Perhaps this could be accomplished by attaching a dial inclinometer to a 2 or four foot level. If the face/lense of the dial can be removed so the pointer on the dial could be felt...I have a neighborhood hardware store in my area with very knowledgable and helpful people working there. The next time I get into town, I'll find out what is available. ----- Original Message ----- From: Max Robinson To: blindhandyman@yahoogroups.com Sent: Monday, October 13, 2008 00:14 Subject: Re: [BlindHandyMan] I need some level advice
I think the pendulum is a better solution. For the ball and channel the channel has to be machined to a very accurate arc to give a valid indication. The pendulum always hangs straight down no matter what. Regards. Max. K 4 O D S. Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Transistor site http://www.funwithtransistors.net Vacuum tube site: http://www.funwithtubes.net Music site: http://www.maxsmusicplace.com To subscribe to the fun with tubes group send an email to, [EMAIL PROTECTED] ----- Original Message ----- From: "NLG" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <blindhandyman@yahoogroups.com> Sent: Sunday, October 12, 2008 3:07 PM Subject: Re: [BlindHandyMan] I need some level advice > Interesting. > > I hear you about sensative. From personal experience, I find that too > accurate, costs time and is not necessary. For example, if you were > pouring a new sidewalk, you want a slight slope so that the water will run > off but if you have an eighth inch drop in 3 feet or a half inch, who > really cares, or could tell, as long as the water runs off. > > In my opinion accuracy in leveling something is not nearly as critical as > making sure your saw cuts right on . > > We need to come up with a kinda cage type afair that contains a ball > bearing inwich the ball can't fall out, is open, so that if necessary, you > could feel the ball possission when it travels along a channel. This > channel could be attached to any standard carpender's level available to > the public at any standard hardware store. This design would work for > leveling horizontally but if leveling vertically, we would need another > ball bearing traveling 90 degrees in the same kind of closed cage to the > first setup used to read level in the horizontal. > > Not sure if I made myself clear to all, but I am sure some here know what > I am saying. I would be interested in hearing your suggestions on what > size balls,length channel excetra you think would make this work for the > blind. > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: Dale Leavens > To: blindhandyman@yahoogroups.com > Sent: Saturday, October 11, 2008 21:52 > Subject: Re: [BlindHandyMan] I need some level advice > > > Absolutely! > > Though the one I have is only about 8 inches long it works too well. A 4 > foot one really only needs the ball & channel to be relatively short. This > one would be better if the top surface with the channel in it were > machined with a very slight arc, being flat it is far too sensitive. There > is no value in more than one quality ball bearing, this one is about an > inch and a beautiful piece of polished metal it is too. > > I have also seen a rather good idea using a pendulum however it was > outrageously expensive. This one though did solve the problem of measuring > both horizontal and vertical. > > Essentially it was a stick with a semicircular protractor fixed to one > edge a little more than half a circle actually. There was a slot in the > stick and a pendulum with a substantial weight on the short end of a > pivoted pointer fixed by a pin through the stick. The pointer described an > arc just proud of the edge of the protractor which was marked at 90 and > 180 degrees so, when the stick is horizontal the weighted end of the > pointer pulls the other end in line with the marked edge of the > protractor. This had a button one could press to hold the pointer for > examination, it would have been better if that break was a toggle because > it was difficult to hold and examine the pointer in an actual working > situation. The other issue of course was that the stick is only 8 or 10 > inches long and being wood, maybe not so good as something forged. It also > cost something like 80 bucks I think back in around 1992. It may have come > from RNIB too, if so probably a lot cheaper there. > > This style though strikes me as a much better and should be much cheaper, > absolutely reliable solution to a level and the protractor could be marked > at significant intervals, probably 5 degrees at least. > > Finally, I have thought of using something like this with a very true > surface which could be bonded probably with screws to the edge of a > quality common builder's level to give the 4 foot level without the need > of machining a purpose built model which should keep the cost down. > > For some reason or other no one seems to consider this a priority > accessibility concern. Funny that, there seem to be loads of people out > there willing to give people guide dogs at huge expense. > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: NLG > To: blindhandyman@yahoogroups.com > Sent: Saturday, October 11, 2008 8:27 PM > Subject: Re: [BlindHandyMan] I need some level advice > > Reading your post has kindled my early/year thought of I have often > thought about making a level that works with a ball or balls. > > I got this idea many years ago, when I was a kid, when working a puzzle. > The puzzle was a small game that you could hold in your hand. It was about > the size of a snuff can ... some times not round but rectangular in shape. > The toy/game was made of a tin bottom, with a few dimples in it, a few > small bb metal balls and was enclosed with a see through plastic > cover/lid. > > The object of the game was to hold the toy in your hand then tilt it to > get the balls to roll into the dimples. > > It still seems to me that a level usable by the blind can be made using > this principle, and would be as accurate as the modern day electronic > levels and a hell of a lot cheaper. > > The level you talk about sounds like it works on this principle. If we > stretched your level out to 4 feet and added 3 or four more balls, do you > think we would have a level that would be accurate and dependable for use > for the blind handyman? > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: Dale Leavens > To: blindhandyman@yahoogroups.com > Sent: Saturday, October 11, 2008 11:20 > Subject: Re: [BlindHandyMan] I need some level advice > > Hi Max, > > Does the beep only happen when the level is exactly level or is there a > range perhaps of changing tone or volume as dead level is approached? > > I have never seen one but I am a little curious. > > I have a ball/channel device I bought from RNIB when I was a student over > there in the late '60s only about 8 inches long and probably a little too > accurate but it does work pretty well for laying block or bricks. I would > really like a light weight string level though for landscaping. I think > Dan Rossie has a water level which might be made to serve for that as > well. When laying out a masonry wall a tight masonry string line is a > valuable tool but getting one right is a challenge and you want to be able > to verify it occasionally. > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: Max Robinson > To: blindhandyman@yahoogroups.com > Sent: Friday, October 10, 2008 4:22 PM > Subject: Re: [BlindHandyMan] I need some level advice > > If you walk into Sears and ask for an audible level they won't know what > you > are talking about. They have two digital levels that read out the angle > on > an LCD. There is a button you can push that turns on a beeper. It beeps > at > zero and 90 degrees. > > Regards. > > Max. K 4 O D S. > > Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > Transistor site http://www.funwithtransistors.net > Vacuum tube site: http://www.funwithtubes.net > Music site: http://www.maxsmusicplace.com > > To subscribe to the fun with tubes group send an email to, > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Larry Stansifer" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: <blindhandyman@yahoogroups.com> > Sent: Friday, October 10, 2008 2:19 PM > Subject: RE: [BlindHandyMan] I need some level advice > > > Hi art, > > > > About the best recommendation I can make is the Stabila. The down side > is > > the damn things are a bit pricey. The other thing is they are not very > > loud > > so if you are working in a noisy environment or like me your hearing is > > shot > > it may be a problem. They provide you with two accurate readings, level > > and > > vertical. > > I hear tell there is a way to program a specific angle into the unit so > > that > > it will beep at some pre determined setting but I haven't figured that > one > > out yet. > > > > > > TNX > > > > Larry > > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: blindhandyman@yahoogroups.com > [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > > On Behalf Of [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > Sent: Friday, October 10, 2008 10:24 AM > > To: blindhandyman@yahoogroups.com > > Subject: [BlindHandyMan] I need some level advice > > > > > > Hello, > > I have been a long time lurker, and have enjoyed many of the adventures > > that > > folks have had on this list! Thanks for many good ideas and laughs! I > am > > undertaking a masonry project in the next few days, and need to use a > > level > > to get things right. Most times this wouldn't be a problem, as my wife > is > > sighted, and can usually be enticed to help out. This time I will be > going > > it alone, and didn't think it was going to be so difficult to find an > > audible level. I am totally blind, and knew that some of the home > centers > > sold one a year or two ago. Surprise! They don't carry them anymore! I > > have > > googled and found a couple that would fit the bill, and read through > the > > archives on this list (see message below) and read about a couple here > > that > > I was considering. Does anyone have a recommendation? I know that Sears > > had > > one a while ago, but they don't seem to carry it anymore either. I need > to > > obtain it in the next few days, and would like to keep the cost down if > > possible. Thanks for your help and advice! Art > > > > > > > > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > > > > > > ------------------------------------ > > > > Send any questions regarding list management to: > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > To listen to the show archives go to link > > > http://www.acbradio.org/pweb/index.php?module=pagemaster&PAGE_user_op=view_p > > age&PAGE_id=33&MMN_position=47:29 > > Or > > ftp://ftp.acbradio.org/acbradio-archives/handyman/ > > > > The Pod Cast address for the Blind Handy Man Show is. > > http://www.acbradio.org/news/xml/podcast.php?pgm=saturday > > > > Visit The Blind Handy Man Files Page To Review Contributions From > Various > > List Members At The Following address: > > http://www.jaws-users.com/JAWS/handyman/ > > > > Visit the archives page at the following address > > http://www.mail-archive.com/blindhandyman@yahoogroups.com/ > > > > If you would like to join the JAWS Users List, then visit the following > > address for more information: http://www.jaws-users.com/ For a complete > > list > > of email commands pertaining to the Blind Handy Man list just send a > blank > > message to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Groups Links > > > > > > > > > > > > -- > > BEGIN-ANTISPAM-VOTING-LINKS > > ------------------------------------------------------ > > > > Teach InfoWest Spam Trap if this mail (ID 214291694) is spam: > > Spam: > > > https://spamtrap.infowest.com/canit/b.php?i=214291694&m=d11b0041fcb1&c=s > > Not spam: > > > https://spamtrap.infowest.com/canit/b.php?i=214291694&m=d11b0041fcb1&c=n > > Forget vote: > > > https://spamtrap.infowest.com/canit/b.php?i=214291694&m=d11b0041fcb1&c=f > > > > REMEMBER: Never give out your account information, password, or other > > personal information over e-mail. > > ------------------------------------------------------ > > END-ANTISPAM-VOTING-LINKS > > > > > > ------------------------------------ > > > > Send any questions regarding list management to: > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > To listen to the show archives go to link > > > http://www.acbradio.org/pweb/index.php?module=pagemaster&PAGE_user_op=view_page_id=33&MMN_position=47:29 > > Or > > ftp://ftp.acbradio.org/acbradio-archives/handyman/ > > > > The Pod Cast address for the Blind Handy Man Show is. > > http://www.acbradio.org/news/xml/podcast.php?pgm=saturday > > > > Visit The Blind Handy Man Files Page To Review Contributions From > Various > > List Members At The Following address: > > http://www.jaws-users.com/JAWS/handyman/ > > > > Visit the archives page at the following address > > http://www.mail-archive.com/blindhandyman@yahoogroups.com/ > > > > If you would like to join the JAWS Users List, then visit the following > > address for more information: > > http://www.jaws-users.com/ > > For a complete list of email commands pertaining to the Blind Handy Man > > list just send a blank message to: > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] Groups Links > > > > > > > > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > > > > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > > > ------------------------------------ > > Send any questions regarding list management to: > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > To listen to the show archives go to link > http://www.acbradio.org/pweb/index.php?module=pagemaster&PAGE_user_op=view_page&PAGE_id=33&MMN_position=47:29 > Or > ftp://ftp.acbradio.org/acbradio-archives/handyman/ > > The Pod Cast address for the Blind Handy Man Show is. > http://www.acbradio.org/news/xml/podcast.php?pgm=saturday > > Visit The Blind Handy Man Files Page To Review Contributions From Various > List Members At The Following address: > http://www.jaws-users.com/JAWS/handyman/ > > Visit the archives page at the following address > http://www.mail-archive.com/blindhandyman@yahoogroups.com/ > > If you would like to join the JAWS Users List, then visit the following > address for more information: > http://www.jaws-users.com/ > For a complete list of email commands pertaining to the Blind Handy Man > list just send a blank message to: > [EMAIL PROTECTED] Groups Links > > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
