Lost technology??

In the "2nd hand dealers?" thread, Straightline posted a link to the Stripers Bible. I had heard of it but never read it. Looking over it, there was a mention of a Computerized Layout Machine (fancy name for 1993) I had thought about a device like that before but forgot all about it, as I do with most of my thoughts. Basically it's a measuring wheel with a spray can on it. If you set it for 8.5' , a dot of paint is placed at 8.5' intervals as you walk. If it is accurate and could be set at any width, what a great tool. Did this ever really exist? or better yet, does it still exist?

They are on sale every year at the EXPO. Not sure who the manufacturer is. They have a booth.

Call Dave at Fine Line http://lazyliner2.com I am almost sure they sell them, at least they used to. I know they were missing from the expos for several years but I have been seeing them again at the last couple. They are OK but with practice you can do like STRIPES and just use a wheel & a can of paint (if you learn the numbers, or get a digital wheel like mine that will beep every time you go a preset distance) and it's WAY cheaper.

I wish Calibrated Industries would add the paint can feature to their digital wheel.

what?? I still use the side of my shoes to step it off and mark with a piece of blackboard chalk. I am still saving for one of them new 100ft. roll up tape measuring rulers.

Geez.. $500?? I picture a measuring wheel with an upside down paint can on it. Seems like it should cost maybe a couple hundred bucks. Maybe I'm missing something. Kens way with a can and measuring wheel sounds fine if its 8.5' or 9', but we run across weird measurements all the time.. 8.68' or 8.75'. A computerized tool that you could set and forget would be awesome. Old parking lots that were designed back when engineers were retarded are the problem.

Engineers are still retarded.

Nope.... architects.

Whatever happen to doing the math in your head? I just use a measuring wheel and piece of big colored chalk that is attached to 3 foot pole so I don't have to bend over.

1st get an inches calculator (no more 8.68 they will let you multiply and divide in feet & inches so no confusion over decimals) and/or the DigiCalc wheels can be programmed to beep every "whatever" unit (and they will work in decimals without the calculator) so punch in 8.68' and punch "count" and it will beep every 8.68'. I always have both. Also some company (it costs too much for what it is) was showing a deal at the last expo that was just a conventional measuring wheel with one of those upside down can holders (like the cheap Sherwin Williams things) attached to it.) The "dot" would be off the wheel by 6" or whatever the mounting distance is but in theory they could save bending over. And the other units are expensive because they have a battery and a little computer deal & the mechanical actuator so you load the can, punch in the measurements and it puts a "dot" everytime it hits that distance. Shame the people quit making the one Jpanz has that is a real skip timer for hand stripers, it was about a grand but did layouts and real skip lines so it was way cool...guess they didn't sell enough of them.

Gerzie... If you can walk and count by 8.68, even 8.75, your a better man than me!! The whole idea, to me behind this is speed with accuracy. When I layout a lot, I put my marks pretty much exactly where they are supposed to go. If you use the digital counter that beeps, seems like you'd have to pretty much stop when you think the beep is coming and wait to hear it to spray your dot. Plus, did you really hit the spot? Or are you 1.5" off? Maybe I'm making too big a deal. Don, what units are you talking about that has the mechanical actuator? That sounds like the real deal. Dave

Quoting Brahney, January 25, 2006 (that post is not in this thread):

It was called the Dalton Walker. It was a computerized layout machine the size of a "Fox Valley Superstriper." A guy way back from the 80's Jim Dalton invented it with a few other key striping pieces. He once had a sealcoating / striping company in Bloomfield NJ but as far as I know he since retired in the late 80's early 90's. You could use it to layout carstops, RPMs, Stalls, Stencils Etc. It was Genius, you know the way it goes. It was cheap, I think around $500.00. I would have bought it at 12 years old if I had the money. I think it was more than $500, but you could use it to measure the width of the lot and then say "divide it into 12 spaces" and it would pop a dot at the correct distance. It had a keypad on the back to enter the info and a rechargeable battery. Seemed like a good idea at the time.....wait! it still seems like a good idea that hasn't been refined. Make it accurate and dependable...and I'm there. If it was dependable it might cut out the occasional screwup some of you guys make (not me, I'm perfect )

Yep, white boxy looking thing with the keypad on the back, somebody (now that I think of how the Fine Line booth was laid out don't think it was LazyLiner) had one at the last NPE.

I just left Fine Lines shop yesterday and we were talking about the Dalton unit. I doubt that anyone will ever make a unit like that because of the high cost to produce. The unit that Rohven Enj. made was much better and could do a number of different things. They too are out of business from what I could tell. The tech. is still to expensive at this time to make a unit cost effective that people will buy. Right now still with the premark tape. Jim

I've got an upsidedown spray can taped to my measuring wheel.............a baseball card inbetween the spokes........clickity clickity clickity...............every 5 clicks I pull the trigger...........last time had room for 3 compacts........2 golf carts.......5 semi-trackters.....2 Harleys and one rickshaw.....................works for me!

If the Digiroller outputs a signal (ie the"beep") at presettable distances, it might be possible to find a loadpak that would actuate with that signal and could switch enough power to turn on a solenoid. In otherwords there might be a way to use the digiroller to spray layout marks...for under $500..

Fonz wrote on Jan 26, 2006:Go to #15

and one rickshaw.....................works for me!

Now this I gotta see! How much do I have to pay to see royd pulling it around...

why did Rohven go out of business, and when. i was going to get one of their units, but forgot all about it till recently it came to me again. Were they really worth buying to lay-out with?

I lost touch with them at the beginning of the season. I thought it was worth ever penny I paid for the unit. It needed a little reworking but still worth the money. Jim

I found this LOST TECHNOLOGY for sale! http://www.johnmwarren.com/thmb.asp?cat=8 Its a measuring wheel with inverted paint can sprayer. Any one use this product. Looks like a real plus Buckeye