Masonry Magazine December 2004 Page. 18
Alford points out that wood is very resilient. "If it's dropped or beat on, it comes back. It's not affected by heat or cold, whereas aluminum or plastic tends to expand or contract with the cold, which affects the accuracy of the level."
What about the complaint that wood has a tendency to be environmentally unstable because of moisture content?
"That's not really true," Alford claims. "I'll put my level up against any aluminum level on the market for longevity. The oldest level that I've seen, that Crick Tools has made, is a 19-year-old level. It still reads accurately. The way we manufacture our levels, moisture does not affect them. There are some things we do that nobody else in the industry does. We guarantee that our level will read the same in every plane, 360 degrees. No one else in the industry produces a level that does that. Our levels will outlast most other levels based on quality and durability. So a mason makes a $100-$120 investment one time versus a $40 or $50 level seven to 10 times. So I would take exception to the people who say wood is not environmentally stable."
The truth is, accuracy and durability of all these levels is far greater than was possible a few decades ago. But to maintain the level, the mason needs to do a few things, too. For the wood level, Alford recommends, "The mason should wipe the level down at the end of the day with raw linseed oil-not boiled but raw-or use lemon oil or tung oil, but frankly they don't do it that frequently. That keeps the level from drying out, and it maintains the luster and beauty of the level. We have a lot of people who say they wouldn't use our level because it's too pretty to get out on the job site and get messed up!"
While aluminum levels don't need oiling, they should be washed off at the end of the day and, with minimal care, should last a long time. In fact, most companies will guarantee their metal levels, and the vials in them, for life. Typical of that policy, Scott of Irwin Tools explains, "If our level ever does come out of calibration, we will replace it. However, if the mason doesn't want to go to the trouble of going back to where they purchased it, they can recalibrate it themselves with a simple turn of a Hex key or Philips screwdriver."
He adds, smiling, "Our levels are meant to be dropped. Okay, we don't recommend it, but they will not go out of calibration from being dropped. We also have what we call a rafter hook, an accessory that attaches to a level and allows the level to be hung from a rafter or scaffold. That serves to help prevent the level from being dropped."
Or you could tie a thin bungee cord to it and not worry about it falling off the scaffold.
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Corporate Office
310 Wayto Road
Schenectady, NY 12303
Toll Free: 1-800-283-3888
Ph: 518-357-9757 Fax: 518-357-9636
Branch Office
1700 Vanderbilt Road
Birmingham, AL 35234
Toll Free: 1-877-SANDELL
Ph: 205-263-1030 Fax: 205-263-1033
Visit our website at www.sandellmfg.com email: moreinfo@sandellmfg.com