In an idle moment a couple of years back, I tried making the things, mostly
out of curiosity as to how they were made. The old term is "spirit level"
and "spirits" means alcohol (never mind about Halloween!) Well, how the
h..l do you seal over the end of a glass tube full of alcohol--the stuff
burns, you know, and using a torch doesn't seem like such a great idea. I
could make one end of the vial, just heat sealing the tube, by rotating it
in the flame. I could start to close the other end in the same way. Can't
close it completely cause you can't get the alcohol in. Close it too much
and you still can't get the alcohol in!
Well, you can get the alcohol in, either by heating the tube and submerging
it. (The air contracts and sucks in the alcohol). OR you can use a
hypodermic equivalent --made mine by drawing out the end of a tube and
snapping it off. Fill with alcohol, slip the tip inside the tip on the vial
and blow.  (Don't suck  if using denatured alcohol-- if it's drinkable
stuff, suck away and forget making vials!)

Then you have to seal off the tip--bummer! Heat it up, the alcohol boils
and jets out the end, keeping it from ever sealing, and starts the neatest
little blue fires all over the bench. Well, I was finally able to seal them
off by wrapping the vial in an ice pack and sealing off the tip with a red
hot iron. Something is clearly lacking in my technique, but it is possible.

Oh, yes, before you cut off the tube, get a length hot and let it sag to
put the gradual bend in it. You need the curve or there isn't a top for the
bubble to sit in. Some day I want to excavate an old level and see what the
vials look like. Only problem is that the only levels I have that are junky
enough to excavate have broken vials--catch 22 all over again.

Try it, it's a real adventure!

ted
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Just say: "Keep a level head and get into the spirit of things."