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Overpriced Ebay Junk, vs treasure
Posted by nate-the-surveyor on January 7, 2020 at 5:48 pmThis looked like over-priced eBay junk.
Then, I looked at the details. The only thing missing is a hand level, or Abbey level. (Usually not needed on level ground)
https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.com%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F153685524784
I am sure that most of the older generation will appreciate it. I personally never used any of what is in the ad. But, I sure knew their use, and purpose.
Enjoy the trip down nostalgia lane.
- N
BStrand replied 4 years, 2 months ago 13 Members · 14 Replies- 14 Replies
That collection appears to have been used by a millwright. A hand level wouldn’t be particularly useful there – they would want super precise leveling over a moderately small distance, the size of the machine base.
.You are right, Bill.
When the gnat’s behind matters, it’s what is needed!
N
A work vehicle passed us with Great Lakes Alignment Surveying Survices written on it and it had Michigan license plates. What’s that?
They align plant machinery.
https://www.glassalignment.com/
Does not appear to be junk, just no longer useful.
That tape retails for about $550USD.
I watch for deals on older equipment all the time. A good compass, abney, chain and scales can be very useful in the right place. I even have a dip needle and pin pointer for mountain-top work.
What’s in a name. They have basically expanded their practice to the entire Great Lakes and extended areas.
Machine alignment is a service that demands a business drawing that covers a large area if not on a national scale and requires travel and rarely being at home every night.
Today’s procedures are mainly alignment using lasers and most of those Pea Levels and mill gages and many other tools are collecting dust.
I still have a 1/64th pocket scale used back in 1979 and a couple of K&E 100ft tapes in inches and feet that are similar to Lufkin Highway tapes and several of the chainman’s tape adjustment scales.
In fact, I have a lot of equipment that I’ve kept from the past that regardless of its mint condition and reliable working order has no real monetary value as I had hoped.
- Posted by: @nate-the-surveyor
This looked like over-priced eBay junk.
Then, I looked at the details. The only thing missing is a hand level, or Abbey level. (Usually not needed on level ground)
https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.com%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F153685524784
I am sure that most of the older generation will appreciate it. I personally never used any of what is in the ad. But, I sure knew their use, and purpose.
Enjoy the trip down nostalgia lane.
- N
I have used all of this equipment (and still have all of it except the chain thermometer). With the addition of a good theodolite and tripod, one could perform excellent work now, just as one could 50+ years ago. It certainly would NOT be as “fast,” as we can do today with a Total Station and/or GPS, but the precision would be acceptable for most any application. Obviously there are limitations when you get into LARGE projects, but on small projects, you could easily beat RTK “accuracies” and probably Total Station work in some cases.
It goes without saying that the vast majority of the surveys we do these days are better served by the shiny new gear (technologies) available to us, but I believe that “some” projects might be better served with this equipment, than the button pushing stuff.
Loyal
- Posted by: @dave-karoly
A work vehicle passed us with Great Lakes Alignment Surveying Survices written on it and it had Michigan license plates.
I don’t think they spell “services” that way in Michigan.
Mint condition surveying equipment will have a high value for collectors. Most equipment that are used on a daily basis will be banged and chipped when they are eventually retired to the display cabinets of most surveyors.
Their value unfortunately will not be more than their new purchased price. Only Ferraris & AP watches will appreciate in prices as they get older.
I knew of a fellow surveyor who retired & is in his 70s now. He was using the German & Swiss made Wild, Kern, Zeiss during his time. When I visited him last several years ago, he had his walls covered with shelves of those branded surveying equipment. A few were still in near mint condition. According to him, if he started to sell them online at going purchased prices, he would maybe have around US$100,000. I reminded him of the the word IF. He said he was tempted to sell them but then said he would probably use the money earned to buy them back.
It’s all junk until the day turns up when only that bit of gear can do it properly.
Our very old entirely manual T2 sat for many years at the back of the store, until one day a ship on tidal waters had a problem that couldn’t be solved with automatic electronic gear. The T2 was bolted down, the bubble adjustments locked off and we continued measuring relative to the axes of the deck as the ship rolled around. That one job alone more than covered what we had paid for the instrument originally.
The biggest limitation on the value of older equipment is a lack of imagination on the part of the owner…
Hi does anybody out there know anything about this
The case says its a model 7200 Optra Transit has vernier and specs in the case
They called this optical tooling when I was in school. This is the first I’ve heard of anyone actually doing it though.
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