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12" machinist level
- Thread starter Aukai
- Start date
- Joined
- Oct 11, 2016
- Messages
- 3,859
I have read the entire thread, carefully, and I'm more than a little confused. Rather than stir up anything and meddle, may I aska request so I can follow a little better?
The exact location of the bubble down to the nth isn't important to get this solved, as that part is the easy part. How about showing the level, and the table it is sitting in, for each photo going forward: you can highlight the bubble ends by editing the picture if you like to make it clear. In some of the pictures, it seems to behaving as expected, and others, it seems impossible....
The exact location of the bubble down to the nth isn't important to get this solved, as that part is the easy part. How about showing the level, and the table it is sitting in, for each photo going forward: you can highlight the bubble ends by editing the picture if you like to make it clear. In some of the pictures, it seems to behaving as expected, and others, it seems impossible....
- Joined
- Oct 4, 2016
- Messages
- 7,021
The leveling process
the table
the level
The side with the adjustment port is facing me, flipped is 180*
Today all adjustments were from my left to right, with me facing the level, adjustment port facing me.
Every adjustment moving the bubble from the left, toward center, the bubble stayed buried to my right on the 180* flip.
This pattern followed moving the bubble from the left, all the way to the right extreme division by division. At no time was I able to get the 180* flip out of my right hand parked position. It ran there from wherever the point was
The bubble seems fixated on staying on my right hand side of the level on the 180* flip. I'm at a loss...
the table
the level
The side with the adjustment port is facing me, flipped is 180*
Today all adjustments were from my left to right, with me facing the level, adjustment port facing me.
Every adjustment moving the bubble from the left, toward center, the bubble stayed buried to my right on the 180* flip.
This pattern followed moving the bubble from the left, all the way to the right extreme division by division. At no time was I able to get the 180* flip out of my right hand parked position. It ran there from wherever the point was
The bubble seems fixated on staying on my right hand side of the level on the 180* flip. I'm at a loss...
- Joined
- Feb 1, 2015
- Messages
- 9,615
The surface is not level. Put some shims under the left side and watch the bubble shift.The leveling process
the table
the level
The side with the adjustment port is facing me, flipped is 180*
Today all adjustments were from my left to right, with me facing the level, adjustment port facing me.
Every adjustment moving the bubble from the left, toward center, the bubble stayed buried to my right on the 180* flip.
This pattern followed moving the bubble from the left, all the way to the right extreme division by division. At no time was I able to get the 180* flip out of my right hand parked position. It ran there from wherever the point was
The bubble seems fixated on staying on my right hand side of the level on the 180* flip. I'm at a loss...
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- Joined
- Oct 11, 2016
- Messages
- 3,859
I've been assuming that you have been using the level correctly all along. Please don't be offended if I take it back to first principles...
Unless you are very close to dialed in on your surface, you need to get close. How you get close is to take a lesser level and level your table. You then take a machinists level and determine which side is low. Use a shim to get it within, say 5 thou per foot. then set up a dial gauge and raise the low side by the required amount.
as long as the level is pegged, you don't have anything to work with.
One day you might want to buy an engineers' level, which is usually rated at 4-6 thou per foot/div to get to where you can calibrate your more sensitive one. Yours is more like .6 thou per foot, which is why you are having so much trouble. There are other ways, but you'd have to buy a surface plate first.
-- oh and don't think the glass is flat. unless it is'optically flat' it will have ridges and valleys of greater than .003 per foot all over the surface. One of my friends tried to use 'plate glass' (which is said to be ground flat) to his peril. all of his measurements were off, and he was chasing demons for a month before he used my surface plate.
Unless you are very close to dialed in on your surface, you need to get close. How you get close is to take a lesser level and level your table. You then take a machinists level and determine which side is low. Use a shim to get it within, say 5 thou per foot. then set up a dial gauge and raise the low side by the required amount.
as long as the level is pegged, you don't have anything to work with.
One day you might want to buy an engineers' level, which is usually rated at 4-6 thou per foot/div to get to where you can calibrate your more sensitive one. Yours is more like .6 thou per foot, which is why you are having so much trouble. There are other ways, but you'd have to buy a surface plate first.
-- oh and don't think the glass is flat. unless it is'optically flat' it will have ridges and valleys of greater than .003 per foot all over the surface. One of my friends tried to use 'plate glass' (which is said to be ground flat) to his peril. all of his measurements were off, and he was chasing demons for a month before he used my surface plate.
- Joined
- Jun 26, 2018
- Messages
- 1,733
I do believe this is basically a simple process, and you must have a lot of patience. (I have to add, that picture with like 13 levels on it is hilarious!)
Why YOU are having this problem and mine is exactly like it, makes me go hmmmmm... There has got to be more to it. I'm gonna pull mine back out this weekend, I could use hours just sitting at a table barely moving. I'll add some sort of marking to the top of mine so its easy to distinguish when its flipped. I do hate to ditch the adjustment I have now, but I'm pretty sure it shouldn't be calibrated to the opposite end, rather the center. I'm basing that on everyone else's, assuming mines the same. As Aukai can attest, It doesn't feel like it. One correction, mine is HHIP not Accusize, maybe that's part of the problem? We'll see.
Why YOU are having this problem and mine is exactly like it, makes me go hmmmmm... There has got to be more to it. I'm gonna pull mine back out this weekend, I could use hours just sitting at a table barely moving. I'll add some sort of marking to the top of mine so its easy to distinguish when its flipped. I do hate to ditch the adjustment I have now, but I'm pretty sure it shouldn't be calibrated to the opposite end, rather the center. I'm basing that on everyone else's, assuming mines the same. As Aukai can attest, It doesn't feel like it. One correction, mine is HHIP not Accusize, maybe that's part of the problem? We'll see.
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- Apr 28, 2014
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- 3,590
I've been busy trying to reign in the shop and doing Honey-Dos and of course, repairing vehicles and haven't been on much.
Over my first cuppa I picked this thread to catch up.
Holy cow, I hope mine are calibrated. What an adventure.
(the following is meant in jest...)
Are you sure that your leveling plate is clean and that there aren't any grains of sand left over from the beach laying on it?
Are 3-point leveling jig (like in @mikey's) is easier to tweak in than a 4-point.
Something is off kilter here - twilight zone. That level seems to be possessed. This isn't making any sense.
Over my first cuppa I picked this thread to catch up.
Holy cow, I hope mine are calibrated. What an adventure.
(the following is meant in jest...)
Are you sure that your leveling plate is clean and that there aren't any grains of sand left over from the beach laying on it?
Are 3-point leveling jig (like in @mikey's) is easier to tweak in than a 4-point.
Something is off kilter here - twilight zone. That level seems to be possessed. This isn't making any sense.
- Joined
- Oct 4, 2016
- Messages
- 7,021
HAHA, nope, checked for sand. Every video, all the instructions I have read say the flat surface does not have to be absolutely level, you can adjust for it. My level is more sensitive over it's length than I can dial in my flat surface. So now do I really need the aggravation of this much sensitivity? The ocean is looking really nice from my house this morning. 
I appreciate all the help I have gotten with this too, it's very nice to know how willing people are to give guidance. There are several occasions when I have looked at this contraption, and said to myself " I got your level right here" (Think a Michael Jackson move)
Dan the tripod is a snap to level, I guess I should say I think.
I appreciate all the help I have gotten with this too, it's very nice to know how willing people are to give guidance. There are several occasions when I have looked at this contraption, and said to myself " I got your level right here" (Think a Michael Jackson move)
Dan the tripod is a snap to level, I guess I should say I think.
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- Joined
- Jun 26, 2018
- Messages
- 1,733
Got my wife doing it now after 3 hours fighting with mine!