Renvations Team
A pointed weight just on the end of a string is called a plumb bob tool, and it is used to locate a vertical line known as the plumb. It is like a spirit level when it comes to the vertical. Plumb bob has been used since Ancient Egypt, a very long time ago. It can also be used in surveying to find a nadir. This local vertical direction points towards gravity and in tools like steel tape and theodolites.
How Does a Plumb Bob Work?
The bob or line uses gravity to figure out what is “straight” (that is, what is perfectly vertical or true). A string hanging with the help of its weight at the bottom will pass across a level plane vertically and perpendicularly. In a way, the plummet is like the line level but for the vertical plane. If you know how to use a plumbing snake, then you can use this bob easily.
It has a special weight and a thick, twisted cotton or nylon string. (Masons like nylon because it lasts longer in the dampness that comes with their work.) Weight is bound to one end of the string. Bobs have sharp tips and are well-balanced. They can be made of brass, metals, or other materials, like plastic.
How to Make Use of a Plumb Bob Tool
To use the tool, you put the string where you want to plumb. The weight, or even bob, would then be allowed to freely swing; when it stops, the tip of the bob is exactly below the place where the string is fastened above. (Note that its line must be free-hanging for an accurate reading during plumbing services.)
This tool ensures that a wall or doorjamb is straight when building or hanging them. The same things can be done with a spirit level, but the tool makes some jobs much easier. For example, you can use this tool to find where fixtures or decorations are concerning something or a surface below (or above). Once it’s up and still, you can mark the top and bottom points as guides. It is possible to use this tool in one location as it’s the essential part of plumbing tools set to sight an item in another location, such as a pipe for which you are trying clean out plumbing, to determine whether or not it is plumb.
Common Applications for Plumb-Bobs
· Seeing If It’s Level
A theodolite is a simple tool to check if something is straight (exactly vertical). When the string is tied to a stationary object, and the bob weight is hanging below, the laws of gravity guarantee that the string remains upright and perpendicular to whatever horizontal plane it traverses.
· Changing Points from The Floor to The Ceiling
You can mark a point directly above or below another point with a bob. This is especially helpful when transferring points from a floor plan to a ceiling joist or hanging an interior door.
· Hanging Wallpaper
Before hanging wallpaper, you only need this to make an accurate vertical reference line.
Conclusion
If your plumb line has a sharpened tip that has been bent from usage, you should get a new one.
Depending on the use, it might weigh several pounds or only an ounce. We recommend getting a single bob that weighs a few ounces for most home toolboxes. As is usually the case, it doesn’t matter how fancy the tool is; what matters is how well we use it.
