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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Oct 2011
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    Norwood-ish, Adelaide
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    Default Precision level - or is it?

    I've just hit the buy button on one of these -
    MACHINE/ENGINEERS AJUSTABLE OLD BUBBLE LEVEL | eBay
    (Although not that one - the one I have coming is dirtier and rattier than that.)
    s-l1600 (Small).jpg s-l1601 (Small).jpg
    However, looking at it, it should be screwed down to something and from the date and symbols on the end wonder whether it is something to do with artillery/ mortar for getting a mount or base to a known degree of level.
    Anyone have any thoughts on whether that might be the case?
    At 30" per division I calculate it out at 0.15mm/m. I plan to make up a base for it and use it for comparisons of angle that are too far out for my normal levels (it's around 6" long btw).

    Michael

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Mar 2009
    Location
    Melbourne
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    54
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    825

    Default

    G'day Michael,
    I think what you have is an old surveyors clinometer.
    While clinometers were used on both artillery and machine guns, the absence of any markings like a pheon (/|\) makes me think it's probably not military.
    I've got an old Vickers machine gun clinometer buried away somewhere, I'll try to dig it out and take some photos if you like.
    Cheers,
    Greg.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Apr 2009
    Location
    Tas
    Age
    66
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    30

    Default

    AM 38 might be referring to Air Ministry approved supplier 1938. See this link Mechanism

    Sorry can't help with actual use in aircraft / aircraft industry.
    Last edited by Driftabout; 5th Dec 2016 at 10:59 PM. Reason: added industry into scope of use

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jan 2012
    Location
    Hinchinbrook
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    112

    Default

    Definately not artillery! There is no way they would let a timber cased instrument loose in the hands of a mortarman. Apologies in advance to all the USMC here

    Cheers Phil

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Oct 2011
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    Norwood-ish, Adelaide
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    Default

    I think the timber box is a ring in - it does not look like it fits, lacks cradling and there are two countersunk screw holes on the base, so I think the idea was that it was (semi) permanently attached to something. It does not look the sort of thing that was kept as a 'stand alone' time.

    Driftabout pointed out an ad for this maker that referred to military aircraft, so I wonder whether it was kit to help get gun sights aligned - lift the tail of your WWII fighter aircraft until a reference surface was to a predetermined spec and then adjust sights/ weapons to coincide at a particular distance. It's about the only thing that I can think of on an aircraft (of 1938/1944 vintage) that would need alignment to 30". You would need the adjustablity to cope with variations in mount or gun geometry/ manufacture and they would have been volume produced as every time a gun was replaced the sights would need to be set up.

    Michael

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Jul 2010
    Location
    Melbourne
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    9,088

    Default

    Sounds like you are onto something

    https://books.google.com.au/books?id...0level&f=false

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Oct 2011
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    Norwood-ish, Adelaide
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    Stranger and stranger...
    The level arrived today and what I thought was dirt is that waxy protective grease. Underneath the paintwork looks unmarked (corner scuffing is about it), such that I'm wondering whether it has ever been used.
    This one has the war dept. arrow on it and a reference number (procurement contract?) of 1B/4235

    Michael

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Feb 2012
    Location
    Willunga
    Posts
    114

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    Hi Michael

    I have one that is much the same which is marked RAAF with a date in the early 50s, mine also looks more or less new. Did you by any chance get yours from a gent at Brighton? I got mine there and I think that he had more. I did some googling at the time and I think that the RAAF was using it to set the angles on ground to air beacons. I would call it a clinometer, strictly a inclinometer.

    I have found it really good as a precision level and have been much happier about my lathe since I have had it.

    Ian

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Oct 2011
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    Norwood-ish, Adelaide
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    G'day Ian
    This one came from c-tool over in NSW.

    Michael

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