35 buck Chinese Machinist's Level overhaul and cralibation (!)

[DIYSwede]

Title sez it all - overconfident that my proper drilling yesterday would suffice,
for finally getting the vial to zero out.
I hadn't considered the other Unknown Chinese Bozo fitting the vial in the tube.

The darned thing isn't even fitted centrally in the tube, rather just thrown in,
and covered up with the yellowish plaster or whatever that is.
Don't really want to make a full autopsy and refit in fear of breaking the darned vial...

Tonight's tryout shows I need to take the bore's bottom a further 20 thou down,
just to get in the ball park, and then some.
Though my surface plate's new Q&D adjustable feet works just great...
Just chuck the level's house in the 4-jaw, offset it 0.25 mm-ish and bore it out...



-It surely takes some persistance, methodology and ingenuity to stay cheap,
and finally get these "assembled kits" from overseas to work.

Somebody eager to post recommendations in buying well-renowned, expensive and US made brands instead -
you should really contain this urge, as no real, Cheapo DIY Machinist would ever follow your advice,
nor fold over such an interesting and rewarding challenge like this!
All the money we thus save, we immediately invest in other cheap tools-to-become-projects, see?