During repairs or construction, it is impossible to do without transferring marks along the walls strictly in a horizontal plane. The most convenient way to do this is to use a laser level or level, which will line up the desired plane. Let's consider three options for making such a device using a laser pointer.

Hybrid of bubble level and laser pointer

The idea is to improve upon the simple bubble level. A laser pointer rigidly attached to the body of the level will be an extension of the tool and will allow marks to be distributed to distant surfaces. If you install a level on a tripod and a turntable, you will get a very effective tool to transfer marks in one plane.

What you will need:

1. Bubble level (40-80 cm).
2. Laser pointer.
3. A piece of rubber, a piece of hard foam rubber or polystyrene foam 4-5 mm thick, 40 mm long and 15 mm wide.
4. Fasteners Worm clamp or nylon ties 2.5x150 mm, 2-3 pieces.

It is better to modernize the level with handles in the form of oblong holes in the middle of the side face. It is easier to secure the laser pointer to them using a clamp or ties.

Selecting a laser pointer. The simplest pointer will do, the main thing is that the point from the pointer does not spread like a cloudy spot, but gives a clear round point at a sufficient distance. The button should be two-position so that you don’t have to keep it pressed all the time.

You may need to focus the laser pointer before using it. To do this, unscrew the cap on the laser side. Below it will be the focusing lens housing. If you carefully turn it a third or a quarter of a turn with pliers, you will notice how the shape of the spot from the pointer changes. Adjust so that the dot is as small and regular in shape as possible at different distances.

Attach the pointer to the edge where the main insert with the bubble is located. First lay a backing made of rubber, dense foam rubber or a foam plate. Place a laser pointer over it and tighten with a worm clamp or nylon ties.

1 — laser pointer; 2 — rubber; 3 - nylon clamps

The beam should be set strictly parallel to the edge of the level. To do this, place the tool on a long, flat surface, the end of a flat floorboard or the top of a table placed against the wall. The height of the pointer exit hole should be equal to the height of the point above the support surface.

If the level does not have handles or other suitable holes, carefully drill two holes under the installation site with a 3 mm drill and secure two worm-wheel clamps using 6x25 mm galvanized screws. Next, insert a gasket and a pointer into them.

If you place the level on a strictly horizontal or vertical surface, then when you rotate the level around its axis, you will be able to transfer marks along the walls or ceiling and floor.

To further improve the design, attach a piece of wood, plastic or metal plate to the tripod so that it can rotate on the tripod.

Laser level on suspension

If you hang any massive object by one attachment point on a rope or thread, it will rotate freely only around one axis, directed strictly downward. A laser pointer fixed strictly perpendicularly will outline the required horizontal plane on all boundary surfaces.

A wooden block is suitable as a base. Screw one screw into the ends closer to the same edge, leaving about 1 cm sticking out. Tie a thick thread to the screws, preferably a shoe thread that stretches slightly. Thin copper wire will also work. The thread or wire should sag and, if you take it by the center, there should be about 10 cm or more from the top point to the bar. Tie a twine or another piece of thread to the center of the thread, which will be attached, for example, to a chandelier hook in the center of the ceiling.

Now all that remains is to attach the laser pointer to the upper edge of the beam using glue or nylon ties so that the beam from it extends strictly perpendicularly, which is checked using a bubble level.

Now, with the length of the thread on which the entire structure is attached, make sure that the point from the pointer points to the first mark on the wall. If you twist the beam in one direction and together with it the suspension thread, then when untwisting it back, the pointer will draw a line along the walls strictly in the horizontal plane with a run-up of about 1-2 mm, which is quite enough.

Also, such a builder can be made from a bubble level “modified” with a laser pointer. Simply screw one screw into the plastic plugs at the ends of the tool, closer to the top edge. tie a rope to them and, moving the suspension point along the rope, achieve a horizontal level.

A full-fledged level from the remains of a laser printer and a pointer

For those who are not looking for easy ways, you will need:

• laser unit from a non-working printer;
• laser pointer;
• a motor from any children's toy or from a broken CD drive;
• rubber belt;
• button and 9 V battery (crown);
• slotted and Phillips screwdrivers;
• soldering iron with solder.

Remove the laser unit cover. Under it you will find a hexagon or square mounted on a stepper drive, a curved lens and a mirror, as well as a native laser. However, the latter produces an invisible color, so it can be replaced with a laser pointer. The laser beam, hitting the side faces of the hexagon at an angle, is reflected into the lens, and then through the mirror into the exit slit. The hexagon constantly rotates and the laser point very quickly draws a line, the flickering of which is not even noticeable.

It is very difficult to control the drive driver for the mirror hexagon. It is much easier to attach a third-party drive and connect its shaft to the hexagon using a belt.

Measure the distance from the axis of the hexagon at which you can install the motor so that the belt is slightly tensioned. The result is a sector running around the body in a circle. Choose a place where the motor will not interfere with the laser beam and can be easily secured with glue. If necessary, drill a hole and install the motor, connect its shaft to the hexagon axis.

Remove the original heatsink with the laser and its driver board. Attach the laser ruler so that it shines in the same direction.

All that remains is to power the motor. Connect the motor, button and battery in series. If desired, a laser pointer can also be connected to the same battery, in parallel with the motor.

On the sides of the exit slot, two screws or pins made of 2.5 mm or more wire are fixed on the body of the laser unit. A thread is tied to them, and then the laser level can be used, as in the previous version.

The video shows a version of a homemade level using a mirror

A bubble level is used to set the line in the horizontal plane. It is quite possible that you will have to adjust the focus of the pointer, so it is better to immediately remove the top decorative cap and use pliers to correct the shape of the beam so that you get a thin line at the exit of the entire structure.

A DIY laser level made from scrap materials will help you save a decent amount of money and will be a good alternative to professional construction equipment. During repairs and construction work very often it becomes necessary to mark at the same level, but at a great distance. The bubble level is too inconvenient for this type of marking, so you need to get a tool for creating marks at a distance. A construction laser level is perfect for such work. But such a tool is incredibly expensive, so the only option for most may be to create such a tool yourself.

A laser level is an indispensable tool for repairs and construction, which you can make yourself.

Differences between a homemade model

A homemade laser level can be used for mirror and symmetrical markings over long distances during construction or repair. Of course, the homemade version has a short range of action: approximately 10-12 meters. But this is quite enough to complete most of the necessary notes.
Professional devices are capable of creating marks, calculating angles and much more. But the big disadvantage of such devices is their price.

Some of the electronic models start at two hundred dollars, which is not that cheap. But in most cases, many of the proposed capabilities of professional equipment will not be needed, so you can get by with a homemade design. A homemade level will cost tens of times less, and you will need available materials to assemble it.

Tripod or adjustable support option

You can place your DIY laser level on a tripod or adjustable stand. It will be quite a convenient and functional design. Tools you will need:

• drill;
• set of wrenches;
• hammer;
• needle.

The materials we use are:

• wooden block;
• laser pointer;
• bubble level;
• electrical tape;
• plastic clamps;
• scotch;
• nails, screws, self-tapping screws or screws;
• plastic and wooden planes of the same size (planks, tiles).

The design idea is quite simple - the laser pointer is placed on a movable element. Using such a device, you can make markings 360 degrees around an axis at the same level. We will need a children's or more powerful laser pointer, depending on the budget. It is with this small element that the work begins.
How to make such a device is described below:

1. Let's start with modifying the pointer. The glass or plastic lens must be removed from the attachment. Instead, you can place a small piece of cardboard inside or cover the hole with electrical tape on the outside.
2. Next, using a needle, you need to make a hole exactly in the center where the beam will pass. The small hole made by the needle will reduce scattering and increase the accuracy of the instrument.
3. The next element is the platform. To make a movable plane, you can connect a plastic plate and a wooden plank of the same size with a self-tapping screw. This part will allow our device to rotate around its axis.
4. We place a bubble level on the platform, and on it a rubber shock absorber (a piece of rubber of a suitable size).
5. We install a laser pointer on the rubber and secure it with tape, clamps or other possible means.

The homemade design is ready. But it must be tested before work.

For calibration, you can select two points, mark them using the resulting laser level and connect them with thread or fishing line. Check the slope with a level. If there are no mistakes, then the equipment is suitable for creating marks.

More mobile option

The disadvantage of the first type of structure is its limited mobility - only horizontal rotation. If there is a need to make marks not only horizontally, but also vertically, you can try to build the following type of structure:

1. You will need a plastic or wooden base.
2. A small pin, bolt or screw is secured to the base. The last elements are placed with the cap down.
3. A wide articulated fork clings to the resulting mount.
4. The articulated fork will house a plastic or wooden narrow piece on which the laser pointer will be attached.
5. A hole is drilled in the workpiece with a diameter equal to the screw, which will pass through it approximately equal to the diameter of the fork ears.
6. A pointer is attached to the workpiece, and if there is room left, a bubble level is used.

Thanks to this type of design, the vertical angle of the position can be changed. Depending on ingenuity and the fork found, almost a full 270 degree vertical rotation can be achieved. Using a nut with lugs, you can quickly unscrew the fixation screw and change its position. It is worth considering that the larger the fork, the wider the base will be needed to ensure a stable position.
The design can also be improved:

1. You can make a groove in a wooden blank in which to conveniently and securely attach the pointer.
2. In the adjusting screw, you can use either a regular nut or an element with ears, but the second is much more convenient.
3. The design with a pin without thread will be collapsible. To make it stable, you will have to select the appropriate diameter of the connecting element of the hinge fork. In the case of threads, you can also use homemade forks.
4. If you don’t have a fork, its semblance can be made from a metal-plastic ring of sufficient strength, you just have to choose the right diameter. You will need to make three holes: two on the sides, opposite each other, and the third at an equal distance from the two future “ears”. Next you need to cut the ring opposite the last hole. You will get a semicircular blank with a hole at the bottom and ears for the bolt on the sides.
5. To prevent the homemade fork from loosening and twisting too much when turning, you can place a rubber gasket under it.

Conclusion on the topic

If it is not possible to purchase expensive construction tools, you can try to make their home equivalent.

There is no point in buying an expensive level for home needs, because... This device costs a lot of money. If you need to draw a horizontal, even line along the wall, you can make a laser level with your own hands, using available materials that can be found in any private home. Next, we will provide two simple master classes on making a homemade level by hand, which will take no more than half an hour.

Option No. 1 – Use a flat stand

In the first case, in order to make the device ourselves, we will need the following materials:

• a regular laser pointer (shown in the photo above; if you don’t have it lying around from previous years, you can buy it, the price is low);
• bubble building level;
• wooden peg, 1 to 1.3 meters long, 5 to 6 cm in diameter;
• a small piece of rubber;
• a sheet of plywood or board along the length of the level.

Having prepared all the materials, you can proceed to assembling a homemade device. To make it clearer to you how to make a laser level with your own hands, we provide a step-by-step guide:

That's all the manufacturing instructions. As you can see, it is not difficult to make a simple laser level with your own hands, but the problem is that such a homemade product cannot be installed on a hard surface, for example, a concrete screed. To solve this problem, you can also evenly screw a board from the second end of the peg, which will serve as a stand. In addition, you can make a stand, like a real level, but making a tripod will take more time.

Using such a homemade laser pointer device is not difficult. First, the stand is driven into the ground, after which it is leveled with a bubble level - the bubble should be strictly in the center. Next, you need to turn on the pointer and mark the point projected on the wall with a pencil. After this, the stand carefully rotates along its axis in a horizontal plane to the next mark. Two points are connected to each other and that’s it – the straight line on the wall is ready, you can start!

It should be noted right away that you should not rush and start important marking work from the very beginning. First of all, you must make sure that the homemade product works correctly so that the result does not become disastrous for you. To do this, you need to adjust the homemade laser level (in other words, check the accuracy of the work).

You can make the adjustment yourself like this:

With the help of such a homemade laser device, you can independently make horizontal lines in your home. However, you should not trust the accuracy of the measurements too much, because... This is not a professional tool and the error here is quite high.

Video review of a more complex self-regulating cross-type model

How to make a level with your own hands

Option No. 2 – Use a container of water

The second way to make a laser level with your own hands is to use the water surface as an indicator of horizontality. All you need is to select a container of suitable size, for example, a basin, and pour water into it under the rim. Next, you need to take a piece of polystyrene foam and secure the pointer strictly in the middle. After this, the container must be set at the level of the future line and the foam with a pointer must be placed in the water. We turn on the homemade product and mark points on the wall, turning the laser in the desired direction. The video example shows in detail all the stages of assembling a homemade water level:

Master class on creating a simple device

The disadvantage of this level is that you need to correctly center the location of the pointer. Otherwise, it will be slightly skewed to one side, which will negatively affect the horizontality of the beam.

So we provided two step by step guides on how to manually make a laser level at home. It is more difficult to assemble a cross-type model (when the intersection of a horizontal and vertical line is built at a given point), but it is still suitable for marking walls for such a device! By the way, to make a vertical line on the surface, it is recommended to use the most common plumb line (as shown in the photo), suspended from the ceiling.