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A retired mechanic in a Buffalo parts house told me he never used a level to set a rail, just a plumb bob and his eyes.
He said, 'Kid, if you can't see a sixteenth out over ten feet, you're in the wrong trade,' and I've questioned every digital level I've bought since.
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jessel359d ago
Remember that old timer every time I see someone rely only on a digital readout. He had a point about training your eye and feel for the work. Those tools are great for speed or tight spots, but they can also make you lazy. You stop really looking at the whole picture the way you do with a string and a bob. Now I use both, but I always check the digital work with a manual method just to keep my own skills honest. Lets the tool confirm what I see, not the other way around.
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smith.anna9d ago
My grandpa used to say if you lean on a digital level too much, you forget how to spot a bad wall just by squinting. He'd make me set a 20 foot foundation line by hand every Saturday. Now I catch myself just trusting the laser, and I have to force myself to pull out the old string. It's like my eyes got lazy.
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