I bought this level for $1 at an antique store. It had no identifiers of who made it or how old it was so I gave it the royal treatment it deserved. I modeled the new design after antique levels that commonly feature brass insets.
Do you know anything about who made this level or how old it really is? Please leave a comment with any details you might have and I'll pin your comment!
______ Timestamps________
0:00 - 0:30 Overview
0:31 - 2:22 Disassembly
2:23 - 3:28 Washers and Screws cleanup
3:29 - 6:15 Vial disassembly, cleanup, and fixing
6:16 - 6:21 Repainting vial lines
6:22 - 7:44 Vial holder clean up and sanding
7:45 - 8:26 Brass plating vial holders
8:27 - 8:37 Painting vial holders
8:38 - 9:49 Vial reassembly and plastering
9:50 - 10:58 Wood sanding
10:59 - 12:07 Filling in wood cracks
12:08 - 13:54 Sanding and brass coating new washers/bevels
13:55 - 15:01 Cutting recesses for bevels and vials
15:02 - 16:19 Cutting glass windows
16:20 - 17:37 Sanding prep staining, sealing
17:38 - 19:42 Reassembly
19:43 - 20:23 Final Reveal
20:24 - 20:32 Before/After
20:33 - 20:46 Testing
20:47 - 21:01 Thanks for watching! Please leave a comment, like, and subscribe if you enjoyed!
______ Brass plating steel tutorial tips _________
Start with prepping the steel surface to be plated. I recommend sanding to at least 500 grit finish at minimum. Heating the part can be done with any heating method that heats the part surface to at least 1710°F (932°C). The part needs to be at least this hot to melt a thin layer of brass onto it but avoid heating it to cherry red or glowing red or else you will create a scale layer than prohibits the brass from sticking well to the base steel. Use a solid brass wire brush (make sure it’s solid brass and not brass-coated steel wire!) and gently brush the surface continually until the part cools below 1710°F. Repeat heating and brushing as needed to achieve a uniform brass finish.
_______ Tips for restoring your own wood levels ________
Wood levels widely vary in design specifics, but there are a few similarities between them all. Most levels have at least two spirit levels/vials. Start with extracting these by looking for a metal button that can be removed or a hole that is filled in with plaster. Carefully drill down into the hole to break away the plaster and extract the vials. If you chip a vial open or it’s already been drained of the alcohol inside you can refill it with just about any alcohol and seal it with a bit of glue or silicone. You may need to use a tiny syringe to refill the vial. If your level has any brass components, mix a paste of vinegar, salt, and flour and slather it on the brass parts and wrap them in plastic wrap and let them sit overnight. Then, rinse them off and hit them with a brass wire wheel followed by a polishing compound to make them shine.
_______ Catalyst Restorations Social Media ______
Instagram: @catalyst_restorations