Where to find a precision level

Metabo on bubble levels, don't know on digitals. Lots of good levels out there, just depends on what you're doing, how much you want to spend, and which one you have.

I have a Metabo. ;-)

Steve

I got a nice starret off eBay. Patience is the key here.

Karl

I inherited one 25 years ago and never did or could use it, I sold it on ebay a couple of years ago. Why did you need one?

Not to bust your bubble but it is a whole lot more fun leveling a lathe using two levels. One will work, just takes a lot longer. Just out of curiousity, what state do you live, just in case you are like really close to where I live?

Wes

sing two levels.

tate do you live,

I have wondered about this - reluctant to spent heaps on a tool I would use but infrewuently. Any other method that can be done with handy household appliances?

Andrew VK3BFA.

On Sat, 28 Mar 2009 22:27:13 -0400, the infamous "Buerste" scrawled the following:

Aw, you should have used a regular level to get it in the ballpark and the precision level to finish off. Hey, get those floors leveled, will ya? We have _hills_ in Oregon which are flatter.

I have wondered about this - reluctant to spent heaps on a tool I would use but infrewuently. Any other method that can be done with handy household appliances?

Andrew VK3BFA.

if you can't afford the $25 that a VIS master level typically goes for, maybe you shouldn't mess with the lathe. If it's the AU price issue, I'm sure any of us will be willing to receive it and reship it to you - of course a flat rate box to AU is not all that cheap either.

A precision level costs many hundreds of dollars used.

hafco sell a precision level in australia.

the difference between a precision bubble level and garden variety bubble level is the internal radius of the aperture that the bubble rides in. really accurate levels have a radius in the hundreds of feet.

Stealth Pilot

I have wondered about this - reluctant to spent heaps on a tool I would use but infrewuently. Any other method that can be done with handy household appliances?

Andrew VK3BFA.

Andrew I bought a little digital one at Bunnings a month or two ago for A$ 35.00. It resolves to .1 degree, but I don't know how accurate it is, but its better than any of the options I had at the time

My 22"x72" Mazak M4 CNC lathe was having trouble making parts for my wrist watch.

Karl

Don't use both hands to tighten the chuck key.

Ebay Item 260381949789

a.. Main level vial is graduated to 10 second accuracy, one division equals .0005" per foot b.. Additional cross level to check side declinations c.. Used for extreme leveling accuracy d.. V-grooved at the bottom e.. 2 graduated vial to check for lateral and horizontal settings f.. Base is hand scraped for extreme accuracy g.. Cast iron body h.. Included fitted case $65.90 Buy it Now

I bought one that looks like these years ago from Enco for $50 and it seems to work well, don't have a starret to compare it to though.

RogerN

Occasionally I have to level a machine, or a standard to check other levels as well.

Kansas.

Actually I did mine with a transit and two 24" straight edges. But it would be nice to have a fairly accurate level around for many reasons.

If you want to level your lathe, you may also look up Rollie's Dad's Method. The issue with a lathe isn't so much level, although using one is a technique to get what is really needed, pure parallelism between the spindle/chuck axis and the ways, so that you don't turn tapers.

If level were the only objective, they'd need some reeally fancy gimbals on board ships to keep their lathes from rocking with the waves and swells. However, shipboard lathes can turn taper-free shafts just as well as land-based ones, so long as the carriage travels perfectly parallel to the spindle axis. Twisting the bed to make the ways parallel to each other does this.

/mark

sing two levels.

tate do you live,

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Lathes are NOT leveled . You simply take twist out of the bed . MPR on the saddle , move it left and right to see the wear on the bed . If its useable , then

MPR the bed at the head , then move saddle Right and put some paper shims under the lathe bench on the right end .

My first heavy lathe , i made a table with tension rods under the bed to take out any sag . they were not needed . there is no possible sag until you place a 250 lb work piece on the lathe .

BTW , e-welders are all the rage .

For the control . It costs 100 times more $$$ and circuitry to control the voltage on your old MIG/TIG/stick welders .

I have 5 , Harb'Fright $200 e-welders . Tiny , narrow , long red box , featherweight . They make the lowest cost MIG power source ...

Im doin the schematics ... kc7cc yahoo com

I made my own level by mounting the level vial from a surveyors transit telescope to a "T" section about 8" long after grindinng the base flat. I don't know the accuracy, but it does the job for me.

Just guessing, maybe if you attached an indicator to the end of a piece of pipe, chucked it short and centered the dead center by the tailstock offset, then slid the tailstock back where it belongs and recentered the dead center by shimming the bed.

Pipe sags less than solid rod. Even though you're measuring the sides there will be some horizontal error component from vertical deflection if the indicator tip isn't exactly at center height, which is hard to judge or measure as you rotate the spindle, and the closer you set it to the point the worse the error.

If the lathe is near a door or window you could lay a telescope with crosshairs (we use them on rifles) on the bed and line up both ends with some distant object.

Jim Wilkins