compass fluid

[LORDNELSON]

Any ideas on the type of fluid with which to fill up a compass ( Merkur Compass by C. Plath, Hamburg) ? My brother says gin would do but I am doubtful! There is a bubble about the size of a 50 pence piece in the compass. Thank you.

 

[onenyala]

With info from a previous post I emptied the old fluid out washed out a couple of times with distilled water with a few drops of washing up fluid. Made up a 33%/66% solution of Boots glycerine/distilled water. Washed out the bowl a couple of times with a small amount of this fluid and then refilled the bowl.
Only difficulty was after the first filling very small bubbles appeared on the magnifying ring. I emptied the compass and refilled it and the bubbles did not reappear.
Seems to have worked perfectly.

 

[VicS]

The only sound advice which you can be given is to find out what is the correct fluid.

You will read many accounts of refills which have been successful but if you get it wrong you could end up with a compass which is too sluggish due to the fluid being too viscous or to lively if you use a very mobile liquid when you should have used a more viscous one. Even more serious would be to put in a fluid which strips all the markings off the card. Then you really have blown it.

Contact a compass repairer such as Sirs Navigation (Google will find them) or BPSC Marine who is a member of this forum.

 

[trouville]

My compass is a c.path and lost all its liquid when the diafram burst horrid smelly stuff but oily,you can order the liquid from Germany or as i did filled it with paraffin drained it then refilled with clear parrafin.Works perfectly and has for about a year now!

I wish now id paid just another 500 SEK and bought the secondhand seastrel instead!But i thought path was the "best" now im not so sure its very good but seastrel are very very good!I think like the path, the dome was glass as well?

This shop stocked last year the genuine liquid http://www.busse-yachtshop.de/index.html

It might be safer to use the genuine stuff if you just want to top up,though mine also got a bubble then suddenly ploff drip drip!!If your going to change the liquid then you could try topping up with parrafin see if it mixes i tried a teaspoon full left in the bowl with parrafin it seemed to mix??

 

[bill12]

Aircraft compasses use denatured alcohol which is decompressed in a chamber to remove any bubbles, i think denatured meant it was undrinkable.

 

[cliff]

Hear, Hear..........
--------------------

"Artificial intelligence is no match for natural stupidity"
sailroom <span style="color:red">The place to auction your previously loved boatie bits</span>

 

[stevebirch2002]

Same thing happened to my Sestrel Compass as the diaphragm was not UV proof so over 8 years the diaphragm crumbled. Cleaned out, filled with white parafin and still going strong after two years. Easier to buy a new compass... I have just bought a Platimo 101 which I will fit this winter. Cheers

 

[VicS]

[ QUOTE ]
If your going to change the liquid then you could try topping up with parrafin see if it mixes i tried a teaspoon full left in the bowl with parrafin it seemed to mix??

[/ QUOTE ] Thats sound advice in fact essential if you are trying alternatives for topping up but the idea can be extended to identify the correct fluid with a reasonable dgree of certainty.

Likely fluids will have different refractive idicies which means that you will be able to see the two fluids as they mix if you mix them in a suitable clear container. The ideal vessel to use is a laboratory test tube (every one has a rack of test tubes at home don't they?) Quarter fill the tt with the candidate fluid then add a drop or two of the fluid from the compass. You will see the added drop of compass fluid as you gently allow the two to mix if they are different. When you find the correct liquid the added drop will not be visible because the two, being the same, will have the same refractive index.

However the only sensible thing to do is find out what is the correct fluid in the first place and maybe obtain it from a compass repairer.

 

[RMA]

Barry

I went through this last year with exactly the same type of compass. The fluid you need is ISOPAR M but if there is a bubble you will also need a new diaphragm. I ordered mine through Precision Navigation in Suffolk (info@precisionnavigation.co.uk) at a total cost of about £35, although I have ¾ of a tin of the fluid in my garage if that helps. All the experts will say you cannot do the job yourself (C Plath in Germany emailed to say ‘you are not qualified, etc etc’) but I did mine without too much trouble. I ended up with a tiny bubble that disappeared after a month or so.

Roger

 

[cliffordpope]

A traditional brass compass uses alcohol. You screw in a special threaded nut to pull the diaphram, undo the filler plug, fill to the brim, release the nut a fraction to push out any bubble, refit the plug, then remove the diaphram nut.

 

[bpscmarine]

Contact us and we will be able to tell what fluid to use
www.bpsc-marine.co.uk

 

[bpscmarine]

We have just read the threads! DO NOT FILL IT WITH ALCOHOL. It is an oil filled compass and for that matter do not fill it with Isopar M it is the wrong grade.

 

[RMA]

That's strange. Isopar M is the fluid supplied by Plath and Weems for that compass, and has their name on the label.