Slope meter?

[Welder Dave]

I finally got the slope meter delivered. It looks good but just playing around with it on the counter I noticed it doesn't always come back to the same reading. If I tilt it a little one way it usually does but if I tilt it the other way it doesn't go back to the same reading. It will be off about the width of the ball. I'm thinking in a running machine the vibration would prevent it from hanging up. I think I read on here where someone else had a similar experience. Wondering if I need to worry about it or if in a machine the vibration should prevent it from getting hung up? The vial and ball is very similar to the Slope Meter brand and it's recommended and used in graders and dozers.

 

[JAJ]

That is interesting! It looks to me to stopping at about 1%?
Do they give details with it on accuracy? I looked them up where I got mine from and they don't state an accuracy on their website. It has been so long that I cant remember if I got any paperwork with it.

If you gently and very slowly roll it from side to side does it hang up there as well (manufacturing defect)?

Being only 1% (if that is what it is) you may be right with the vibrations in service overcoming it. If you tap it does it go back to zero?

Will be very interesting to see what others have to say.

 

[shaggs]

if you google the set up instructions for a slopemeter brand slopemeter there is a procedure to test the air bubble, i notice in the pictures the air bubble is on opposites sides in each photo . the slopemeters ive used i have never seen the bubble cheers

 

[JAJ]

if you google the set up instructions for a slopemeter brand slopemeter there is a procedure to test the air bubble, i notice in the pictures the air bubble is on opposites sides in each photo . the slopemeters ive used i have never seen the bubble cheers

I assume this is the instructions you are referring to on the original SlopeMeter website?

http://www.slopemeter.com/images/Instruction_Sheets.pdf

 

[shaggs]

yes its a test to see if the slopemeter is ok . i always tipped the slope meter up to get the air up one end and out of sight cheers

 

[Welder Dave]

There were no instructions with it. If I tilt it side to side it doesn't hang up. Tilting the right side up it goes back to 0. Tilting the left side up it seems like the ball gets hung up at 1% or if I do it really slowly 1.5%. I'm thinking I should send an e-mail to the supplier to see if I maybe got one with a defect. I read the Slope Meter ones are accurate within 1 degree. The air bubble is mostly hidden at one end or the other. If moves depending on which way the meter is tilted. It makes no difference which side the air bubble is on.

 

[cuttin edge]

Do you have a smart level that you can check it with

 

[Welder Dave]

Yes, I have the digital level I bought a couple years ago. It jumps around too much on equipment but can be set to show percent slope as well as angle and I think a couple other settings. I'm thinking of setting up a mount so I can use both in the grader. When I'm stopped they should read the same. It's very weird the indicator gets hung up on the slope meter. It's not a ball but looks to be a curved C shaped piece. Hoping the grader has enough vibration it doesn't get hung up. I haven't heard back from the supplier yet. I asked if they could see if other slope gauges got hung up.

em 105.9 Digital Torpedo | Empire Level - Built On Trust

The Empire® 9" Magnetic Digital Torpedo Level has an audio indicator with 6 measuring modes, up to 60 hr run time.

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[cuttin edge]

You can use your smart level to check and see if your slope meter is close at all. Set the meter on your level, and move your level around to compare readings

 

[Welder Dave]

The level is out at my property but should tell if the slope meter is accurate. I suspect it is, just odd that it hangs up. Maybe the grader will vibrate just enough to prevent it from sticking close to 0. I haven't been out to my track because it's too depressing. Just keeps getting boat loads of rain. So much for having a dry year after not much snow. I'll probably go out tomorrow. I found some good 66lb. 90 deg. welding magnets to make the gauge easy to switch between machines or just to be able to easily take it out. I'm going to mount some 1 1/2" angle iron to the gauge and have another piece on the grader. It will have the angle on the grader bolted to another piece so I can easily adjust it for calibration.

 

[JAJ]

Hey I’m sorry I have been a bit snowed under and I haven’t had a chance to have a look at the one I have in my grader. I thought it should be a ball in the tube though. It sounds like yours has a problem, will be interesting to see if it behaves properly in your grader.
I just used double sided tape to mount mine but I was always going to do something better, your idea sounds good.

I have another one in slope ratio with the steel ball but I haven’t got around to putting it in the dozer or loader yet.
I went with the style you have for the grader because the indicator was larger and I thought it would be easy to see but might not make much difference. I’ll post a pic so you can see the difference in style.

 

[JAJ]

I think there might be a more grader friendly version of this type in the grader I have here on loan as well. Will check it tomorrow

 

[Welder Dave]

I got the one I posted because it was bigger which I thought might be more accurate. It is similar to the Slope Meter brand but much less expensive. In the grader it might be a non issue. I'm waiting to hear back from the supplier. Apparently the person who can answer my questions has been sick this week.

 

[JAJ]

Yes that’s why I got mine as well. I might even pull mine out to check it as well you have me worried now

 

[cuttin edge]

I've looked at the one in my grader since 2012, and it eludes me as to how it's mounter. I'm thinking it's a flat aluminum plate with aluminum angle welded to it. They used 2 sided tape to stick it to the center bottom of the windshield, like right to the glass, then the bolts are in slotted holes so the SM can be adjusted.

 

[Welder Dave]

I finally heard back from the supplier. They checked other ones and had similar results. Sometimes they went back to 0 without issue. On another part of the desk they would get hung up between .5% and 3%. They thought it was maybe because the desk wasn't flat. I put mine on the dash of my truck and it appeared to work properly. They said I could return it but I think I'd have to pay return shipping. I'm going to wait until I can try it in the grader though.

I checked it's accuracy with my digital level and it was very close. The digital level goes by .1% increments but won't show a reading unless it's perfectly still. I mounted it in the grader but need to take it back out to paint it. Probably more elaborate than needed but is infinitely adjustable to calibrate. The magnets I got will make it easy to mount on my skid steer or tractor. I suspect it will stay in the grader 95% of the time. It's very solidly mounted and not easy to remove. I found rolling the meter forward is the easiest way to get the magnets off. Almost impossible to remove just the meter from the magnets when mounted in the grader. Here's some pics. I used 1 1/2" x 1/8" angle iron I had on hand. It's on an angle because of the sloped windshield frame. I don't think it will matter but it's not hard to modify to get the meter on a flatter plane. I raised it a bit so the stuff on the steering column wouldn't block its view with the column upright. The bottom of the windshield frame had a lip which made it easy to use a couple vise grips to hold the mount in place for drilling the holes for the self tapping screws. The magnets beside the adjustment bolts fit the edge of the angle iron on the meter perfectly. The angle iron on the meter is 1/8" past the meter on each side.

 

[JAJ]

Sounds like you might have it sorted, that’s great to hear.
Will be interesting to see how you find it in the machine and what you think of it in operation.
You are probably well aware of this, but keep in mind what it is measuring is the angle or slope of the ground your back wheels are traveling on, not the angle the blade is currently at. I found when I first started using it I was over correcting when chasing the ball as there is a delay until your wheels meet the area you have “corrected” and it doesn’t need much correction to catch a percent or two. I think you will have a lot of fun with the precision you will be able to achieve on your track. Best of luck and looking forward to your updates!
Your mount set up is very nice!!!!! I only have mine stuck to the windscreen with the double sided tape, I was always going to do something better but never got to it.

 

[Welder Dave]

Just got a bunch more rain today so not sure when I can calibrate it and see how how it works. I'm hoping it will help me to have consistent slopes and corners 1 and 2 will be as close as possible to corners 3 and 4. I could have mounted it a lot simpler with velcro or 2 sided tape or even glued magnets to it but I didn't want to alter the meter. I was reading that you can't always trust that the cab is perfectly level with the machine. I liked the idea of magnets but wasn't sure what type so went to a couple places to look at different types. I hadn't considered welding magnets because the ones I'd seen were odd shaped and bigger but I went to KMS tools and saw the small 90 deg. welding magnets. I knew I had some 1 1/2" angle iron and they seemed a perfect fit. With the angle bolted to the meter the magnets will hold the meter and can then be stuck to another surface or to the other angle I used for calibrating the meter in the grader. The magnets are very strong and stick really good to the angle iron being they hold on the flat and vertical sides of the angle iron. I think if I used just 1 angle iron in the grader it would have been difficult to calibrate it exactly level.

It's going to take a lot of practice but the slope meter could be used for just checking the slope after I've graded the track. I'm hoping to get an experienced operator to help me get the right slopes and show me how to grade the track and keep the proper slope. I think it might work best to work the top few inches of the track up and then grade it without putting much down pressure on the moldboard. Just grade the top inch or 2 of the loosened material. I watched a video of how another track did their prep. and that's what they appeared do. Worked the track maybe 6" deep and just graded the top 3". I can't do anything until this damn rain stops though.

 

[cuttin edge]

Like I said. Make sure all tires are the same. Hopefully your foam tires all sit the same. Find an area you know is perfectly level. I use our scales. zero your meter. Then turn around and park in the same place facing the opposite way. It should read zero again. I've done it in a pinch in an unlevel area. park, take a reading, turn around, take a reading, split the difference, and adjust.. We replaced the cab rubbers on our 730, and it leveled the cab up. The meter on that machine was dead on. The one on the Volvo is always off a bit, and I think it is the cab.

 

[Blue-Fox]

Dave I have been running those units like you got in my road maintenance machines and they seem to hold up well.