Sometime back, MR had an article on making a tool for figuring the grade percentage useing a bubble level with an adjustable piece on one end. Any of you out there remember what issue this was in? I’m building by HO RR in a spare bedroom, 11 X 12 feet. Around the wall with a 6 X 5 extension into the middle of the room. I’ve wired it for DCC, but haven’t decided which brand. I bought a Bachman set up with a loco for $50.00 at a trade show, but I’m not sure if it will be good enough, any comment?
If it is a completely flat grade (meaning same grade for a long stretch), algebra should solve the problem…
For example:
If you have 2.1 inches rise/ 26 inches = X /100 inches…solve for X. This is how I do it (and if this is wrong, please let me know!) It could be hard if you don’t know the starting point (i.e. where is 0 to measure the 2.1 inches from, but laser level helps here…
A 2% grade is 2" rise in 100". A 2’ level is approximately 1/4 the length - so if you put a 1/2" shim under the end of a 2’ level and then adjust your grade so the bubble is in the middle, you have a 2% grade (technically 2.083%). You can do this calculation and figure the shim size you need under any length bubble level to make whatever grade you need.
I understand all of this. But I thought I recall seeing on someone’s layout picture-post having some sort of actual box-shaped guage that actually measures the grade instrumentally. I could be all wet here, but seems like I recall seeing this–if it exists, don’t know what the cost is–the methods discussed by Randy et. al. don’t seem too difficult, but just thought I’d ask if anyone knows about what I’m taking about–i.e. an actual “grade guage”.
Probably Micro-Mark. But you can make something like this very easily. Use a block of wood of a known length. At the middle hang a weight from a string, like monofilament fish line. Calibrate it using various shims on a level surface and make marks behind the string.
Or alternately stick shims under an ordinary level until it is level, then measure the height of the shims. The grade percent is an easy calculation from there.
Jim, it sounds like it might have been an inclinometer with a custom scale. You can get cheap inclinometers at most discount tool sellers (such as Harbor Freight). Use the tricks above to create your grade scale. You can also do it mathematically if you prefer. Personally I prefer using a level and blocks. It’s more accurate overall because it spans a greater distance.
I think this is both sensible and expedient. Most of us would have a level of some sort, so placing it on an incline whose gradient is known, and then marking where the high end of the bubble lies, would be a reasonably accurate way of measuring the slope between two points.