Laser line suitable for stage management use

[jonathanhill]

I am looking for a laser, suitable for stage management use.

 

Features need to be:

 

Able to generate a line as a setting line

 

Able to generate a centre line

 

Sadly it would appear that really none of the self-levelling lasers on offer at places like Screwfix are not really suitable. Any suggestions?

 

I realise that generally Production Carpenters rely on the good old chalk line, but was wondering about a slightly more high tech solution.

 

 

 

[trussmonkey]

so you want a unit that will display a laser line long the floor ..... correct?

 

linky

 

will this one not do?

[Dave m]

I bought a cheap Lidl one and was very disappointed . It worked great at home but our work floors are like a thick black slightly leather look vinyl.

It has a bit of give as the floors are solid.

 

The laser didn't reflect off the floor so useless in place of a chalk line,

[indyld]

The trouble is with my albeit limited experience of laser levels is that the choice of laser plumb, laser line or lines or rotary laser all do a similar job in setting out and the last two are often focused on working on planes perpendicular to the floor, not along it. Some rotary lasers can be set so they draw vertically in a room too, but the kind of laser line level that tilers use project the cross forwards and level on a wall, not down on a floor. I can also imagine that a) a dark stage floor finish b) varying ambient light intensity, including bright stage lights would do for any laser line pretty quickly whereas the chalk line is ideal in this situation.

 

Presumably the desire for a laser is to avoid having to go to the trouble of marking out a good 90 degree intersection between centre and setting lines? The laser line generators level to the floor so even rigging one on a DS bar and flying it out wouldn't help, even if you could get the points in the right place (edit to add: the one linked to above seems to lock off for up/down use but you still have to get the cross in the right place - seems like it would be harder). My approach to this is commonly to mark out using pros triangluation rather than cartesian-style or to use a big 3-4-5 to get a decent 90 degree from whichever line I start with. Yes, it takes time but at the moment I can't think of a laser product that would help with this.

[jonathanhill]

So, to update.

 

I have been recommended a PLS-480 from Pacific Laser Systems, but looking at their range, I reckon a PLS-FT90 will be the ticket as it projects two lines at 90 degrees to each other, so would be ideal for marking setting and centre line simultaneously.

 

It is always worth checking things like the tolerance on tools like this. That cheap Stanley has an accuracy of 0.8mm/m, with an 8m range and projects a cross.

[Seano]

.. so would be ideal for marking setting and centre line simultaneously.

 

To then ping a chalk-line and get a mark you can see from all angles, that can't be kicked into the pit? ;)

 

If my PLS-3 is anything to go by, the minute you put it down on the floor it'll become a powerful boot-magnet - can't turn your back on it for a second!

[jonathanhill]

 

To then ping a chalk-line and get a mark you can see from all angles, that can't be kicked into the pit? ;)

 

Yeah, probably. I should say that this is for someone else.

 

As I am a little old fashioned, I carry a chalk line and a tape measure for this sort of thing.