Yeah, virtually 100 percent of my landscaping employers would ask me if I was trained in something, and when I say no they just deride me rather than actually offering help. I had to rent equipment myself to learn how to use it.
Great video. Thanks for posting. I have a tip: Once you have first set up the laser, mark the laser beam with a pencil on e.g. the white shed - if you need to move the laser, or reposition it the following day, raise/lower the laser to hit the pencil mark and you'll be at the same height. Best wishes.
just set a benchmark, and in ur notes make the bench 100. Then change all ur grades over to plus or minus. so say the benchmark was 4.0 and u shoot a grad at 2.0 put it in ur notes as 98. that way when u come back and reset laser you know that that grade is minus 2 from the benchmark grade. then you know relative to the benchmark what all ur grades all you had shot before by simply seeing the plus or minus on bench. No re shooting all the grades. All ur previous values are still usable even with the laser at a different height or position/location
I was completely lost on how to use a laser to set grade but after your video I think I could figure it out. We have to be patient & teach these young guys because most of the time they want to learn. I always hated when old timers didn't want to take time to show me things thinking it somehow made them more important on the job if only they knew how to do something.
Man! This guy you got is a gem! You know how long it took for me to understand the concept of reading grade with a laser?! He picked it up so fast! Sheesh man, he's super lucky to have such a good teacher. Since I work for a decent sized company, It took me about 5 years till I finally got the opportunity to learn. I fortunately ran into a foreman that took the time to teach me this. Great video!
shoot i got on with my buddy out at a company and he taught me really well, but he said about the same with how long it actually took him to get. still gets confusing every now and again but having your best friend as your boss, who’s an excellent boss, can really be a blessing
Great educator... I see you exude confidence in what you are teaching while ensuring he is comfortable with answering and possibly be wrong... THAT is education with minimal anxiety
Stan you are AWSOME!!!! Not only taking time to teach your employees how to do a job CORRECTLY but sharing it with all of us. Id pack up my family and come out your way to work for you anytime. PLEASE keep hese videos comming. I have learned so much from you
When you put the stick down at the benchmark to measure off the next spot, put the top of the stick at the benchmark point so that the bottom is already right on the spot where the stick then has to be raised to vertical.
Great Video. With regards to part 1, I do one thing differently. You basically set your first benchmark on the bldg pad relative to the initial arbitrary laser height and not a true backsite relative to a known existing elevation. This is fine if you know you are going to be complete in one day, or thier is no chance anyone is going to disturb the laser. If you set your benchmark using a backsite off a known elevation, you can take the laser down and reset it over and over and pick up where you left off without starting from the beginning. If a known benchmark is not close by, you can fabricate one by setting a solid pole in the ground such as a 4x4 that will not move that can serve as a relative benchmark. I suppose the concrete pad could have been your known benchmark, but you never marked the exact spot.
Good video. When thinking about cutting grade, it helps me to think about the location of the bottom of the measuring pole not the receiver. As the pole bottom goes down, it gets longer, hence, the numbers go up, as if your measuring water depth in a pond.
Very helpful and clear. You're one of my favorite guys to learn from and I appreciate all the time and preparation you put into these great lessons. I'm just a homeowner with similar equipment and many projects to complete. Thank you Stanley and great job! Kudos to Alex as he is picking it up quickly as well.
He may have covered this in the vid after I stopped but an easy way to get consistent measurements from day to day, or even having to move the laser during the day is to set a benchmark. We usually use a nail hammered into to a tree or telephone pole. That is your zero mark and everything can be adjusted from there. Have to oversee this waaaay to much as a construction superintendent. You never know if you will get the same guy back from day to day so a benchmark makes it consistent.
This is great! I'm prepping a dirt area pitching towards my house to be flat for a concrete pad (pitched away) being professionally poured. Thank you so much for this!
That is excellent tutorial thankyou, I've watched around 5 or 6 and yours answered all the questions the others failed to mention, I am so grateful the way you explained and mentioned things like not moving the laser and how to incorporate a drop. The best out there dimound geezer.
I'm planning to regrade my backyard. Eventually putting in a pool. My grade slopes towards my back doors until the last 4 feet, then it slopes away for water run off. It works and it was engineered, but I get nervous when it rains real hard in the spring. I bought an old case backhoe a few months ago and picked up a laser level kit today and figured I better learn to use it before I go screw up my engineered watershed. This was the first video that popped up. Very good introduction to a noob that wears a tie and sits behind a desk for a living. Off to find the second part to see how you move the dirt now. Thanks for the great work.
Hey Stan. I love your passion for teaching. Great video. One comment to expand on what you have said is to consider frost. If you dropped the grade 1 inch every 8 feet and get run off away from the garage pad that is great in the summer. However, if winter comes along and you get frost that raises the elevation of the soil away from the house, the elevation will change to run toward the garage pad for the first few feet away from the pad. Depending upon roof orientation causing water to be deposited or not in front of the garage, you may end up with the same problem again. My advice is to make the grade steeper for the first 6 feet away from a building and then go to the 1 inch every 8 feet (or 2 inches/10' according to my father) after 6' away. That will mitigate any frost risk.
Oh my, need more of these type of video's. Truly enjoy them and very informative. Looking forward to seeing part 2. Never used a transit or a laser level before and now, learning something new. Thank you. Cheers :)
Definitely helpful, I’d like to see more of these. I think the best training in any of these types of TH-cam videos is just explaining in a bit of detail what the job requires and the steps to you need to take (and why that particular step is done and why in the order it is being done) to accomplish the task with commentary along the way. Very helpful…👍
I’m LOVING this! Thank you sooooooo much!! I’m a woman and full time mom now for the most part, but I’m really driven and determined to figure out how to do stuff myself …in fact I MUST, IF I want to make my visions and dreams realized because otherwise the costs to have someone else do the work makes is cost prohibitive (and we make pretty decent money too after having been in the professional work over 20 years). So we are lucky 🍀 enough to be able to buy some of the good tools and supplies necessary- and with TH-cam’s and people like you, your help, I am able to learn, explore, and build the projects I feel our home or family either needs or even, eventually, projects just to enhance the quality and usability of our home and property. 🙌🏻👍🏼❤️ Ps I really appreciate all you put into these great educational construction videos. And this way I also don’t have to bug my husband as much and there is a lot about all of this he doesn’t know either so it’s great to have these great video’s available to teach us. I’m a daughter of a professional builder (and John Deere store owner lol) but he died of cancer when I was 10 - he was 45. I was extremely close to him and miss him a lot. I so often wish he was next to me and could he advising me on all these projects I’m either dreaming about or trying to actually build. So your videos are the next best thing. 😊 👍🏼 I thank you so much for this, and I’m pretty sure my dad, hopefully looking down to see us from Heaven’s view, thanks you as well!💛💚🤎💙
Stan, great video. I have used a Lenker (direct reading ) rod for 40 plus years. I had an engineer working with me who showed me how to use it The Lenker rod does the math for you. To some more experienced guys who started off as you are showing your guy. It seems to simple. But, to teach them this method is good , then advance to the Lenker. Also I work in tenths and hundreds of a foot. Again it's easier. Stay safe out there.
This is pure gold. You just tought me how to use my new equipment. I took all the measurements down and didn’t move my laser but had no clue what to do with all these notes! Thank you!
This is exellent I am a frontend loader operator with no experience with laser levels in Australia. Looking at getting into civil works, sub divisions, road works, house pads and drive ways. Favorite new channel. Thankyou
At 18:00, the spot he measures is 1/2” lower, not 1/2” higher, so you’d only have to cut 1.5” rather than 2.5” to get the 2” drop. I don’t say that to pick on you (or him), but to point out again how easy it is to get it backwards, especially when the grade is so close to level. Biggest thing I learned early on is never to trust your eye, as you mentioned. It is easy to get arrogant and think you can wing it, but *always* trust the tool. My laser proves me wrong all the time. 😁👍
First numbers you had was 2' 8" 3/4 and 3' 8" 1/4 = 11 1/2 but i had 12 1/2 I sock In math but can someone explain me why I had 12 1/2 instead of 11 1/2 like they do 😐
@@carbajal23carbajal38 suppose you're a bug climbing the stick, starting at 2' 8 3/4" and intending to climb to 3' 8 1/4". Climb up 12 inches - now you're at 3' 8 3/4". But that's too far - you're half an inch above where you meant to stop. Go back down to the 1/4" mark a half inch below you - so now you're 11 1/2" higher than you started. In math terms, you need to subtract 2' 8 3/4" from 3' 8 1/4". I don't know how new-school math does it, but old-school me does it by "borrowing"; take one whole inch off and add 4/4 to the fraction, and then also take one foot off and add 12" to the whole inches. 3' 8 1/4" becomes 3' 7 5/4" and then 3' 7 5/4" becomes 2' 19 5/4" And then 2' 19 5/4" - 2' 8 3/4" = 11 2/4" And finally 11 2/4" = 11 1/2"
Hey Stan! I’m really glad you’re doing these videos. I’d love to see a “grading 101.” Maybe something that talks about basic techniques (to backdrag or not to backdrag, float tools, what kind of pattern to follow for the direction you cut, etc). That’s definitely a skill-based idea, but knowledge-based videos like the basics of drainage or how to dig a foundation might be nice too. Thanks for putting in the time to make these instructional videos!
@@Dirtmonkey just set a benchmark, and in ur notes make the bench 100. Then change all ur grades over to plus or minus. so say the benchmark was 4.0 and u shoot a grad at 2.0 put it in ur notes as 98. that way when u come back and reset laser you know that that grade is minus 2 from the benchmark grade. then you know relative to the benchmark what all ur grades all you had shot before by simply seeing the plus or minus on bench. No re shooting all the grades. All ur previous values are still usable even with the laser at a different height or position/location
Appreciate the refresher!! doing a dirt job at my farm , got me one of this bad boys it just been 3 years since I used one this!!! video definitely knocked off the rust off
Have always wanted to know how to read a grade stick, even though I am not in construction for a living. Thanks for the tutorial and the information for us noobs.
On one of my early jobs, I graded a yard exactly as the customer told me to, as he was standing there pointing and instructing while I was doing it. The next day it rained and there was a huge pond in the yard. He swore over and over that there was enough drop to drain the yard, if only it was cut right. I went out and spent more money than I made on that job to buy a laser (I got a Spectra) just so I could prove him wrong, which it turns out he was. This taught me: 1) The customer doesn’t always know what they think they know. Pay attention to what they say about how things lay, then disregard it all and measure it yourself. 2) Don’t ever trust your eye, trust the laser. That’s why you spent all that money on it. 👍😁
You are right when sitting on a loader or dozer if I go so it looks like I am going up hill it works out about level, If I shoot for eye ball level it ends going down hill.
@@jimputnam2044 - have you tried using a post level on the equipment? It will indicate when the post it is attached is plumb or off plumb; you could fasten to one of the posts built in on the equipment and at least you can tell the grade direction while you are pushing dirt around.
@@stevebabiak6997 Yes steve i have one of those bubble levels like they use on campers, level shows both ways actually is a good guick reference when in the seat. But of course not telling you grade but you know when you are going up or down.
Great video. I purchased 6.5 acres on a ridge, that is totally wooded. I'm starting the process (solo) to clear trees for a homestead and extensive garden/orchard. Not only to I need to do the driveway, but cut out terraces for an RV (to start), greenhouse and other structures as I go, but terracing the land for the garden and orchard. Multiyear process. I have a Case backhoe and will be purchasing a box blade for a John Deere tractor, and just purchased an outdoor laser level kit. This is the kind of info I need to be able to have any success in this long term project. Thanks.
This helped me a ton! I’m just starting out and have watched a couple of your videos now. I am learning a ton! Thank you for your time in putting these videos together.
Great brush up! Just bought land and haven't done grading in 20 years, lol Love to see routine maintenance on your equipment! Im gonna be buying a Skid Loader here in FL .... Gonna look back at your vids and see what you got. Appreciate you! 🙏👏🤌💪
Not sure if anyone has already covered this: when taking the first measurement, 2’8 3/4”, you were actually at the bottom of the hash line which are 1/8” thick making that measurement 2’ 8 5/8”.
Thanks for this video! I'm doing a patio paver around my entire house, its a 4 foot walk with drainage in the middle. I am going to put in a swale so I plan to do a 2': 1/2 grade from each outer edge towards the middle. This is my first time doing paver work or any grading work. DIY!
yes it did, fixing to put in a french drain system in a two acre yard-have the laser lol didn't know how but now i know, between you and french drain man i have it under my belt ,thanks again.
Hello. I love you're channel. Im in the coast guard 15 years so far. I have a 3 bedroom rancher just outside Charleston and the water just during the big rains. I think the best solution is a French drain. Maby you could look into it.
Great video. Thanks. Will be handy when my dual slope laser gets here. Only advice on your training would be to have the NOOB retrack most over the rod after measuring out 16'. A little less clumsy I am thinking.
Stanley, thanks for doing this kinda video, you are teaching men to fish buddy. My constructive comment would be to set your new guys up to succeed by giving him a small note pad and pencil and let him know a good(yours) format for note taking.
I have been setting up and pouring concrete for almost 10 years this is a great video! And yeah they need to play your vids more that’s true where they been at
I am 29 years old. Just started a career in the construction industry as a superintendent on a massive residential development in Florida. I have been trying to learn as much as I can possibly learn about everything construction. So glad to have found this video as I found it extremely insightful. Thank you for sharing your knowledge and expertise.
Hi Stan, Such a good idea to make a video for this. I am going to be showing this to some of my new guys before I run them before I then get them on the tool with hands on approach. it will help so much. Thank you, and take care.
Exactly what I needed. I buried a drain line to take the water away from my barn rain gutters. I ran 1 1/2" PVC down pipes, one from each end into a same diameter line roughly about 70 feet line. My first mistake was I should have doubled the size of the drain line. My second mistake was simply using a carpenters level to try and get a slight grade on the 10' pipe sections. I thought it looked pretty good until the first good rain storm when the gutters overflowed. So I bought a good laser level, tripod, receiver and grade rod
Thank you for a great video, and thank you for taking the time to train your new guy! I worked for a construiction company where i was the noob, the first guy i was sent to work with told me straight away "don't ask me questions, don't ask me why or how, just do as i tell you - nothing more, nothing less." This seemed to be some what the general behaviour in the company wich in the end made me quit because i couldn't grow or be good at something, i was only the idiot who didn't know. So again, thank you! :)
Loved this video! I'm subscribed so I always see your videos. I'm new at being self employed and really appreciate all of your videos, your insight, tips, and explanation is very useful to me. I literally started my business by "winging it" and I can use every bit of knowledge I can find!!
Good training. Only thing I would have done different you need a note pad with a map to write grades on. Save time easier to think about what you need to do
currently learning how to read grade to keep the mini ex on grade as we ex out new sidewalk dirt. the city guy that watches us had to school me on it. your video is perfect, been subbed your channel for a few years before i got into construction
Great video sir! I’m a Pipe Layer, laying storm, water, sanitary, etc. The laser is a must have on a daily. Only thing I would add is the importance of making sure your legs for the laser are secure. Don’t just stand them up and ride out. Sink them in the ground( if possible). If outside, wind could actually blow over your laser or (believe it or not, this has happened) a bird land on your laser and knock it off line and then, like you said, you’re starting all over. Other than that, you covered it all! Love your content! Keep gettin after it! 🤙🏼
Loving these videos,for me learning to read the "lay of the land" is something thats critical,understanding how water travels,also looking for problems when designing gardens,for example down pipes that sit lower than curbs or foot paths.We like to think that when houses are built that these things are considered,but often become an issue because a cheaper option is used.I hope this makes sense
@@Dirtmonkey just set a benchmark, and in ur notes make the bench 100. Then change all ur grades over to plus or minus. so say the benchmark was 4.0 and u shoot a grad at 2.0 put it in ur notes as 98. that way when u come back and reset laser you know that that grade is minus 2 from the benchmark grade. then you know relative to the benchmark what all ur grades all you had shot before by simply seeing the plus or minus on bench. No re shooting all the grades. All ur previous values are still usable even with the laser at a different height or position/location
Thank you. I understood the concept of the lazer and grade pole but that made a lot of sense one step a time. And like you said there can be a lot more to it but to start understanding basics this was a great help. Have seen your stuff randomly over past few years and always liked your content. Recently subscribed because I really like your attitude towards projects and more importantly your coworkers and friends. Keep up the great work.
Great video. Tip: I use one of the cheap Harbor Freight levels (the orange plastic one) to do a rough level for my tripod before I place the laser (although) you can have the laser already attached. They are only about 8" long and fit in my laser case. Handy if your tripod doesn't have a level.
Maybe a video on job site safety. Stuff that is obvious to you , but NOOBs may not. Electrical safety, ladders, trenches. Thanks for helping keep us safe!
Really good explanation of the basics of using a laser for measuring grade something I’m learning but have never had anyone explain mechanical functions. Very helpful thanks
Nice to see someone who actually trains their employees
= $
I wouldn't know why you wouldn't unless you like wasting money with redoing your work.
You’d be losing money if you didn’t train your employees. Its hard to find employees that actually want to be trained. Thats the bigger issue here.
Right my boss is a stupid d*ckhead who doesn't even know how to read a grade rod
Yeah, virtually 100 percent of my landscaping employers would ask me if I was trained in something, and when I say no they just deride me rather than actually offering help. I had to rent equipment myself to learn how to use it.
Great video. Thanks for posting. I have a tip: Once you have first set up the laser, mark the laser beam with a pencil on e.g. the white shed - if you need to move the laser, or reposition it the following day, raise/lower the laser to hit the pencil mark and you'll be at the same height. Best wishes.
Thanks for the tip and for watching!
just set a benchmark, and in ur notes make the bench 100. Then change all ur grades over to plus or minus. so say the benchmark was 4.0 and u shoot a grad at 2.0 put it in ur notes as 98. that way when u come back and reset laser you know that that grade is minus 2 from the benchmark grade. then you know relative to the benchmark what all ur grades all you had shot before by simply seeing the plus or minus on bench. No re shooting all the grades. All ur previous values are still usable even with the laser at a different height or position/location
If somebody on my site was trying to set up a laser to hit a mark like that i would stop them and teach them how to shoot grades.
@@seanmcdannel5919 That's a really good idea! No matter what height you reset your laser at, you always can know the grade.
@@GT-43exactly...
I was completely lost on how to use a laser to set grade but after your video I think I could figure it out. We have to be patient & teach these young guys because most of the time they want to learn. I always hated when old timers didn't want to take time to show me things thinking it somehow made them more important on the job if only they knew how to do something.
Man! This guy you got is a gem! You know how long it took for me to understand the concept of reading grade with a laser?! He picked it up so fast! Sheesh man, he's super lucky to have such a good teacher. Since I work for a decent sized company, It took me about 5 years till I finally got the opportunity to learn. I fortunately ran into a foreman that took the time to teach me this. Great video!
shoot i got on with my buddy out at a company and he taught me really well, but he said about the same with how long it actually took him to get. still gets confusing every now and again but having your best friend as your boss, who’s an excellent boss, can really be a blessing
Great educator... I see you exude confidence in what you are teaching while ensuring he is comfortable with answering and possibly be wrong... THAT is education with minimal anxiety
Stan you are AWSOME!!!! Not only taking time to teach your employees how to do a job CORRECTLY but sharing it with all of us. Id pack up my family and come out your way to work for you anytime. PLEASE keep hese videos comming. I have learned so much from you
Excellent real world training. You didn't bury him in the minutia of the process. Thank you for sharing your video on this topic.
You're welcome Ken, thanks for watching!
When you put the stick down at the benchmark to measure off the next spot, put the top of the stick at the benchmark point so that the bottom is already right on the spot where the stick then has to be raised to vertical.
Great Video. With regards to part 1, I do one thing differently. You basically set your first benchmark on the bldg pad relative to the initial arbitrary laser height and not a true backsite relative to a known existing elevation. This is fine if you know you are going to be complete in one day, or thier is no chance anyone is going to disturb the laser. If you set your benchmark using a backsite off a known elevation, you can take the laser down and reset it over and over and pick up where you left off without starting from the beginning. If a known benchmark is not close by, you can fabricate one by setting a solid pole in the ground such as a 4x4 that will not move that can serve as a relative benchmark. I suppose the concrete pad could have been your known benchmark, but you never marked the exact spot.
Good point. On commercial work we have a bench mark set.
If the laser is set to a whole number for the bench, the math gets a lot easier. Adjusting the tripod makes this easy. Nice video. Thanks for sharing.
Good video. When thinking about cutting grade, it helps me to think about the location of the bottom of the measuring pole not the receiver. As the pole bottom goes down, it gets longer, hence, the numbers go up, as if your measuring water depth in a pond.
Bingo.
Very helpful and clear. You're one of my favorite guys to learn from and I appreciate all the time and preparation you put into these great lessons. I'm just a homeowner with similar equipment and many projects to complete. Thank you Stanley and great job! Kudos to Alex as he is picking it up quickly as well.
Glad somebody takes time to do this work while trying to actually get a job done. Thank you brother
He may have covered this in the vid after I stopped but an easy way to get consistent measurements from day to day, or even having to move the laser during the day is to set a benchmark. We usually use a nail hammered into to a tree or telephone pole. That is your zero mark and everything can be adjusted from there. Have to oversee this waaaay to much as a construction superintendent. You never know if you will get the same guy back from day to day so a benchmark makes it consistent.
This is great! I'm prepping a dirt area pitching towards my house to be flat for a concrete pad (pitched away) being professionally poured. Thank you so much for this!
I'm only at two thirds of the video and I'm already feeling very thankful.
Thank you so much.
Yes I’d love to see more videos, can we get a start to finish series on Brick paver patios and walk ways...
That is excellent tutorial thankyou, I've watched around 5 or 6 and yours answered all the questions the others failed to mention, I am so grateful the way you explained and mentioned things like not moving the laser and how to incorporate a drop. The best out there dimound geezer.
Happy to help!! 👍
23 years old running my company and this video helped my guys large you guys are awesome
I'm planning to regrade my backyard. Eventually putting in a pool. My grade slopes towards my back doors until the last 4 feet, then it slopes away for water run off. It works and it was engineered, but I get nervous when it rains real hard in the spring. I bought an old case backhoe a few months ago and picked up a laser level kit today and figured I better learn to use it before I go screw up my engineered watershed. This was the first video that popped up. Very good introduction to a noob that wears a tie and sits behind a desk for a living. Off to find the second part to see how you move the dirt now. Thanks for the great work.
Hey Stan. I love your passion for teaching. Great video. One comment to expand on what you have said is to consider frost. If you dropped the grade 1 inch every 8 feet and get run off away from the garage pad that is great in the summer. However, if winter comes along and you get frost that raises the elevation of the soil away from the house, the elevation will change to run toward the garage pad for the first few feet away from the pad. Depending upon roof orientation causing water to be deposited or not in front of the garage, you may end up with the same problem again. My advice is to make the grade steeper for the first 6 feet away from a building and then go to the 1 inch every 8 feet (or 2 inches/10' according to my father) after 6' away. That will mitigate any frost risk.
Just bought one of these tools. This is the perfect video i shared with my guys to help them learn. Awesome video
Oh my, need more of these type of video's. Truly enjoy them and very informative. Looking forward to seeing part 2. Never used a transit or a laser level before and now, learning something new. Thank you. Cheers :)
Thanks for the nice refresher. Appreciate it
Definitely helpful, I’d like to see more of these. I think the best training in any of these types of TH-cam videos is just explaining in a bit of detail what the job requires and the steps to you need to take (and why that particular step is done and why in the order it is being done) to accomplish the task with commentary along the way. Very helpful…👍
I’m actually doing this to my yard right now, and this video is priceless!!! Thank you so much!
I’m LOVING this! Thank you sooooooo much!!
I’m a woman and full time mom now for the most part, but I’m really driven and determined to figure out how to do stuff myself …in fact I MUST, IF I want to make my visions and dreams realized because otherwise the costs to have someone else do the work makes is cost prohibitive (and we make pretty decent money too after having been in the professional work over 20 years).
So we are lucky 🍀 enough to be able to buy some of the good tools and supplies necessary- and with TH-cam’s and people like you, your help, I am able to learn, explore, and build the projects I feel our home or family either needs or even, eventually, projects just to enhance the quality and usability of our home and property. 🙌🏻👍🏼❤️
Ps I really appreciate all you put into these great educational construction videos. And this way I also don’t have to bug my husband as much and there is a lot about all of this he doesn’t know either so it’s great to have these great video’s available to teach us. I’m a daughter of a professional builder (and John Deere store owner lol) but he died of cancer when I was 10 - he was 45. I was extremely close to him and miss him a lot. I so often wish he was next to me and could he advising me on all these projects I’m either dreaming about or trying to actually build. So your videos are the next best thing. 😊 👍🏼 I thank you so much for this, and I’m pretty sure my dad, hopefully looking down to see us from Heaven’s view, thanks you as well!💛💚🤎💙
Stan, great video. I have used a Lenker (direct reading ) rod for 40 plus years. I had an engineer working with me who showed me how to use it
The Lenker rod does the math for you. To some more experienced guys who started off as you are showing your guy. It seems to simple.
But, to teach them this method is good , then advance to the Lenker. Also I work in tenths and hundreds of a foot. Again it's easier.
Stay safe out there.
This is pure gold. You just tought me how to use my new equipment. I took all the measurements down and didn’t move my laser but had no clue what to do with all these notes! Thank you!
This will be a huge help for an upcoming patio project.
This is exellent
I am a frontend loader operator with no experience with laser levels in Australia.
Looking at getting into civil works, sub divisions, road works, house pads and drive ways.
Favorite new channel.
Thankyou
Thank YOU Martyn, happy to have you here !
I have a very sloped property.
I need this training BIG TIME!!!
THANK YOU!!! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻🌺🌿👍🏻
You're welcome!
Very helpful and awesome to see how patient you were with mr.Alex there
I have a primative Lazer I set it at an angle ad fastened to receiver to blade of the dozer and did a crude job. Drains well. Think outside the box
I'm a noob to this and it was really easy for me to understand. Watch this video 3/4 times and you got this. Great video!!
At 18:00, the spot he measures is 1/2” lower, not 1/2” higher, so you’d only have to cut 1.5” rather than 2.5” to get the 2” drop. I don’t say that to pick on you (or him), but to point out again how easy it is to get it backwards, especially when the grade is so close to level.
Biggest thing I learned early on is never to trust your eye, as you mentioned. It is easy to get arrogant and think you can wing it, but *always* trust the tool. My laser proves me wrong all the time. 😁👍
I got the same thing, and because it's my first time learning this I thought I was wrong till I saw your comment. Thanks
First numbers you had was 2' 8" 3/4 and 3' 8" 1/4 = 11 1/2 but i had 12 1/2 I sock In math but can someone explain me why I had 12 1/2 instead of 11 1/2 like they do 😐
I only trust my eye when it tells me something doesn't look right.
@@carbajal23carbajal38 Because 3' 8 1/4" - 2' 8 3/4" = 11 1/2" (44.25 - 32.75 = 11.5)
@@carbajal23carbajal38 suppose you're a bug climbing the stick, starting at 2' 8 3/4" and intending to climb to 3' 8 1/4". Climb up 12 inches - now you're at 3' 8 3/4". But that's too far - you're half an inch above where you meant to stop. Go back down to the 1/4" mark a half inch below you - so now you're 11 1/2" higher than you started.
In math terms, you need to subtract 2' 8 3/4" from 3' 8 1/4". I don't know how new-school math does it, but old-school me does it by "borrowing"; take one whole inch off and add 4/4 to the fraction, and then also take one foot off and add 12" to the whole inches.
3' 8 1/4" becomes 3' 7 5/4"
and then
3' 7 5/4" becomes 2' 19 5/4"
And then
2' 19 5/4" - 2' 8 3/4" = 11 2/4"
And finally
11 2/4" = 11 1/2"
Thank you for taking the time to post your videos… They are very helpful and entertaining 👍
I am happy to hear that, you're welcome!
What a "jerk" 🤣 Good job at teaching Stan! I've only done it with a transit and jerk pole. Been a long time. This will help me out.
Thank you for this video. I’m going to look for more videos like this to see more examples of checking grade.
Happy to help 👍
Hey Stan! I’m really glad you’re doing these videos. I’d love to see a “grading 101.” Maybe something that talks about basic techniques (to backdrag or not to backdrag, float tools, what kind of pattern to follow for the direction you cut, etc). That’s definitely a skill-based idea, but knowledge-based videos like the basics of drainage or how to dig a foundation might be nice too. Thanks for putting in the time to make these instructional videos!
You're welcome Joshua and thanks for the suggestion, I will keep all of that in mind!
@@Dirtmonkey just set a benchmark, and in ur notes make the bench 100. Then change all ur grades over to plus or minus. so say the benchmark was 4.0 and u shoot a grad at 2.0 put it in ur notes as 98. that way when u come back and reset laser you know that that grade is minus 2 from the benchmark grade. then you know relative to the benchmark what all ur grades all you had shot before by simply seeing the plus or minus on bench. No re shooting all the grades. All ur previous values are still usable even with the laser at a different height or position/location
Appreciate the refresher!! doing a dirt job at my farm , got me one of this bad boys it just been 3 years since I used one this!!! video definitely knocked off the rust off
Have always wanted to know how to read a grade stick, even though I am not in construction for a living. Thanks for the tutorial and the information for us noobs.
Thanks for teaching us how to read grade 👍🏾👍🏾
Great vid keep it up
You're welcome, thanks for being here!
So glad you did this video I'm the noob guy wanting to start my own thing. I'm all for these training videos!
Glad to have you here, thanks !!
On one of my early jobs, I graded a yard exactly as the customer told me to, as he was standing there pointing and instructing while I was doing it. The next day it rained and there was a huge pond in the yard. He swore over and over that there was enough drop to drain the yard, if only it was cut right. I went out and spent more money than I made on that job to buy a laser (I got a Spectra) just so I could prove him wrong, which it turns out he was. This taught me:
1) The customer doesn’t always know what they think they know. Pay attention to what they say about how things lay, then disregard it all and measure it yourself.
2) Don’t ever trust your eye, trust the laser. That’s why you spent all that money on it. 👍😁
DONT CONFUSE a Laser with a Transit Level.
Common mistake
You are right when sitting on a loader or dozer if I go so it looks like I am going up hill it works out about level, If I shoot for eye ball level it ends going down hill.
@@jimputnam2044 - have you tried using a post level on the equipment? It will indicate when the post it is attached is plumb or off plumb; you could fasten to one of the posts built in on the equipment and at least you can tell the grade direction while you are pushing dirt around.
@@stevebabiak6997 Yes steve i have one of those bubble levels like they use on campers, level shows both ways actually is a good guick reference when in the seat. But of course not telling you grade but you know when you are going up or down.
@@jimputnam2044 on my iPhone, I have an app that features a spirit level that does show degrees off of level. Skypaw Toolbox v5.4.0 is the app.
Great video. I purchased 6.5 acres on a ridge, that is totally wooded. I'm starting the process (solo) to clear trees for a homestead and extensive garden/orchard. Not only to I need to do the driveway, but cut out terraces for an RV (to start), greenhouse and other structures as I go, but terracing the land for the garden and orchard. Multiyear process. I have a Case backhoe and will be purchasing a box blade for a John Deere tractor, and just purchased an outdoor laser level kit. This is the kind of info I need to be able to have any success in this long term project. Thanks.
Starting landscaping tmr, watched your videos before but I'm here to take everything in.
This helped me a ton! I’m just starting out and have watched a couple of your videos now. I am learning a ton! Thank you for your time in putting these videos together.
You're welcome Jason, its great to have you here !
Great brush up! Just bought land and haven't done grading in 20 years, lol
Love to see routine maintenance on your equipment! Im gonna be buying a Skid Loader here in FL .... Gonna look back at your vids and see what you got.
Appreciate you! 🙏👏🤌💪
Not sure if anyone has already covered this: when taking the first measurement, 2’8 3/4”, you were actually at the bottom of the hash line which are 1/8” thick making that measurement 2’ 8 5/8”.
For dirt, 1/8th doesn't really matter.
I was always taught to read the laser in decimal form
@@Emezepe3 Yup.
That was a good explanation. Cut clean and simple that’s the best.
Thanks for this video! I'm doing a patio paver around my entire house, its a 4 foot walk with drainage in the middle. I am going to put in a swale so I plan to do a 2': 1/2 grade from each outer edge towards the middle. This is my first time doing paver work or any grading work. DIY!
Really like the video. Been in construction many decades but never did grades. Thanks for the easy to understand info Keep it up.
yes it did, fixing to put in a french drain system in a two acre yard-have the laser lol didn't know how but now i know, between you and french drain man i have it under my belt ,thanks again.
Hello. I love you're channel. Im in the coast guard 15 years so far. I have a 3 bedroom rancher just outside Charleston and the water just during the big rains. I think the best solution is a French drain. Maby you could look into it.
Man this Chanel is top notch thank you for this. Love the polish joke I'm polish and got a big laugh out of it.
I really enjoy your videos. I can't stop watching them.
Thanks Branden, I am happy that you are here!
Great video. Thanks. Will be handy when my dual slope laser gets here. Only advice on your training would be to have the NOOB retrack most over the rod after measuring out 16'. A little less clumsy I am thinking.
Stanley, thanks for doing this kinda video, you are teaching men to fish buddy. My constructive comment would be to set your new guys up to succeed by giving him a small note pad and pencil and let him know a good(yours) format for note taking.
yes! helped to start to understand. Most people just jump into how to use the equipment instead of how it works
Great video with good explanation. Great refresher for me on my end. Great job..!
HELLO from las Vegas Nevada, is a good reminder, thank you, GOD BLESS YOU AND YOUR FAMILY.
Great Video! Teaching videos are a great idea. I have alot of respect for you and your company. Thank you for all of your help.
Wow Evan, thank you so much, I really appreciate you being here!
This is awesome! I love videos that help me learn new things. Keep them coming
Great Shawn, happy to know that the vids help you out!
Just started it and I already know i will LOVE it! I need all this info! Please more vids like this!
I work in construction as a superintendent assistant. This video really helped me.ALOT
That is awesome Louis, really glad to hear that!
I have been setting up and pouring concrete for almost 10 years this is a great video! And yeah they need to play your vids more that’s true where they been at
I am 29 years old. Just started a career in the construction industry as a superintendent on a massive residential development in Florida. I have been trying to learn as much as I can possibly learn about everything construction. So glad to have found this video as I found it extremely insightful. Thank you for sharing your knowledge and expertise.
I'm watching for the same reason, building office buildings and maintenance shops. thanks for the video.
Ladies and gentlemen make sure you always understand water erosion as well when displacement of earth. This guy is on point!
This is very good. Great refresher for a guy who only does this a couple times a year.
Hi Stan,
Such a good idea to make a video for this. I am going to be showing this to some of my new guys before I run them before I then get them on the tool with hands on approach. it will help so much.
Thank you, and take care.
Exactly what I needed. I buried a drain line to take the water away from my barn rain gutters. I ran 1 1/2" PVC down pipes, one from each end into a same diameter line roughly about 70 feet line. My first mistake was I should have doubled the size of the drain line. My second mistake was simply using a carpenters level to try and get a slight grade on the 10' pipe sections. I thought it looked pretty good until the first good rain storm when the gutters overflowed. So I bought a good laser level, tripod, receiver and grade rod
I’ve always wondered how these worked and I needed to learn and now I know thanks man!
Awesome, thanks Dante!
I'm sure it's been said but a "write in the rain" notebook helps alot. Helps to make sketches too.
Thank you for a great video, and thank you for taking the time to train your new guy!
I worked for a construiction company where i was the noob, the first guy i was sent to work with told me straight away "don't ask me questions, don't ask me why or how, just do as i tell you - nothing more, nothing less." This seemed to be some what the general behaviour in the company wich in the end made me quit because i couldn't grow or be good at something, i was only the idiot who didn't know.
So again, thank you! :)
Loved this video! I'm subscribed so I always see your videos.
I'm new at being self employed and really appreciate all of your videos, your insight, tips, and explanation is very useful to me. I literally started my business by "winging it" and I can use every bit of knowledge I can find!!
Thanks for the subscription and happy to have you here! All the best to you in your business!!
Thank you so much for the explanation!!! Exactly what I was looking for 🙌🏻
Incredible!!!!
Stanley this was a great refresher it’s been awhile since I use to set grade and I had to a few weeks ago and I kept reading the stick backwards
Good training. Only thing I would have done different you need a note pad with a map to write grades on. Save time easier to think about what you need to do
Thanks for this Lazer testing lessons. Much appreciation 👍
No problemo, thanks for being here!
If your working dirt should be using tenths other than inches. Easyer to calculate.
Thinking the same thing
The only trades that deal in inches, are carpenters and whores.
@@posjoey Lmfaooo
What's tenths?
What an excellent employer. Great video. Headed out to get one for myself
currently learning how to read grade to keep the mini ex on grade as we ex out new sidewalk dirt. the city guy that watches us had to school me on it. your video is perfect, been subbed your channel for a few years before i got into construction
Great video sir! I’m a Pipe Layer, laying storm, water, sanitary, etc. The laser is a must have on a daily. Only thing I would add is the importance of making sure your legs for the laser are secure. Don’t just stand them up and ride out. Sink them in the ground( if possible). If outside, wind could actually blow over your laser or (believe it or not, this has happened) a bird land on your laser and knock it off line and then, like you said, you’re starting all over. Other than that, you covered it all! Love your content! Keep gettin after it! 🤙🏼
Loving these videos,for me learning to read the "lay of the land" is something thats critical,understanding how water travels,also looking for problems when designing gardens,for example down pipes that sit lower than curbs or foot paths.We like to think that when houses are built that these things are considered,but often become an issue because a cheaper option is used.I hope this makes sense
Happy that you love the vids Paul, thanks for being here!
@@Dirtmonkey just set a benchmark, and in ur notes make the bench 100. Then change all ur grades over to plus or minus. so say the benchmark was 4.0 and u shoot a grad at 2.0 put it in ur notes as 98. that way when u come back and reset laser you know that that grade is minus 2 from the benchmark grade. then you know relative to the benchmark what all ur grades all you had shot before by simply seeing the plus or minus on bench. No re shooting all the grades. All ur previous values are still usable even with the laser at a different height or position/location
this is super helpful for us new guys thank you! Would love to see you guys work in person some day.
Thanks Adam, maybe one day!
Thank you. I understood the concept of the lazer and grade pole but that made a lot of sense one step a time. And like you said there can be a lot more to it but to start understanding basics this was a great help. Have seen your stuff randomly over past few years and always liked your content. Recently subscribed because I really like your attitude towards projects and more importantly your coworkers and friends. Keep up the great work.
Young man will remember this for years… well done.
You're awesome brother thanks for all the tips over the years man.
This popped up on my TH-cam feed, and what a great video!!! And thanks for the shout out the other day!👍
Was just thinking about looking this up for a job have coming up. You always covering what we might need. Thanks for your insight
Thanks for being here Leland, I appreciate it!
Great video. Tip: I use one of the cheap Harbor Freight levels (the orange plastic one) to do a rough level for my tripod before I place the laser (although) you can have the laser already attached. They are only about 8" long and fit in my laser case. Handy if your tripod doesn't have a level.
Great start to teaching videos. Look forward to more to come.
Great video! I needed a refresher on using laser level and this helped a lot.
Man... This is great stuff. Real world skill training he is getting!!
You nailed it. This def gave a good and basic lesson for shooting grade. Thanks!
Great video! I just bought a rotary level for a DIY patio project and this was a great intro! Thanks!
This is great training. I would like to see more. Thank you.
Maybe a video on job site safety. Stuff that is obvious to you , but NOOBs may not. Electrical safety, ladders, trenches. Thanks for helping keep us safe!
Great suggestion Jim, thanks for the great comments!
Really good explanation of the basics of using a laser for measuring grade something I’m learning but have never had anyone explain mechanical functions. Very helpful thanks