What was the first tool you aquired when you started surveying?
Mine was a pair of chainsaw chaps, it was my bonus at the end of a long summer of clearing line while I was in college. I still have them too!
My HP 42S and 33' pocket tape. Still using it(18 yrs)even tho it has dog bite marks and the screen is a little messed up.
plumb bob and sheath. this was before gammon reels.
plumb bob
hand level
chaining clamps
tool belt
Curta
first 4 were obtained in that order in my first couple weeks... I had to save up for several months to get the Curta.
A pair of Wolverine work boots, machete and a jug of water. Cutting line for my brothers crew in 1975. Lost the machete within the first week and then my brother introduced me to the concept of "payroll reduction".
a brush axe
a leather pouch and belt for carrying a water bottle
I was told that's all I needed for the first week and it was. I had to graduate to plumb bob material.
I first started surveying working for someone else as a teenager. Likely my first acquisition was a marker to mark the grade stakes he had me set. But first thing I made sure I had when I went into business and became responsible for stuff was a Schoenstadt metal detector -- there were still guys around back then with horror stories about operating without one.
Same as above. It was for most people back then. Second, first if the boss let you use his plumb bob, was a ditch bank blade bushax.
Filson vest, plumb bob, West Coast boots, pocket tape, hand level.
That was a lot of money back in the day and the boots were stolen 1 week later, they were on the drying rack at work.
joe
Plumb Bob And Sheath
The tape was the bosses and the chaining pins were on a ring. The plumb bob is the only personal tool needed, as I had no need for a pencil as I did not take notes either.
Next personal tool was a magnifying glass and a pencil to read the vernier and write the notes. That pencil had no eraser either.
Paul in PA
Mid or early 70's I think, my engineer boss didn't do coordinates and wasn't much for calculations. He wouldn't buy and I couldn't afford a HP, but I bought my own calculator. I can't remember what it was called, but it did RPN and I could program it to do rect. to polar conversions. Didn't store the program or coordinates though. I did radial building stakeout by rotating the whole project to the building grid. This was tape and transit, too, sometimes calc'ing vertical angles. Sometimes that worked out better than others.
One day on a construction site it disappeared. I was furious. I got the owner of the project to get every one together. I made my speech, heart pounding.
"I don't make any more money than most of you and someone has my tool that I bought out of my wages because my boss is too cheap. This building isn't going up until it's returned. I can't work without it."
"Turned up" under some forms next day.
WOW, that brought back a memory. Thanks lakehouse for posting that thread.
My first personal field equipment order was for:
100ft super highway chrome clad chain and reel
8ft two section range pole
16oz plumb bob and leather sheath
Card of plumb bob string
String target
24 inch machete with leather sheath
K & E Hand Level
Bought it from SECO in Redding CA in 68, lost it in 94 in Cheyenne WY. Still hurts to this day.
Pablo B-)
Boots and rain gear.
Office jobs are much cheaper to dress for...
