Wood/brass spirit level without the spirit
Simon0362 | 27/04/2015 22:09:22 |
279 forum posts 91 photos |
I recently bought the level shown in the photo at a French car boot sale. On returning home and looking at it carefully it uses a weight/lever method to provide horizontal and vertical angle measurement and is marked in both centimetres per metre and in degrees.
The measurement block can be removed from the brass bound wooden frame with the two sliding catches. The windows of which only one is complete appear to be celluloid (but I am open to correction). The limited amount of information shows “Niveau PECQUEUR and also “PLOMB” with what I think is a masonic style ‘A’ with the crossbar broken into a dipping ‘v’ form.
There is no other information on the level and I have failed to find anything of interest on any French or English web sites. If anyone can provide me with some more information, I would be very grateful – or maybe suggest a more suitable place to post my query!
Simon
|
Michael Gilligan | 27/04/2015 22:32:50 |
![]() 23121 forum posts 1360 photos | Very nice find, Simon I presume it's a Surveyor's level, for setting-out drainage, etc. Not seen its like before ... but there is one on ebay.fr Quite envious! MichaelG. |
Simon0362 | 27/04/2015 23:12:52 |
279 forum posts 91 photos | Thanks Michael, it looked a good deal and the man at the car boot sale eventually halved the price due to the damage. Couldn't find anything on ebay.fr apart from a centre section that sold for 60€, nothing current anyway. Simon |
JasonB | 28/04/2015 07:35:12 |
![]() 25215 forum posts 3105 photos 1 articles | I'd tend to call it an inclinometer rather than a level, looks a bit too fine for drain laying but for setting shallow angles when boat or plane building it would be ideal. Drain laying levels tend to use a bubble with the 1:40 and 1:60 falls marked and are designed to be viewed from above so as you stand astride the pipe at the bottom of the trench you can read the bubble.
J |
Eugene | 28/04/2015 10:40:38 |
131 forum posts 12 photos | I agree with Jason, above. "Pente", as marked on one of the scales, is the French for inclination. "Niveau" is the noun for a level, but can also mean flat. Lovely old tool that could have many uses in all sorts of construction work. I wish I'd had one when I laid the stone patio round my garden pond! Eug |
Michael Gilligan | 28/04/2015 11:01:36 |
![]() 23121 forum posts 1360 photos | Posted by JasonB on 28/04/2015 07:35:12:
... looks a bit too fine for drain laying but for setting shallow angles when boat or plane building it would be ideal. Drain laying levels tend to use a bubble with the 1:40 and 1:60 falls marked ... . au contraire, Jason [or should that be eau contraire I think it may be rather coarse for drainage work note that the scale is calibrated in centimetres per metre ['though I'm blowed if I understand the double graduations on the scales] MichaelG. . P.S. ... it may be worth investigating this thread
Edited By Michael Gilligan on 28/04/2015 11:11:28 |
Simon0362 | 28/04/2015 12:37:47 |
279 forum posts 91 photos | Michael, Posted by Michael Gilligan on 28/04/2015 11:01:36:
[or should that be eau contraire
![]()
Ouch! For the scale - I read it as showing say 5cm in 1M or 5cm in 100 = thus the angle is tan-1 of 5/100 = 2.8° which corresponds to the roughly 3° mark on the scale - or am I missing something?
I would be surprised if it was for anything dirty or outdoor since it is both clean and shows no signs of having had an outdoor life at any time. I rather prefer Jason's idea of boatbuilding or similar in wood rather than anything more aggressive. Also the accuracy is limited to say the least and would only give +/- a degree I suspect - if nothing else the scale unit is a good but not imovable fit in the brass bound wooden frame. The link is good to show that others out there have them....but the use and origins are still unclear to me - nor even the approximate date which I suspect to be the 30s due to the celluloid and the general style of the scale.
More thoughts and ideas welcome Simon
|
JasonB | 28/04/2015 12:43:14 |
![]() 25215 forum posts 3105 photos 1 articles | Michael, the other side of the scale is 0.5, 1 and 5 degrees. eg 9cm in 1.0m is 5.2deg Edited By JasonB on 28/04/2015 13:07:11 |
Michael Gilligan | 28/04/2015 13:15:39 |
![]() 23121 forum posts 1360 photos | Jason and Simon Thanks for the sanity-input regarding the scale factor MichaelG. |
Michael Gilligan | 28/04/2015 20:23:20 |
![]() 23121 forum posts 1360 photos | Stll on a voyage of discovery ... Niveau means 'level' ... etymology here. MichaelG. . Edit: and 'France & Etranger' appears to be a manufacturer of Cameras and Surveying Instruments [example] ... unless it's some sort of certification authority [?] . Edited By Michael Gilligan on 28/04/2015 20:34:29 Edited By Michael Gilligan on 28/04/2015 20:36:28 Edited By Michael Gilligan on 28/04/2015 20:44:35 |
Michael Gilligan | 28/04/2015 21:30:37 |
![]() 23121 forum posts 1360 photos |
Not forgetting: BTE S.G.D.G. |
Michael Gilligan | 28/04/2015 21:51:29 |
![]() 23121 forum posts 1360 photos | This is not the one ... but worth a look, for comparison. MichaeG. . P.S. ... Here is a great article about Plumb Levels, various. Edited By Michael Gilligan on 28/04/2015 21:59:52 |
Simon0362 | 29/04/2015 08:50:12 |
279 forum posts 91 photos | Michael, some interesting information you found, especially the patent which looks similar to the guts of mine and gives a rough starting date. I understood the BTE S.G.D.G to mean that a patent was recognised (by the official French system) but had not gone through a process - like Patent Pending. Moreover, the patent had not been examined for either accuracy, nor for clashes with other existing ones. **LINK** for a deeper explanation. As for the France et Etranger, I think that merely describes the territory of the patent - like old UK ones that referred to GB and Empire. I still suspect the Plomb with its vaguely masonic symbol may be the key. Simon |
Michael Gilligan | 29/04/2015 09:13:53 |
![]() 23121 forum posts 1360 photos | Posted by Simon0362 on 29/04/2015 08:50:12:
I still suspect the Plomb with its vaguely masonic symbol may be the key. . Simon, A clearer photo [or a good sketch] of that symbol might help. MichaelG. . A few more patents to browse, if you are so inclined. Edited By Michael Gilligan on 29/04/2015 09:17:56 |
Michael Gilligan | 29/04/2015 09:27:04 |
![]() 23121 forum posts 1360 photos | Simon, Forgive me for stating the obvious, but Aplomb is a word we adopted from the French, and is used in its original sense on your level. Thereore; the stylized 'A' is [as you suggest] almost certainly a manufacturer's logo. MichaelG. |
Martin King 2 | 29/04/2015 09:36:15 |
![]() 1129 forum posts 1 photos | Hi Simon, VERY nice level in pretty good order. Should you want to dispose of it may I suggest that the best place to realise the top dollar would be the nex International Tool Sale of David Stanley Auctions where I think you might be surprised what it will make... Do not do anything to it at all is my advice, leave EXACTLY as it is. Level collectors hate them being messed with in any way. I buy and sell (not collect) a LOT of levels and it is a rarified area of collecting. A pic of the makers mark would be helpful if it is what I think it is... Regards, Martin |
Simon0362 | 29/04/2015 09:40:57 |
279 forum posts 91 photos | Michael, Better photo of the name:
Martin, PM sent.
Simon |
Michael Gilligan | 29/04/2015 11:04:05 |
![]() 23121 forum posts 1360 photos | Thanks, Simon ...I think we can let Martin be your guide. MichaelG. |
Martin King 2 | 29/04/2015 11:25:56 |
![]() 1129 forum posts 1 photos | SGDG = Sans Garantie Du Gouvernment |
Please login to post a reply.
Want the latest issue of Model Engineer or Model Engineers' Workshop? Use our magazine locator links to find your nearest stockist!
Sign up to our newsletter and get a free digital issue.
You can unsubscribe at anytime. View our privacy policy at www.mortons.co.uk/privacy
You can contact us by phone, mail or email about the magazines including becoming a contributor, submitting reader's letters or making queries about articles. You can also get in touch about this website, advertising or other general issues.
Click THIS LINK for full contact details.
For subscription issues please see THIS LINK.