Levels are one of the most important instruments used in the construction industry; carpenters, masons, bricklayers, metalworkers, and handymen couldn’t do their job without one. Some photographers swear by them, too (the best tripods include a bubble level).
There are many to choose from, and you may need to add more than one to your workshop. In a pinch, you can use a measuring cup filled with water to level a shelf that you are hanging, but let’s try to avoid that.
No workshop is complete without a standard, two-foot carpenter’s level. (Alex Churilov/Shutterstock)
The Must-Have(s)
No workshop is complete without a standard, two-foot carpenter’s level. A member of the bubble-level family, it utilizes a design that has worked for centuries: a simple but accurate sealed tube containing a solution that moves a bubble to the center of the instrument to let you know when you’re spot on. It can be commonly found in four-foot and six-foot lengths, but the two-foot one is the size you’ll probably use most….