Cleaning the Compass

[WindermereColvic]

My (very) old h/b compass’s card was stuck because part of the plastic inside had flaked off and was floating round. Got round to draining it the other night and this ¬¬ came out! Was quite surprised to say the least! The fluid has had it, so I’m going to refill with white spirit, although comparing to my silva, it seems to have developed a 20deg deviation. Perhaps shaking it to break up the plastic inside finished it off, but i recon its 20+ years old so can’t complain on the value for money front. Matt

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PS, chocky bar in for scale! Ok ok i didnt tidy the table first, but hey, it served a purpose!

 

[AntarcticPilot]

Before using white spirit, check what it was before. There are several possibilities, and using the wrong one will destroy the compass. It could be alcohol.

 

[lesweeks]

I used baby oil after a forum recommendation.

 

[AntarcticPilot]

The point is, there isn't a single right answer for what to use to fill a compass - you MUST use the stuff it was designed for, and there are several possibilities, including oils and alcohol. One designed for alcohol will be wrecked by using oil, and vice-versa. Check with the compass manufacturers; it should be easy enough to find out.