# Empire Levels



## TheGrizz (Sep 16, 2011)

hammerone40 said:


> I enjoy having the magnets for storage. Sticks to the steel side of truck box keeping them out of the way and from sliding around getting beat up.



My toolbox is aluminum. Need to make a level hanger though. Bought my Weatherguard second hand and it didn't have the level hangers. 


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## Justin Huisenga (Apr 10, 2013)

Spencer said:


> Why would I need it to install a door? By the time the magnetic feature would be of any use the door is in the opening and I know it plumb because I nail the door off to shims that are already plumb. I don't check it again after my shims are plumbed. Waste of time.
> 
> I didn't say that it doesn't have any value. I just said I don't see where it is valuable for me...yet. I'm all ears to learn something new. Where would I incorporate this premium feature on wood prehungs?


Doors on a lot of production type jobs that I've worked on come pre cased one side. You don't pull the slab from the jamb when you hang them you leave it in and closed. The level magnets are laid out to catch the hinge barrels. You stick the level to the barrels and hang the door off the casing and the magnets leave your hands free to man handle the door, jamb and gun. Once hung you open the door and back shim the jamb although I have seen plenty hung without the back shimming just off the casing. There is another casing set preassembled that caps the back.

It's fast and depending on the carpenter doing the job the margins are good but like anything else it is all based on the carpenter doing the job. I can hang a door in about 10 min like this but prefer to hang jambs uncased and shim from both sides.


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## TNTRenovate (Aug 19, 2010)

BrooklynBravest said:


> I don't think it's necessarily appropriate to say anyone is wrong or right. There's so many methods and preferred techniques of different craftsman that we can't consider one method right and another wrong. Maybe one is faster or more effective than another but that's the beauty of the forum. Everyone can share there methods and how they like to do things.
> 
> Personally I never thought to use a magnetic level on a wooden jamb and I never have. I assume my method is similar to Spencer/Gary Katz. Level the rough opening at the top and bottom with plywood shims before even inserting the jamb. Method works great but plenty of guys prefer to throw the hinge side up with shims and a level free hand so I can absolutely see where magnetic would benefit someone of that preference.


Where did I say anyone was right or wrong? I just said that because he didn't see the use, doesn't mean that there is no use.


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## TNTRenovate (Aug 19, 2010)

Spencer said:


> Why would I need it to install a door? By the time the magnetic feature would be of any use the door is in the opening and I know it plumb because I nail the door off to shims that are already plumb. I don't check it again after my shims are plumbed. Waste of time.
> 
> I didn't say that it doesn't have any value. I just said I don't see where it is valuable for me...yet. I'm all ears to learn something new. Where would I incorporate this premium feature on wood prehungs?


That's what you are installing is a door, a prehung door. You even say door when you are refering to the jamb, so why split hairs?


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## TNTRenovate (Aug 19, 2010)

Justin Huisenga said:


> Doors on a lot of production type jobs that I've worked on come pre cased one side. You don't pull the slab from the jamb when you hang them you leave it in and closed. The level magnets are laid out to catch the hinge barrels. You stick the level to the barrels and hang the door off the casing and the magnets leave your hands free to man handle the door, jamb and gun. Once hung you open the door and back shim the jamb although I have seen plenty hung without the back shimming just off the casing. There is another casing set preassembled that caps the back.
> 
> It's fast and depending on the carpenter doing the job the margins are good but like anything else it is all based on the carpenter doing the job. I can hang a door in about 10 min like this but prefer to hang jambs uncased and shim from both sides.


I don't pull the door regardless. Slap the level on, set the door in place, couple shims, the door is plumb from both directions, tack in place, open the door tack and shim as needed. I then pull the middle screws from the hinges and replace with 4-6" screws. (I know TexasWax, I don't need anything that long, but it's just what makes me feel warm and fuzzy).


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## WarnerConstInc. (Jan 30, 2008)

There are never any hinges on the jambs I set.


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## WarnerConstInc. (Jan 30, 2008)

Solid brass hinges are not very magnetic either.


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## Justin Huisenga (Apr 10, 2013)

WarnerConstInc. said:


> There are never any hinges on the jambs I set.


Given the choice there aren't any on mine either. I don't care for prehungs.


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## Spencer (Jul 6, 2005)

TNTSERVICES said:


> I don't pull the door regardless. Slap the level on, set the door in place, couple shims, the door is plumb from both directions, tack in place, open the door tack and shim as needed. I then pull the middle screws from the hinges and replace with 4-6" screws. (I know TexasWax, I don't need anything that long, but it's just what makes me feel warm and fuzzy).


Thanks for the explanation. I had a regular sola 78" coming from amazon. Wanted to try out the vials. I swapped it for magnetic.

I think I can do a better job preshimming but what you're describing would work well on split jambs which I will doing a lot of on the next job. 

When I've been setting doors I've been using two cordless nailers. One with long nails to nail off the jamb and one with short nails to tack shims on. The way you describe I could eliminate the nailer with shorter nails because the jamb would hold the shims in place. 

I think I'd still check the hinge side stud for plumb and add the shims for the top hinge, that way I can push the top hinge against the shim, nail the casing, and that way I know my margins are good in regards to centering the door. Then plumb and nail off casing. Insert shims on remaining two hinges and nail off jamb.

With the framers I have to deal with I have to check the studs for plumb before hand because often if I shim to much or two little on either the top or bottom, its so far out that I don't have room to plumb it.

Good thoughts. :thumbup:


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## TNTRenovate (Aug 19, 2010)

Spencer said:


> Thanks for the explanation. I had a regular sola 78" coming from amazon. Wanted to try out the vials. I swapped it for magnetic.
> 
> I think I can do a better job preshimming but what you're describing would work well on split jambs which I will doing a lot of on the next job.
> 
> ...


It's really just what you are used to. To me that's what makes us efficient, but I am with you. If there is a more efficient way for me to do anything, I'll suffer through a learning curve to get there.

My original comments were sincerely not meant as a jab or "right/wrong" declaration.

I will say that most of my work is remodeling so when I remove the door I'm replacing I have a good idea what I need to do to get the door to good again.


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