Re-mounting bubble level vials?

[Owen E Wheeler]

I've been cleaning up two old Starrett levels this past week, and discover that both of them now have the center vials loose and rattling around. Either what I did to clean them cleaned off the mounting media, or they both came to me that way, no matter.

I had read some where that the vials are set in wet plaster of paris? This allows enough work time to set the vial and get it level, right? Any other input before I begin this repair?

[Andrew Pitonyak]

Although I have no words of wisdom, wish I did, I am very interested in your results and what you choose to use...

[Frank Drew]

Owen,

You might contact Starrett for some tips or advice.

[Mike Olson]

I have an old breast drill that I recently restored which had a bubble level. I noticed that it was held in place with what appears to be plaster of paris and then covered with a metal plate for protection. So, i believe you are correct in your assumption. I had to take great care with cleaning the vial once i realized how it was held in place, Q-Tips were even too big, i had to use wooden tooth picks to clean it without disturbing the plaster as it was very chalky and would start to dissolve if i got it wet at all.

[Owen E Wheeler]

I have an old breast drill that I recently restored which had a bubble level. I noticed that it was held in place with what appears to be plaster of paris and then covered with a metal plate for protection. So, i believe you are correct in your assumption. I had to take great care with cleaning the vial once i realized how it was held in place, Q-Tips were even too big, i had to use wooden tooth picks to clean it without disturbing the plaster as it was very chalky and would start to dissolve if i got it wet at all.

Yeah, that's likely it. I gave these two a two day bath in Evaporust, and I think there's enough water in that to dissolve the plaster. In taking the access plate off to clean other bubbles on other levels I've seen the white globs on both sides. I'll go with that, and report any undue troubles.

Many thanks for the input, everyone.

[John Powers]

Looking at my old wooden level and it is plaster. Probably before epoxy came along. If I were replacing one now I think I'd thicken up some epoxy with the finest sawdust (sander, bandsaw) and bed them in that referencing off of another dependable level sitting next to it.

[Bill Houghton]

Looking at my old wooden level and it is plaster. Probably before epoxy came along. If I were replacing one now I think I'd thicken up some epoxy with the finest sawdust (sander, bandsaw) and bed them in that referencing off of another dependable level sitting next to it.

Not a very reversible fix, though.

I recently attempted to find reasonably priced replacement level vials for a couple of machinist's protractors, without success. If I did have some, I'd hate to set them in something that difficult to remove, in case I had to reset them at some point.

[Owen E Wheeler]

Not a very reversible fix, though.

I recently attempted to find reasonably priced replacement level vials for a couple of machinist's protractors, without success. If I did have some, I'd hate to set them in something that difficult to remove, in case I had to reset them at some point.

A good point, but I've already had practice at unseating them. :-)

[Chris Vandiver]

Are you guys sure that the bedding material is Plaster of Paris? I was under the impression that the vials were bedded in glazier's putty, which hardens after a time.

[Mike Olson]

Glazer putty gets very hard and cracks when old. what I had was more like chalk.

[Steve Thomas]

I don't think epoxy is any good either. I assume that they used plater or chaulk so that it could be re-calibrated are a time or misuse.
If you do glue it in and it creeps during the curing time it will be worthless as a level.

[Owen E Wheeler]

I don't think epoxy is any good either. I assume that they used plater or chaulk so that it could be re-calibrated are a time or misuse.
If you do glue it in and it creeps during the curing time it will be worthless as a level.

Or if a vial is broken. These old levels were seriously expensive back then (still are, new!) and whoever spent the money for them back then was thinking about future repair, I'll bet.

Plaster would be dimensionally stable, right? No drift over time.

[Jeff Burks]

Spirit Level (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spirit_level) vials were indeed set in Plaster of Paris (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plaster_of_paris) (Gypsum (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gypsum)). It is well documented:
1 (http://books.google.com/books?id=7oNJAAAAYAAJ&dq=level%20vial%20plaster&lr&as_drrb_is=q&as_minm_is=0&as_miny_is&as_maxm_is=0&as_maxy_is&as_brr=1&pg=PA119#v=onepage&q=level%20vial%20plaster&f=false) 2 (http://books.google.com/books?id=GD8EAAAAMBAJ&lpg=PA786&dq=level%20vial%20plaster&lr&as_drrb_is=q&as_minm_is=0&as_miny_is&as_maxm_is=0&as_maxy_is&as_brr=1&pg=PA786#v=onepage&q=level%20vial%20plaster&f=false) 3 (http://books.google.com/books?id=aZnmAAAAMAAJ&dq=level%20vial%20plaster&lr&as_drrb_is=q&as_minm_is=0&as_miny_is&as_maxm_is=0&as_maxy_is&as_brr=1&pg=PA136#v=onepage&q=level%20vial%20plaster&f=false) 4 (http://books.google.com/books?id=oxE1AAAAMAAJ&dq=level%20vial%20plaster&lr&as_drrb_is=q&as_minm_is=0&as_miny_is&as_maxm_is=0&as_maxy_is&as_brr=1&pg=PA199#v=onepage&q=level%20vial%20plaster&f=false) 5 (http://books.google.com/books?id=poADAAAAYAAJ&dq=level%20vial%20plaster&lr&as_drrb_is=q&as_minm_is=0&as_miny_is&as_maxm_is=0&as_maxy_is&as_brr=1&pg=PA194#v=onepage&q=level%20vial%20plaster&f=false) 6 (http://books.google.com/books?id=VkEYAAAAYAAJ&dq=spirit%20level%20plaster&lr&as_brr=1&pg=RA1-PA903#v=onepage&q=spirit%20level%20plaster&f=false) 7 (http://books.google.com/books?id=1lbPAAAAMAAJ&dq=spirit%20level%20plaster&lr&as_brr=1&pg=PA613#v=onepage&q=spirit%20level%20plaster&f=false) etc etc...