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PLS5x tutorial

Gene_Davis | Posted in General Discussion on April 28, 2006 12:40pm

If you have been using the Pacific Laser Systems PLS5x, the 3-axis laser dot generator, with self plumbing and detector, I would like some tips and techniques.

Have you made special jigs and fixtures?

Tell me about all your methods, please.

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  1. Sasquatch | Apr 28, 2006 01:54am | #1

    I started with a nice, straight 2X6 cutoff and chopped it to about ten inches.

    Lay it flat and screw on a 1/4" X10" X 10" piece of melamine, white on the outside, so you have the melamine standing up with the full white side exposed.  Draw a set of crosshairs on the white surface with a black permanent marker.

    I made four of these and use them for many things, such as squaring foundations.  They become laser targets that are used first for laying out plates and then wherever your imagination will take you.  I also use them with my laser distance measuring tool (also from PLS).  With a simple clamp, they can be useful for many measurements, straightening walls, etc.

    1. User avater
      Gene_Davis | Apr 28, 2006 02:14am | #2

      What fixture, stand, tripod, or whatever, are you using to mount the PLS5X?

      Please give more description to the method for laying out plates.

      The white targets with their 2x clamp-on bases will be made tomorrow.  But we want to know, since we are digging for bigfoot forms and sonotubes, where we go from here.

      1. davidmeiland | Apr 28, 2006 04:36am | #3

        I've had mine about 4 years and I gotta say, I have no tricks. I pull the thing out of its box, set it on something flat, point the beam, and then go measure and/or make marks. 95% of the time that's all it takes. Generally I am comparing the level of whatever I set it on with the level of something else at a distance. It gets set on mudsills, floors, slabs, top plates, countertops, windowsills, gutters, etc.

        I use a Bogen tripod with it sometimes, if I'm going to be rotating it a lot.

        The single best feature for me is the vertical beam. I use that all the time and although I have a nice collection of brass and bronze plumb bobs I can't remember where they are anymore.

        I've only used the squaring feature a few times. It isn't easy enough to use to make it worth much to me. You will need the targets mentioned above if you want to do stuff like that. Mine came with a small plumb-bob target thingy that I eventually tossed out.

        You will learn to keep a lot of spare AA batteries on hand if you don't already.

        Tim Uhler showed a jig he made for his, JLC Rough Framing forum, "New Frame" thread. He was shooting a line to plumb cut rafter tails along a very long wall.

      2. Sasquatch | Apr 28, 2006 07:15pm | #4

        I actually use the robotoolz 5-beam, which is basically the same thing, although maybe not as accurate.  The targets also work with my PLS3.

        Using more several targets allows you to place them on the foundation corners where they can be left while you move the laser around.  The 2X6 base allows you to place the targets in such a way as to mark the exact location of the green plate.  If you want to get the best results, you can make a few minor improvements to the targets.  First, after screwing the target plate on the 2X6, run the base through the table saw until the whole thing is 5 1/2 " wide, including the melamine.  Next, you can glue two cheap string levels to the base with construction adhesive for use with very rough foundations.

        If you use the distance measuring tool in conjunction with the PLS5X, you can get amazing accuracy.  I specialized for a while in correcting poorly poured foundations for duplexes.  The total length of the foundations was 80' - 1", and the width was 33' at the widest point, not including the garage.  each apartment had about ten jogs in the foundation, making for a fairly complicated correction problem.  With the targets, I was able to project long lines across open spaces to determine exactly where my plates should be.  The resulting first floor structure was about as close to perfect as you could imagine, and the rest of the two-story structure was a piece of cake.  By the way, I also used the 5-beam to snap a horizontal reference line within about a foot of the top of the foundation around the entire perimeter.  This allowed accurate placement of structural grout to level out the top of the foundation.

        Once the first floor was level and square, I could actually build from memory (after about three duplexes).

        For support, I have two inexpensive camera tripods and one stabile adjustable tripod.  This covers most situations.  When laying out plates, I just place the laser on the foundation.  Remember when sighting over longer distances that the spot will get larger on the target.  The trick is to always center the spot on the black lines, no matter how big it is.  This will get you the greates accuracy.  Also, orient your measurements so that the target face is in the shade.  Even on a bright day, you can switch the laser and the target so that you will be shooting your dot into shade.

        I hope this was not too confusing.  If you are placing sono tubes or something similar or even putting in your own foundation, you can drive a stake into the ground in the approximate location where you would have your batterboards and clamp the targets onto the stakes.

        I recommend using a construction calculator to square up the foundation with the lasers.  Place the targets on the foundation where you plan to have the plates, use the distance tool to get accurate measurements, and let the construction master figure out if your foundation is square.  I assume you already know how to do this step.

        1. toolbear | Apr 29, 2006 03:42am | #5

          Saved your message under Laser Tricks.  I see the tripod.  I see the laser.  Tell me about the rest.  What is the laser sitting on?  What is the black tube? The ToolBear

          "Never met a man who couldn't teach me something." Anon.

          1. Sasquatch | Apr 29, 2006 06:11pm | #9

            It is a Stabila tripod from Amazon.  The tube is the expandable cover over the height adjustment shaft.  The laser sits on its own removable base, which in turn sits on the tripod mounting table.  The nice thing about this mount is that the wheel which screws the laser to the tripod is on the outside of the table, so you don't have to reach underneath to adjust or mount the laser.  The table also has a level built in.  The height adjustment shaft is easily worth the extra 50 bucks over other tripods.

  2. quicksilver | Apr 29, 2006 03:49pm | #6

    Like David I've had a 5 for about 4 years and have had about the exact same experiences. I've used it for every thing from cabinet layout to laying out a pretty big structure. A little over two years ago I bought a 360 and it has an outdoor indicator with it. I do have some advice about indicator. I was building a 6 story structure the was grouted block masory and wood eyes. Whe I went to lay out the forth floor deck line in the sun. The indicator was not acting right beeping like crazy and I was not able to get constant tone indicating level. What I realized was that at the level the wind was playing so much havoc on the building that the level itself was moving and I couldn't get a good reading. This applys to when pile drivers are near as well. Jack hammers, chipping hammers. even sledges could have an affect. So when your hear the indicator going crazy and won't settle down, its probably that the level is being vibrated ever so slightly. You can imagine having to pull out the water level again was a disappointment. I had a similar experience with a Festool vac. I had a built in to do in an occupied house and I thought the vac and saw-rail set up would be great. I bought it and took it over there and every third cut it tripped the breaker. Oh well live and learn.

    PS of the two lasers the 360 is in almost constant use as a leveler where as the 5 is used now for plumbing and spends more time in its case. I recommend the 360. I think PLS lasers are one of the best investments I ever made.



    Edited 4/29/2006 11:01 am ET by quicksilver

    1. davidmeiland | Apr 29, 2006 05:22pm | #7

      I'm going to get the 360e and I'm sure it will relegate the 5x to infrequent use. I previously bought a Stabila rotary level (05000) and was very disappointed with it... you can hardly see the dot.

      1. quicksilver | Apr 29, 2006 05:32pm | #8

        I can't say enough about that tool. The difference between it and a rotary is the the 360 is actually 5 differnet beams that are fanned out, however they do it (a prism?) and you can check it for level and added confidence by simply setting it down and rotating it by hand to see if all the beams match up. The 3 points of the 5 can be checked the same way. I would also mention to the original poster the one of the beams, the left or the right, I can't remember right now is a little duller than the other. So by simply turining it 90 degrees you can get a better read.

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