cleaning ditches

[oldhippy]

My transit level is a david white that I bought at a pawn shop about 15 years ago. It won't tilt. For a while I built and installed iron fences and gates. I would do like you are talking about to make a slope in the fence and keep the pickets straight. I always use a benchmark as I tend to kick the legs of the level from time to time and sometimes have to move it for something in the way. You guys have given me some great ideas. Right now Gustava has dumped water here so is to muddy to mess with. When I clean the ditches out I will post some pictures. Thanks again big dan

 

[RedDirt]

I presume your David White is a four leg model. If it is not auto leveling, eg simply a telescope with an attached level bubble, maybe you can adjust it purposely out-of level to get a sloped line. Set two legs in line with your ditch and level the instrument as normal. Once you've calculated your slope drop and adjusted the rod target adjust the fore-aft legs so the cross hair is on the target. As long as you don't the rotate the instrument horizontally this will still give you the sloped sight line you need along your dig path.

A three leg mount would be similar. Just put one point of the leveling leg triangle in line with the ditch.

 

[Rara Avis]

If you have to maintain ditches...
Land Pride DT55 Series Ditcher

 

[Renze]

cleaning big ditches: Hydraulic mowing equipment Herder B.V.