The Luxurious 8 ft Level
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- Опубликовано: 22 июл 2024
- Make sure you watched our older video on the Mighty 4ft level! • The Mighty 4ft. Level
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Thank you, be safe, and be grateful.
3:26 "It doesn't have to save you very many times before you forget what you paid for it, and you're just thankful to have it."
That, my friend, is the very definition of a great tool. When a tool loses it's monetary value to you and becomes valued only according to what it offers you and means to you, AKA priceless. This is why I'll never be able to answer the question accurately when someone asks how much I paid for all my tools. Some I remember, but most I don't. Especially the really expensive ones, because the usefulness of them has completely healed over the initial wound of how expensive they were.
I'm absolutely loving the spec house series, but with that said: This video is a very refreshing little return to the essence of Essential Craftsman. MORE TOOL TALK PLEASE! Love it!
Really liked the "thats the level I'll loan out"! Darn right. 😊😊
Yeah, I laughed out loud at that one, because I'm the same way : )
I was taught, the longer the level, the more accuracy you'll get from finding level/plumb lines. I cringe when I hear some people try to use them as a pry bar... no on uses mine. They're not too terribly expensive but, by no means "cheap" either. Keep them clean, unmarred, take care of it and it will take care of you, just like the rest of the tools one may use in their lifetime. Cheers :)
I bought a Bosch GIM 60L with digital readout, beeper and laser:
www.bosch-professional.com/lb/en/products/gim-60-l-0601076900
This is my 3rd GIM product.
These are not cheap. 400USD a pop.
No-one touches my level either, I guarantee that.
of all the things a fuking pry bar.... peopel amazes me sometimes.
A pry bar? Boy, makes me shiver, and reminds me that you just can't trust every guy you work with; more than once I've handed off a tool and 5 seconds later I'll see him mangling it.
I don’t know the English synonym, but in Dutch we have a saying “goed gereedschap is het halve Werk!” ( ruffly translated; “good tools are half the job”).
Ha!! My parents have Dutch neighbors! I'll ask them to teach me how to say that!!!
I'm a now-retired guy who's not a carpenter (furniture maker though) who has been working on and adding to my century-plus year old house for 25 years. I've got tools and skills, but not a pro. I'll bet I've hung a dozen new doors at least in the rejuvenation of this old house. Most of those came in one large bite after an addition. I used the job to justify the purchase a *six foot* level plus a jig kit for routing hinges. The six footer has many of the virtues you so rightly praise in the 8-footer in terms of length and straightness, but the 8-footer won't let you work inside a door frame. The six-footer, though? Luxury, as you say. Perfect tool. If I was doing construction carpentry more often, however, I'd probably want the 8-footer too!
Lending tools would be a good topic
Short conversation though... "Can I borr...", "Nope!"... end.
@@JohnSmith-ud9ex 😆
John Smith - I laughed way to hard on that one!👷🏼♂️🛠Nope! 🤣
My ex partner loved to brag about how he had "Two of everything" when it came to tools but once on the job site he was always grabbing my tools out of my truck. One day I had had enough and I yelled 'if you have two of everything, why do you grab my skilsaw first thing every day?"....because yours cuts nicer. You have better tools.
Ok, after this job, we're done as work partners. I'd rather work alone then let someone beat on my equipment.
Not lending tools would be the better subject. I’ll lend a hammer, batteries, maybe a speed square. You have to be a special kind of person to borrow “under supervision” my nailgun or something with movable parts.
Lol "it's the one I loan you" ....shipping gets everyone someday, somehow. Thanks for sharing
I laughed out loud when he said that.
Same here
Its like what my son always says when he lends something out , "don't forget its got a back on it"............."back to me !"
My loaner is a once 8' that is now a 6' with the aid of a hot saw after running it over with a scissor lift. "Beggars can't be choosers" is a gift from my Grandfather that still rings true today.
Never forget about the mythical LEFT HANDED level.... Being right handed, I could never get one to work for me... but I've seen a few.... J/K
Love the channel! Always great watch. I have a few "obscure" tools around that are worth their weight in forged iron.... I try to watch guys that have been around the block and do things "old school" and I ask a lot of questions.... Some of these tools may seem like an odd purchase at first, but i find i can't live without them... plus they are a GREAT way to spark an interesting conversation.... and as a bonus, my kids get to learn things that are really pretty cool. Thanks for all the great videos. Matt- Southern OH
So Matt, are the Left-handed levels the ones by the Board Stretchers?
Used to work for a company that makes levels. Double check when getting one of these - keeping them unscathed by a shipping company can be hard.
Levels are handy tools! Having a variety of them helps a lot. At work we have a Stabila 7-12’ plate level, 6’ Stabila, numerous four footers, a two footer, and we all carry torpedo levels in our pouches. For building accurate pole barn, a plate level is what you need. A six foot level is ideal for hanging doors, since you can get the hinge side perfectly plumb and straight, which makes the rest of it go a lot easier. I have a plate level at my home shop as well, and I’ll add a few more levels to my arsenal when I get a good excuse.
I was given a raise at the end of my first week in construction. I bought 4’ and 16” Stabila levels. When I came to work on Monday with them, I got another raise. My boss said if I was going to keep reinvesting in my tools to be a better carpenter, I was worth more to him and he’d keep paying me more. I still love those 2 levels and use them most often, but sometimes an 8’ really is the tool you need.
Man I'd love to build a house with this man. His attention to detail is amazing and I always learn something from the videos!
Forgot to mention how much I admire your efforts, via this brilliantly produced series, to encourage pride in workmanship- Oh, and also forgot to remind your viewers- a 40 foot length of 3/8th clear plastic tubing, filled with water, makes for a very handy, super long level! Don't cost much neither and compact when rolled up so hardly a luxury! YOU keep up the good work! Tah H.
I really appreciate all your videos -- trustworthy, informative, and entertaining.
LOVE this channel and I mean this with all due respect. Scott is the type of man who has used a level on his level to check the level of his level Hank Hill style.
I don't have an 8 footer, but I had to replace a door on our home and a rental property, so I invested in a 6'8" one. I may never use it again (just a home handyman, not a pro) but it made the door installs a lot easier in terms of plumb. (Also made me appreciate the installation of the granite in our kitchen done many years ago. That fellow knew how to get the countertops dead level, at least per my nearly 7-footer!) Enjoyed your content here, as always.
Agreed! You don't know what you don't know. I never thought I would need a level larger than a 4 foot until I inherited my dads 6 footer. Wow! what a difference! love it. I might need to get that 8 footer now!
Scott, I'm going to hijack this a bit but for good reason. I'm asking all the tradesmen who value their country to buy domestic tools and materials. The current world situation if nothing else should show us how vital it is to bolster our home Industries. As always I appreciate your channel and all the good that you are providing to us. Thank you
Some people have the gift of just talking simple and clear.
And when you start listening to them you just can't stop.
You are one of those people.
Please keep talking. :)
I can literally just binge watch your videos for hours, and i love them!
I just built a fence this week. I used one of those fence post corner levels that you attach to the top of the post with a rubber band. It seemed like a good and useful tool to make the job go fast. After I had set all the posts with braces, about to pour concrete, I verified they were square with my six foot level.... every single post was out.
I have wondered if those are accurate. Was it a johnson that you used?
They work great if the post is absolutely straight and not twisted . Otherwise remember you're leveling basically the area where the corner level is attached . It may be plumb , but a twisted post will be out below that .
@@jakerogers6562 Brand is Empire, called their "720 post and pipe level." Made of plastic. I'm open to the possiblity that I'm just a noob.
Scott and Nate, all I can say is your videos give me motivation even when I am burnt out. I appreciate what you do and would be a patreon sponser if I could afford it. Much love from Stone Mountain GA.
We use a stabila 7-12 extentdable plate level they're great but the 8 footer is a joy to use for all the reasons you mentioned. Awesome video
I like your videos. My most used level I own is a Stabila 16" that came as a bonus on one of my other levels. Having a graduated scale on the bubble is a nice feature for drain lines. Checking a level before you leave the store is a good thing to do, or at least when you get home. This comes from an article I read. With some playing card level the level. Turn it around. It should read the same.
We have an 8' Stabila. Great for attaching the receiver for your laser and setting deck ledgers all around the cut up backside of a house. It's a tool that once you have it, you'll find a ton of uses for. My local Home Depot sells the 8' Empire level. They are my go to tool for retrieving items from the top shelves.
HINT! another useful straight edge. find a length of Wide steal banding 1 to 1 1/8 wide. i have a 9 foot one in my shop. great for working with sheet goods.a spring clamp on each end and your good! also you can roll it up and store it that way.. I keep mine in one panel of my garage door.. its light and handy. i hope this helps.. oh, thanks for the tips!
Thanks for THIS great tip!!
You can also use a measuring tape. The ones that have the hook protruding on all sides are good cos you can flip the tape over.
I was framing metal stud when I bought my 4 footer 20 years or so ago. So it has a magnet strip on one side. It’s a craftsman and I have no complaints. This year I bought my self an early birthday gift, something I’ve wanted ever since I saw a house builder have one. A 4 footer constructed of bamboo with double bubbles. I still use my old level. Tried and true or force of habit I don’t know but my new one made me appreciate my old one much more.
I have been using a johnson 8' boxbeam level for the past 4 years. I very seldom use it but when i do its the only tool for the job.
I’ve owned an 8 foot level for 16 years and bought it because I took a job as a pick up guy for Trico framers in Southern California. My go to is m 4 foot sans level but I have piece of mind knowing the 8 footer is ready if needed.
I always wonder at the end of every video when u say “keep up the good work” is there any particular reason on y u say that specific line?
I find myself now saying it to others at the end of certain conversations and I say it because it’s reinforces what the other person is doing as something that I approve of. I feel this simple line builds a stronger bond between 2 ppl just because u know that the both of u r on the same page.
Stabila has extendable levels there great.
Excellent levels especially extendable one
You are the bob ross of building
“It’s the level that I’ll loan ya.” Truer words have never been spoken. Lmao.
I picked up a Door Jamb set from Sola. Good stuff. I grab the 32" level the most out of my torpedo, 24, 32,48, 78. I need an 18" level next for large format tile jobs.
I also have a stabila plate level 7' to10'6". Now that is a luxury. Keep up the good work! Love your channel.
I just acquired one of those!
Not a luxury, necessity once you've used one. I have two ft, 32", 4', 80", and plate level to 12'something. Stabilia all the way. Good tools=good work
I was about to say the same thing!. Scott hit the nail true and on center on the head with that one.
Once again, another great video from EC.... Thankyou
The only problem I've had with longer levels is their ability to fall from even the most perfect resting position leaned against something, LOL
YES
I always keep older/damaged tools around for loaners.
More gold from EC
Nice video
Keep up the great work! Thanks
As a diy/handyman I find that you need a "Small, medium and large" option, be it drill bits, levels, screwdrivers, wrenches...most of the time this is driven by necessity other times by a sale at the hardware store
Thank you for your sensible explanations.
I've got a shop made eight foot wooden straight edge. It was grandpa's and it's still in use today.
Right after my apprenticeship in the flooring industry I started doing sheet vinyl in Sun City. I haven't thought of Del Webb in decades. Thanks for the memories. God I feel old, but that's probably because I am yes. LOL
I broke my dad's 8ft level when I was 7 years old. They should not be used as part of a ramp for a BMX 🤦🏻♂️
i screamed inside when i read that. sound like the kind of nightmare a builder wud wake up in the middle of the night from
😲...
...glad you're still with us🥺
Scott, I use a 3 axis laser that will eliminate chalk lines and levels for interior work and a 6'8" magnetic mostly.
What an 8 ft level will do being leaned up on a wall with a tile floor, make one hell of a noise when someone knocks it over. I'm a 26 year old tile installer (CLM Tile & Stone) with 9 years of experience (Not claiming to be an expert by any means) and my biggest pet peeve is seeing levels leaning up on walls. It's just a loud noise waiting to happen, Or a chipped tile on a bench, curb or floor. Leaning levels up is also great for dinging walls and cabinets. I cringe when I see levels leaning up. I have learned the hard way many times. It took me for ever to break the habit. Let them yellow surface bruisers rest on the floor. THANK YOU FOR ALL THE WONDERFUL VIDEOS AND KNOWLEDGE YOU SHARE!!
My levels stay on the floor and tight to the wall, perhaps with a few studs in front of it
love the new style. you look like a bad ass now mate
I have those loaner levels and tape measures too. Usually the free with purchase ones from harbor freight.
Keep up the good work!
Good evening! I really like your vídeos and i'm professional with them! Congratutations
Never owned a 8' level but I do own an 8' straight edge that my 4' level is friends with
I got a 4 foot and a 2 footer, when it comes to the long stuff i don't use a level but something we call an alu "rei", 8 foot x 12-15cm wide and 2cm thick hollow alu, decent to carry around and is always straight, nice to have as a long "ruler".
For post frame framing they're nice. 12' 14' 16' post it's nice to even have a 12 foot level
6:10 I couldn't help but chuckle. We all have those tools.
On lockdown here in Ireland no work so keep the videos coming
Great job, I liked it a lot 👏 Just left it like 👍
A.N.D.... nobody Ever Nailed your LEVEL to a Wall, like that straight board you were diligently Saving !! :-) :-) Though some fellows CAN wreck a crowbar!! Good Video!!
I got a complete set of Bostch levels from Lowe’s when they went on clearance for 50% off. I baby them!!
Kangol Yeahh score!
Well done. I like stabila levels.
My grandfather gave me a Delta saw and Delta drill press from the 50's and a Bailey 5 1/2 plane man there is notting to run like dat plane 2 3/8" wide blade smooth and sweet cutting so let them pay for your level sir tools are a man's extension of himself good job
An 8, 6, 4, 2, and a torpedo are must haves for framing new construction or remodels. I've never found a reason to go larger than 8 ft.past that you can usually get along with string line or a transit. But we've had to go back behind other framing crews to fix issues caused by being out of square or plumb and trust me you'll save your general days of labor and piles of money by just spending a few bucks on a decent set of levels and measuring tools. (knowing how to use them helps too)
I have my Dad's 8ft and 3ft Velandar levels. They are some of my most prized possessions - as tools, as mementos, and as quality of a day gone by. You don't always need an 8 footer, but when you do....
More pearls of wisdom and the gems that are your stories! LOL
The other level that is a must is a 6'8" for setting doors, great video
Thanks for sharing and take care. 👍
We use Sola these days. Absolute perfection those things. I use a 120cm one. Having something long for placing doors for example is a blast. A level is something private and something you trust your work on. Never lend it.
Scott, Please do a video on all the tools that you now own but that you did not need, UNTIL you owned them, and now you can't live without them..
ie .. got by with a 4-foot level for YEARS until you got an 8 footer which immediately became indispensable
Definitely a need !
Speaking of shipping-
I used to work for a window manufacturer. The production warehouse was about 120 miles from our branch office. We often sent smaller windows and parts packages on a bus line. Same day shipping and sometimes less freight cost. Wouldn’t have worked for the 8 footer, though.
Interesting choice of descriptive adjectives for his levels.
Excellent content!
One reason why a Level of this length is valuable is that it will also tell you if a wall/floor/rafters or true in an existing structure and often it lets you know there's a larger problem. Indeed a sheet of plywood makes a impromptu tool as I have cut them corner to corner to make 4X8 Angle Square and many have found out that a floor has a problem when you can rock a sheet on its edge sitting on it. But like most Levels you have to take it it an check it in two planes not just one because a wall like a post can be plumb vertically but it also has to be plumb/square at 90 degrees so it doesn't throw off the next wall from it.
My dad has always had a 6'6" level. Old and heavy, but not accurate. what we always did was use it for a straight edge and put a 4ft up against it to check for plumb and level. I now have a 6'6" Stabila and the horizontal veil is no longer accurate so I set my 32 in Stabila level on it to level cabinets. I really need to get a new 6'6" stabila
An 8' Stabila is on my list.
Great channel I have watched many of your videos 👌🏻 always find it funny when u say Roof , in Australia it’s pronounced very different 😂
And the performance luxury option, 12ft extendable plate level. Those are almost too nice to use for a home-gamer but I really want one.
I build big solid hardwood wooden doors. It is "essential", pun intended, that I have an extremely reliable 8 foot straight edge. I use my 8 foot level every single day for the straightness of its edge which I have verified down to at least 1 /64" inch accuracy. It's nice that it is also a level, but I hardly ever use it for that feature.
davearonow sorry, but where is the pun again?
@islanti I'd say, you must be some kind of genius. The thought never would have occurred to me. The level is dead straight, it's very durable, AND it's a level. I'm not interested in cheap. I like my level over cheaper materials for all of the exact same reasons this video was posted. The answers are in the video. Watch the video.
Now that's on the level! 👍😁
As a tile Setter and flooring installer, I've been pretty generous over the years with lending out tools. I don't even let my helpers touch my levels, much less lend them out.
I use a 2 mtr length of aluminium 80mm x 6mm as a straight edge and as a track for my circular saw and a 2 mtr level is a great way to transfer levels across corners if you don't have a laser = )
I have a 6ft Oak Level with Brass Cladding around Edges. Got it from my Moms 80 yr Old Childhood Friend. Made in U.S.A by the Vela'nder Co.
Although I own a torpedo , 2ft , 4ft and 6ft , the 4ft gets more use than the rest . Those longer levels are superb for stud walls . I like the 1800 or 6ft level , as it's good for plumbing walls , but also door frames etc...
I man can't have too many levels! 😅
I like my door hanging set..a 68" and a 32" with magnets. They make hanging doors simple.
For framing I have a Stabila plate level. It works on anything from about 7' to 12'
More recently I used a PLS laser system. It does horizontal and vertical and it fits perfectly in the little pouch on my Occidental tool bag. Sometimes it's nice to have a level in your pocket. 👍
Those PLS lasers are great. Today’s plumb-bobs.
I don't have a 8 ft. level but I do have a 6 ft. Level down to a 9 in. Topedo level, and I love and use every one of them! I like my tap rule' but, but at the same time I really like a inside stick rule.
I love my laser level. I find some people are afraid to use it, as if it were too complicated, but it’s really not. It gives you, not just a level line, but a level PLANE to work with. Still need a good 4 ft level for many applications, but if I had to choose I’d take the laser first. I’m a cabinet maker, if that makes any difference to you.
Lasers are tough to beat for a LOT of applications.
On site we always have plenty of 4’ levels, a couple 6’ levels and a Stabila plate level. No 8’ level yet - until I talk the boss into buying one because Essential Craftsman told me to
THANK YOU
Most welcome!
Stabila. Best levels you can get.
sir you have tips on how to cut coving cornices? like if you dont have fancy "cutting guide" tools. thank you!
Been pondering a 6 footer for quite a while. Now I'm wondering if I should just get an 8 footer instead. My 4 foot one can get the job done, but the straight edge function alone on an 8 footer would be worth it.
“It’s the level I’ll loan ya” lol!
My girlfriend's dad lives in Sun City, AZ. We visited them a few years ago. That place is a labyrinth!
I keep three levels in my work van. The Torpedo (least used) and 2’ live in the toolbox with my hand tools. Then there is the Levolution level that consists of three sections that can be joined together giving me a 2’, 4, 6’ and 8’ level all in a 4 1/2’ case. I think the manufacturer went out of business because the average carpenter or contractor wouldn’t pay $200 for “a” level. Totally agree that the 8’ is a luxury, most of the time it’s in 6’ mode for hanging doors which leaves me a 2’ section free to check the head jamb for level. There have been times when I wish I had bought the optional 1’ section that would have given me a three, five and seven foot option.
One of my levels has the great feature that one of the bubbles spins 360 degrees so you can repeat a specific angle of marking and cutting but I forgot about that after not using it for a year or so and messed up a base-cabinet install because the bubble was turned just a couple degrees. If level is important, now I turn my level 180 degrees just to check the accuracy of the bubble.
As I typed this this morning I kept wondering what did I ever use this level for that I needed it's adjustable bubble and I just now, hours later, remembered...it was great for running drains. I could adjust the bubble for 1/8 of an inch fall for each linear foot and when the level said "level" I knew the fall was right. Before that I would tape a small bock on one end of my 2' or 4' level, depending on how long the runs were that accomplished the same thing.
Exactly that ingenuity is what no one teaches in school. In apprenticeship we had lessons on eyeballing the fall because no one was supposed to have such a fancy level. On the other hand I can now eyeball everything from 0.1 to 3% inclination on a level.
You can also use what commercial carpenters like myself have done for years...metal studs..a length pretty much limited by what you order..on down to the gauge. Track comes typically in 10 foot lengths too....I use metal for a guide for ripping sheet goods...can't be beat and always where ever I am working. I started out with plumb bobs and levels...2's, 4's, and 6 footer was my go to level when I framed a lot of commerical wall back in the 90's...since lasers have come around to what they are now...line generators in green can't be beat as long as your lighting is adequate to see the lines...so much better than a level for leveling or checking for plumb...straight edges...metal studs or track are lighter and longer if need be. Look into them if you haven't...up the gauge and width if you want more rigidity. Lower the number the thicker.
Since I bought a good 2 metre level, my 4' level hardly ever gets used. I bought the pair of them about 2 years ago and my 4' level still looks brand new.The most commonly used after the 2m level is my laser level, followed by my torpedo level.
HAHAHA 😂 !! it’s the level that I’ll loan you”, I totally understand! My dad always said, “don’t ever loan something to someone that your not willing to never get back.”
A different way to to go is a 1' magnetic level and a 10' section of metal framing track. They are straight, true and cheap. It can be cut into 8' and 2' or 6' and 4'. Stick the level on the inside of the track where it is protected and you are good to go. The 10' section has been helpful on old barns.