I use golf tees for temp corners. They don't take up much space.
Only thing I've ever used them for.
Not my idea, though, saw it somewhere like here.
> Occasionally you would have to pound it a little further in if the dirt around the hub lifted too much around the edges of the hub.
>
Yep, I used to call that the "pooch" factor, where the hub going down displaced some dirt and needed another tap or two.
Summer helpers always needed training to bluetop. Some could barely even swing a sledgehammer without smashing the hub to smithereens, if they even hit it at all. Or they'd be so overeager that I'd say "Down two" and they'd go BLAM!BLAM! and the hub was out of sight. Or, they'd choke way up on the handle and go taptaptappity tap oh-so-delicately. :pinch:
Word.
Bring a sponge along on wet days for case monuments. They tend to hold water quite well. When constructing a case mon, leave monument a few inches higher than concrete. When traversing in brush flop scope, set a temp back site. I agree with the mirror or flashing light on the rod for topo. Never set instrument up in open sky, when trying to see in the brush. Brush hooks might be heavy, but are the best for clearing brush and 10 inch trees or smaller. Rather than brushing long lines find openings on slightly higher ground. Add 10% to all construction contracts, because you know they'll ask for everything they can get, even though they only want minimum stakes. Teach your Chainman everything he's capable of understanding. The future is in the youth.
I have more but after an 11 hour day in 100 degree heat I'm too tired.
good advice. real good advice
not long after I became a party chief, a project manager sent me out to topo. He told me my limits and told me to pick up trees 4" and larger.
2 days later, I found myself standing in front of "The Man", and he asked me "Why the F%#* do i have inverts on a sight distance TOPO!
It took me 8 hours to complete what should have been about a 3 hr job.
From that day forth, no crew left the office without a copy of the contract.
I also use the mirror as a light for manholes and such.
Another that I would like to add is how to pull a rebar. If you are checking for existing iron pins before setting new ones, its just a matter of time before you have to back up and move one you set previously. so I'm not talking about pullin up existing pins.
I have a 1' length of log chain that I keep in the stake bag. I slip one end over the bad pin, and place another rebar through the opposite end of the chain to use as a handle. then all you have to do is get over the top of it and use your legs to pull it out. They usually pull out like a loose tooth.
Works better than channel-locks, or a pipe wrench. Of course different size rebars will require different sized chains.
I'm handing out golf tees to my crew first thing in the morning.
Teach your insrument person to hit the shot button before focusing on topos, and to say "good" before the beep. Listen to the instrument!!
Keep a few cans of kippered herring in the tool box. Work right through lunch, and avoid a return trip to the job site.
N
Signal Mirrors
I have my Dad's US Navy signal mirror around here somewhere. It is WWII vintage.
Whatever you do, don't ask for permission.
Just go out and do your job.
I like to keep a small paint bottle filled with white latex paint for PKs / MAGs and RR Spikes. A nice small inconspicuous white circle with a rusted nail looks like a bird poop and lasts for years. Find a sprig of pine needles and use them as a brush to write a small and neat point number.
My father always had us paint stakes with the white latex. These were reserved for monuments found. The stake will last a bit longer and will be a welcome addition to the homeowner. I once stopped to replace a stake on a $10+ million dollar property as the property owner was trying to prop up the three year old stake that had finally fallen over.
When staking rough points like CL road for grading or perc tests (tolerance 1-2') and a tree is online, get the rodman on one side of the tree, at the right distance and sine them in (figure out the distance right or left from the actual point, they can get the stake within a foot or so).
A hand-operated bilge pump works great for monument boxes full of water. I put an extra piece of nylon screen over the bottom to keep gravel from clogging the pump.
As noted above, you can get the last bit of water out with a sponge.
If you have ever had t set up over a hub or monument that was under water or in a hole that would fill up with water,
Try pushing a traffic cone upside down over the point. The water will clear up and you can see to set up. It creates less amount of water to remove and sometimes it will actually drain away.
They also make great replacements should you ever loose your data collector' stylus...
I'll dump a bucket of dirt or sand on a monument that is in 6" or less water.
Then dig down in the middle of the "plop" and find the monument is dry.
> A hand-operated bilge pump works great for monument boxes full of water.
We keep a turkey baster in the truck to get water out of monument wells. Of course, we don't have as much water as y'all do west of the Cascades. 
Back to mirrors. The flag man doesn't have to have a signal mirror since most of the time they have a prism. In woods it is often difficult to see the flagman who can see you fine through some small opening between the leaves, etc., but you can't see them. The instrument man can flash over the general area and usually pick up a return from a prism. Assuming it is set up with a tripod or bipod, you can even turn angles to it.
I have used this time saving trick hundreds if not thousands of times.
The signal mirrors with the center aiming mask thing are ideal for this.
- jerry
Always get a deposit and contract!