there's a cupped handle that screws onto the threaded bolt on the underside of the head, sandwiching the tripod between them......this is loosened and retightened (while moving the head and checking the bubble) to level the camera.....I was missing the cupped handle. It's a very heavy head, and a heavy enough camera rig.....so had I not found something decent at a nearby hardware store the shoot was probably going to have to be delayed. It's a silly little piece of equipment that seems like nothing, but it's everything when you realize you don't have it.

EDIT: The tripod screw issue was from another shoot entirely.....from the material I'm slowly gathering for my animated sleepy hollow re-edit. Shooting live action material for menus to match the live action library opening from the film itself. THAT'S an easier issue to get around....tape (and lots of it) did the trick that time.