Theatre Design & Technology - Winter 1993 - 59

***********************

which one person can do.
barrery is gerring low.
Many rool manufacrurers allege rhar rheir
If rhe rool is dropped or needs re-caliFourth, ir gives you a pirch read-our in
producrs are rhe resulr of years of careful
brarion, rhar can be accomplished very
renths of an inch of rise per foor of run.
research, arrful design, rhe ingenious
quickly using any flar surface thar is wirhThar makes setting roofs, ramps, srairapplicarion of new rechnology, and qualiin 10 degrees oflevel or plumb. Merely ser
ways, and orher inclined structures very
ry fabricarion. Ofren rhose claims seem
easy.
rhe rool againsr rhe surface and rhen
quesrionable ar besr. Consequenrly, a new
Fifrh, rhe "Sensor
producr which acrually
Module" can be removed
fulfills rhose commonly
and used separarely in
hyperbolic marketing
..
.
promises IS a rare prize
righr spaces which no
RODueT
srandard full-sized level
indeed. Such is rhe
can do.
SmanLevel produced by
Wedge Innovations.
Lastly ir is very easily
reser. While some spirir
SmanLevel is a digiral
reverse irs direcrion and ser ir in place
levels do have adjusrable vials, rhe user is
inclinomerer which provides a reading in
srill reduced ro "eyeball" judgmenrs of
again. The SmarrLevel will measure the
four modes: degrees, grade, pirch, or simirregularity of rhe surface and auromatitrial and error adjusrments wirh a screw
ulared bubble; rhrough rhree accuracy
cally average the readings ro derermine for
driver. The SmarrLevel needs no rools and
ranges: +/- one renrh of a degree, rwo
itself precisely what is level or plumb and
acrually resers i rself ar rhe push of a burrenrhs of a degree, or five renrhs of a
ron!
then reser its sensors accordingly! Since
degree; ro check any flar surface for level,
reserting is so simple, the manufacrurer
Does rhis rool have any faulrs? one
plumb, or angle of slope.
recommends doing this once a day or
rhar we could identify. The only possible
Every aspecr of rhe rool has been careimprovement we could come up wirh was
fully designed for ease of use and accurare
whenever you believe rough handling
rhar ir would be helpful if rhe lower rail
resulrs. It has a wide lower rail for srability
might have affected its precision. A full
had a pair of small bur srrong magners ser
and a narrow upper rail for easy handling.
eight-step reset procedure should be perinro it. Thar way rhe rool would hold
formed about once a month.
The lower rail has a groove along irs cenirself in place on meral pipe or on sreel
rerline ro facilirare serring rhe SmarrLevel
Some potential users might ask why
frames allowing rhe user ro employ both
they should pay four or five rimes the cost
on pipes. The hand holds are oversized ro
of a common spirir level for a SmarrLevel.
hands ro make minor adjusrments ro rhe
accommodare bulky work gloves. The
mare rial or strucrure.
There are several very good reasons. First,
LCD display is large and easily readable.
In the brief time we've had our
The selecr burrons are clearly labeled and
as a level, this rool is much more accurate
SmartLevel it has performed admirably. It
than a spirit level. It is accurate ro one
easily worked. Four flip-our spacers align
certainly seems very durable bur we're not
tenth of a degree which is about onerhe rool's trapezoidal shape wirh venical
surfaces for ease in scribing lines. Fabricareighth of an inch over a sLx-foot distance!
about ro drop something this valuable off
the grid just ro see if it will survive. While
ed of aircraft-quality aluminum rails and
Furthermore, that accuracy is repeatable
it has been engineered to withstand the
high-impacr plasric for rhe rail liner and
simply by reading the LCD display. No
rigors of the construction environment,
prorecrive end caps, rhe rool should promore squinting at the bubble and guessrhis is a precision rool intended for profesing that it is floating in the same position
vide years of fairhful service beyond irs
sional use and should be rreated accordone year guaranree.
as rhe last time.
ingly. Already its accuracy and ease of use
SmartLevel is available in rwo-, fourSecond, this rool is much more than
have made it rhe favorite "level" in our
and six-foor rail sizes. The "Sensor Modjust a level. It acrually gives you an angle
srudio.
ule" can be removed for use as a rorpedo
read-our in tenths of a degree so you
Finally, alrhough it was not designed
know how ro set rools, cur rafrers, and
level or for use in small spaces. The modspecifically for rhe scenic srudio, ir has
ule is powered by a nine-voir bartery
perform other carpentry rasks.
which should provide abour 120 hours of
Third, it gives you a slope read-out in
several porential uses which will make it
tenths of a percenr for laying pipe, masonservice. If rhe user switches rhe module off
especially valuable there. First, the digital
when ir's nor in use, rhe bartery should
ry, or handling orher rypes of grades. It
read-out is incomparable for serring
power rhe rool for months. However, if ir
often rums a two-person job inro a task
ramped floors or raked stages. It is especially valuable when two
is inadverrently lefr on, ir
separate or widely spaced
will shur irself off afrer
units must be raked
four ro six minures if ir is
L BIN CLEVELAND, EDITOR
equally. Second, it is
nor used or josrled. A sepinvaluable for mounting
arare read-our on rhe display indicares when rhe
elements in forced per-

NEW

REVIEW

**** *******************

TD&T

1993 WINTER

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Theatre Design & Technology - Winter 1993