Work Tips Archive
Have a work tip to help fellow surveyors? If so, submit it to surveyorcentral.com. If your tip is selected for the site, we'll send you a SurveyorCentral coffee mug.
Featured Tips:
Prism Pole Tip (1) | Accuracy | Prism Poles | Fast Measuring | Bug Free, Not Sticky! | Staking and Grading
Prism Pole Tip
G. Hamilton
How many prism poles have you ruined because you couldn't get the tip
off to replace it. Before the pole goes out in the field smear some
anti-seize compound on the threads. It will prevent the tip from corroding
onto the threads. You can find anti-seize in many auto/hardware stores.
Return to Top
Accuracy Field Test for Tribach Plummet
Nick Blinow, PSM FL, PLS MA
Situation: You're in the field with a tribrach and question the
accuracy of the optical plummet.
Test: Level and shift onto point as usual. Then take a pencil and trace on
the top plate of your tripod the outline of the tribrach. Now loosen the
screw and rotate the tribrach by 1/3 and align carefully to traced pencil
lines. Level the 3 adjustment screws. Look through eyepiece to view degree
of error. Now once again loosen the screw and rotate another 1/3, relevel
and view degree of error. Voila! Now you know how accurate your optical
plummet is (or isn't).
Prism Poles
Mike Gentile
I know this has probably happened to a least few of us...when storing the prism pole in the truck something inadvertently knocks into the level vile (chaining pin, the point of a stake, etc.) and breaks the glass of the vile and now we have useless piece of equipment. So when I do know when the prism isn't going to be used for a while I put a quarter over top of the glass and tape it in place. This seems to work out pretty good for me.
Return to Top
Fast Measuring
David W. Shafer
Need a way to measure off distances less than 1 foot when setting points, but don't want to bend over to use a tape measure?
Take one of your work boots and using a tape measure mark on the inside edge of the sole tenths and even hundredths of a foot, then you can quickly move the range pole the correct distance when setting out points without bending over to use the tape measure every time.
Return to Top
Bug Free, Not Sticky!
Frank Cosner
Don't like the way your fingers feel like there sticky on your HP buttons or gun keys after applying bug repellent? I keep a small bottle of the new type of hand sanitizer gel (i.e.: Dial antibacterial hand sanitizer) in my survey pouch. It works great for cleaning your hands after applying bug repellent.
Return to Top
Staking and Grading with Robotics Tip
Tom Mauriello
When grading lath for stake-out points, the target is at, say 5',
from rod tip. Make a 4' mark, 1' up from the tip. Set the rod at 4'
in the data collector. This gives me my cut or fills from the 4' mark.
With a cut of 1.63', come down 0.63 for a 1' cut direct to the lath.
Saves the back and gives the contractor what they want.
Return to Top
|
