready to set and check your point.
If you are an in an environment where you'll be able to see close to the ground everywhere - just put a section of range pole or a candy cane on the top of the inverted prism and mount your data collector to it. Light - fast - accurate.