NavList:

Bill,
For the leveling process I use by AH plate and another home-made vial to bring it to near level. Then the vial can be turned back and forth in small increments until near perfect level is achieved. As I learned from other Nav-list members, every surface has a line that IS perfectly level even when the overall surface is not. Over 2 hours were invested in calibrating the level bases.

The cost of the 10" vials was $50.00 each plush $20.00 "carriage" from the UK. They were delivered to my door in 3-4 days. The company is called "Level Developments" and the e-mail contact I made was Sharon Murphy, if I remember.

The rest of the parts were less than $20.00 and the tools I had on hand. The vials are 130mm long by 13mm diameter, and as I made my tubes only 150mm long the fit was tight. If I did it agian I'd cut the tubes a bit longer, say 160mm. The tubes were mild steel, 3/4 inch square, the end plugs wood, the brass screws 6/32. I used thin strips of foam double stick along the sides to give the vials a snug fit and used yellow paper, accordioned in 10-12 layers, to lift the vials to the top. A few small squares of double stick foam tape protect the top of the vials from the metal tube's upper surface.

Tools used include a Dremel tool and metal cut-off wheels, hack saw, metal file, 6/32 tap, vise grips, propane torch, silver solder and some metal emery paper. I will be doing a line drawing with dimensions some time soon, posting it here.
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