Making a plumb bob

[Dimitris Polychronis]

VERY PRETTY. I'd be scared to use it, as it may end up like my dad's lead one which I haven't used for around 10 years. I also inherited my grandfather's :it looks like it has a large nail as a tip, probably to prevent damage due to less than careful use.

Thank you very much, glad that you like it! Although stainless steel is tough material, it can wear up (the tip I mean) if not used with care. Anyway, I don't worrie to much about wear because I'm not going to use it anywhere besices my shop and home.

Regards
Jimmy

[DIYer]

Thanks Dimitris Polychronis! We've added your Plumb Bob to our Measuring and Marking category,
as well as to your builder page: Dimitris Polychronis's Homemade Tools. Your receipt:

Plumb Bob by Dimitris Polychronis

tags: plumb bob

[anthonyget]

As usual with you Dimitris, a beautifully crafted piece of work. It does indeed belong in a velvet box. Beautiful

[Dimitris Polychronis]

Thank you Nick, I am happy that you like it! As for the velvet box I'll say...no it's better to show you

[uv8452]

"VERY PRETTY. I'd be scared to use it, ..." That is a perfect assessment. 50 years ago, as an intern, I made mine too - and never ever used it. Fear to damage the tip. A solution would be a retractable carbide tip, very lighty springed.

[mklotz]

I made mine with a removable steel tip. If it's damaged, it can be removed and remachined easily. Then I added a nuance...

I wanted to be sure that the line supporting the bob couldn't influence the way it hangs so the line is tied to a pierced ball that rides in a conical depression inside the spherical end cap. Thus the bob is always free to hang perfectly vertical. In retrospect, given the weight of the final form, this feature is probably unnecessary but I always like to add something special to my designs.

[Dimitris Polychronis]

[QUOTE=uv8452;204683]"[COLOR=#333333]VERY PRETTY. I'd be scared to use it, ..."

Thank you very much uv8452, glad you like it!
I have used it a few times without worrying for the tip; its made out from stainless steel so it would be easy to fix, or even to make a replaceable tip for it.

Regards from Greece
Dimitris

[Dimitris Polychronis]

That's a very nice bob, Marv! I really like the added features, the removable tip and the small ball inside the cap. You've make me started thinking to do the same )

Regards
Dimitris

[mklotz]

Titivating plumb bob design is a rich field. Marking the point on the ground directly below the point of the bob is one area.

Simply dropping the bob is not an attractive option; beyond the risk of damaging the point, there is no guarantee that it will strike directly below the point from which it is suspended.

One possibility is a circular metal plate mounted right behind the bob point in such a way that when the point hovers over the ground the plate is parallel to the ground and about 12 mm away. The plate has four small holes located orthogonally on a large circle. When paint is sprayed through these holes, four spots on the ground are defined. After the bob is removed, connecting these spots with intersecting lines will exactly define the sub-bob point. Alternatively, a light shined through the holes will permit the ground points to be marked one at a time by hand.

The ancients used plumb bobs as gravity references in levels and inclinometers. One style of inclinometer stuck into a cannon barrel was used to set elevation as late as the American Civil War.

[Dimitris Polychronis]

Thank you Marv! These informations are valuable for a novice craftsman like me; every day that's passing I realize that I know such a few things! Thanks again.

All the best
Dimitris