Machinist's Level help

[seal killer]

pete--

I can think of a good reason why you haven't had problems adjusting it . . . you know what the heck you're doing!

I wonder how fine the thread is on your Mitutoyo shcs?

--Bill

[pete]

Lol, you couldn't be more wrong Bill. When I bought mine I really didn't have a clue, I just followed the included instructions. But for obvious reasons I'm not really wanting to pull that screw. That shcs is through the side of the level, and going by the vial movement verses a partial turn on the screw it's likely a standard pitch thread and nothing all that fancy. My adjustments are still a bit finicky, but really not that tough to get it adjusted. Easy to go a bit too far, so I just adjust a fraction and wait for the bubble to re-find it's new stable location, then just slowly creep up on where it's calibrated when swapping it end for end. That shcs makes me think it works against some type of eccentric cam or wedge and lever that does the actual vial assembly adjustment. Your post got me curious enough and I thought it would be easy to find an exploded view of how mine works. Zero luck on that for all 3 of the Mitutoyo replacement part web sites I tried or with a Google search for replacement parts for any of there precision levels. From bit's n pieces I've picked up it's fairly common for at least the better known European manufacturer's in the past such as Hilger & Watts etc to use some type of differential screw mechanism as an extremely fine movement on some of there standard and box levels for what there using as adjustment method. Mitutoyo seems a bit overly protective about showing any exploded views or parts drawings, so maybe there using something that's cheaper and easier to produce? That got me even more curious so I pulled it's heat insulating sheet metal top cover. It's internals seem just as impressive and well made as the exterior and now I know why they cost what they do. But the actual vial adjustment and how it works with that screw are still buried under the vial mount at the adjustable end. It might be something a simple as a hardened and ground tapered cone or wedge?

[neanderman]

Bill; you can level an item and then turn the level the other way around. If it's still on, it's on.

This is how I was taught to check a level.

[ctwo]

I've been reading about so many things lately and it seems everyone is using acronyms, or are they abbreviations? I had to look up shcs!

[Bill Shields]

It is a new short hand term created for people that do not want to use hexalobular fasteners.

[pete]

Sorry, probably a short form abbreviation picked up from my UK written machinist books. It's used all the time in those.But I need to remember Bills hexalobular.

[Bill Shields]

Actually SHCS has been around longer

[pete]

True, but that hexalobular is still more confusing. I know someone where throwing that in to a sentence should send him into a complete fit.

[Harold_V]

shcs
Socket head cap screw

Common terminology in the tool and die shop.

H

[liveaboard]

No one would ever write "Allen screw" because that's just incorrect terminology.

[Bill Shields]

Actually...'Allen was (is) trademarked... like torx..hence shcs and hexalobular

[NP317]

Thanks guys! I learned something during my cup of coffee this morning.
Really!
RussN