big foot

Does any body at the show that you know of sell the big foot. and one of the booths sell the pre marked tape is it worth the 100.00 or am i going to waste my money. dave

Yes the layout tape is worth the cost. And the bigfoot is not at the show this year, but I think you can email him for show prices.

Bill Feldman is the Big Foot guy - [email removed]

In my opinion, both are worth the money even at double the price they are sold for. Both are indispensible tools that speed up layout and minimize or eliminate the need for a helper.

I agree with the layout tape being of great value,as for big foot have looked at it at Las Vegas show but have not used it.

You can also purchase the Pre-Marked Tape here: http://www.parkinglot.bigstep.com/category.html?UCIDs=131…

What is a "bigfoot"?

about size 14. Ba Da Boom !

I think the bigfoot is too much money. I've looked at them at the shows and for what you get it's not worth it. Can't remember the exact price but I believe in the neighborhood of $130-150. All it is is a block of steel with a pole sticking up that makes a handle and holder for some tools. I suggest making something yourself for a tenth of the cost. If you can weld a little and bend some steel you could make the bigfoot for ten bucks. I usually have help, but when I don't I like using a half full bucket of paint. Always worked for me. Never an issue and unlike my help, I can always find it. You can always try Ken's way and use old car/truck rotors as weights. Ususally find them for free behind a repair shop. As for the pre-marked tape. I hate to think of striping without a couple of these. Speeds up layout and makes things a lot easier.

(I usually have help, but when I don't I like using a half full bucket of paint) quote Hope some car doesn't decide to take it home with them ,dragging it down the highway... like so many bright floresent cones. they do work cheep though

I took a 5# coffee can put a doggy tie down spiral lawn screw in the middle of it (for a pick up handle) and filled with concrete. I also screwed in a pan head large screw on the side towrds the bottom and hook my line on it. Line hooks on screw goes uder can and It works quite well, total cost about $4 (if you dont include the coffee.LOL

Guys how about using old lead car weights. Easily found at auto and tire shops for free. I used a piece of stamped steel grate like what is used for the cage behind the rear window of your pickup protection rack, place it over a 2 qt sauce pan. Melt it with a torch and then while soft place a redi-rod into it for a handle. Attach all the clips and rings of previous post and you have a smaller, heavier bigfoot. It works for me! Blaine

Pick up some brake rotors. Weld a piece of round stock across the hole and weld a rod sticking straight up. Then weld another piece of round stock across the top end forming a tee. Weld a bolt to the rotor even with the ground and you now have a bigfoot.

Why weld a handle in your way? There's already a big-ol hole in the middle more than adequate for a handle. The rotor is just tall enough to pick up and short enough to be able to allow the gun to pass over the top. Keeps you from having to dodge a ahandle when lining up on long runs.

Been making my own Pre-marked tape measures for 7 years now. Buy a 300 ft. tape, go to wal-mart and get the 1/2" multi color tape. Cut into strips and fold over onto 300ft. tape. What i do is figure my measurements first-hand, that way if you know you are doing 9ft. in red and 10ft. stalls in blue, you can have red on the left of and blue on the right the mark that requires more than one color. For instance 90 ft. are multiples of 9 and 10. Otherwise i will put the tape centered on the mark. That way if i am laying out 60 (purple tape for me)or 45 degree angle stalls (White) in a hurry, when i see the 1/2" wide tape, i put a Mark right there at the center. I like to make my own projects, i.e. weights, tapes, and string lines, because it is a fun hobby. They last a long time too. i had one last 3 years. I always keep 2 around, and am in the process of making another now.

This is my homemade bigfoot. Dogtreat Box Three Hooks Drilled into three sides Pour Quik Crete and put some wires in the mix Bend a pipe at the end to a "L" shape Let it stand up and cure -Dean

I've got a friend that is a welder. He made me a couple of Big Foots using 1" Steel plate 10" x 10" with a 2" flat plate attached on the side with holes to drive nails and a hook to hold the measuring tape. I run the measuring tape underneath it and it works great. We used the same type of handle set up as the bigfoot tool with hooks to hold the measuring tape and chalk line. We added a 2" lip around the top for nails and other small items. I have 2 of them. They were made from scrap metal and and I paid $ 30 for each. As for the pre-marked tapes, they are definitely a time saver, but you can make your own for whole bunch less. Just depends how much extra time you have on your hands.

ASI you don't have any trouble winding back up the measuring tape after? Guess I'll give it a try.

TGL wrote on Feb 21, 2006:Go to #18

ASI you don't have any trouble winding back up the measuring tape after? Guess I'll give it a try.

I made my own using the colored electrical tape method also. I made two open reel 300' steel clad tapes premarked this way and they reel up fine. I think going on three years old now, and I do layout myself using weights and drag the tape all over with the LL. I prefer steel tapes over fiberglass or the survey rope type. If you use elect. tape cut the strips so it wraps all the way around and overlaps just a bit. Cut one and use it as a guide to cut the rest and keep them consistant so you don't have more tape on the reel than necessary.

Go to a sign shop. Most have scraps of vinyl tape that they will give you.