Submitted by Bob Buckihal
Here’s an idea that you might pass along to others. For $20 at the local hardware store, I was able to buy 36 feet of 1/2″ PVC pipe, a whole bagful of attach fittings, PVC cement, and several pipe hangers. TAP plastics supplied a 4 foot 1/2″ clear plastic tube. From these materials, I can fabricate a water level in less time than it takes to describe it. The clear plastic tube won’t fit into the PVC, but it can be RTV’d on top of the PVC to make the water level visible.
I have a permanent water level attached to my wing jig. When one of the eight measuring points gets in the way, 20 whacks with a hack saw gets rid of it. Later it can be reattached with some glue and a connector.
Every time the plans call for the fuselage to be level, I build a new water level from the same old parts, then cut it apart until it is needed next time.
I attach the PVC directly to the support jig with a 1/2″ pipe bracket and sheet rock screws. The water level becomes rigid and gives accurate, stable readings. The large inside diameter of the clear pipe makes the water level easy to measure accurately.
