Loss of liquid in compass: can it be replaced?

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Salty John said:
Some compasses are filled with mineral oil, some with mineral spirit and never the 'twain shall meet.

When you hear people talk about filling their compasses with vodka or gin, a ludicrous waste, those are spirit filled versions. If you put spirit in a previously oil filled compass I've been told it can take the numbers off the card, so check first.
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ARB (CAA) area surveyor told me to use gin in an aircraft compass. It did strip the numbers off!!
 
I added isopropyl alcohol to a lovely old Sestrel once, and immediately regretted it - there was a reaction with the existing liquid which seemed to create acetone, anyway the card started to react and the sight thread broke, so I tipped it quickly over the garage floor, rinsed it and filled with baby oil, which was OK as it was going to be used in the warmth of the Med.
My Plastimo hand bearer has need of a drink now, and I'm swithering as to what I should try as we're now back in Scotland. I think oil would give too slow card response.
Anyone had success with a (comparatively) modern plastic unit?
 
Billjratt said:
... I'm swithering as to what I should try ...
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Isopar M or L. http://amzn.to/1z2nAQG

From a previous thread:

nigelmercier said:
I've just had an interesting reply from Barry at compass repairers BPSC Marine:

Isopar L (compass fluid we supply) is specific for the job! White Spirit is used for cleaning paint of brushes! Lamp oil, if you knew the number of compasses that come in with that inside that I just throw away because it ruined the internals. Below are the fluids I have had in because someone told someone else it would work!!
Olive Oil
Baby Oil
Sunflower Oil
Kerosene
Pink Paraffin
White Spirit
Clear Massage Oil (enough said)
All of this compasses were marked ‘oil fill only’
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Unfortunately BPSC has a server 500 error, so I don't know whether I can get the correct fluid or not, however I've got all winter to keep trying.
Unless of course, someone tells me there's something in the kitchen that's just as good...
 
pratkins said:
I have successfully used white spirit, testing it first to make sure it would mix with the original liquid. All is well, BUT , now the compass card will not sit level. I guess it has been neglected too long with only half the liquid. Is there anything that can be done to put this right? I have set it up on my bench to see if overnight will make any difference.
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A compas generally has abllance weights to suit the location it is used in. This refelcts the fact that as one gets closer to the magnetic poles the magnetic lines of force turn to vertical towards the centre of the earth. Hence if you are near the north magnetic pole the north seeking end of the compass is pulled towards the North mag. pole but also downwards. Hence compasses used in high N lat will have weights attaced to the S end of the card. Likewise compasses for Tasmania will have some weights attached to the north seeking end of the card. Now this effect is not that great for most areas we sail in however if you get a compass from the other side of the world the ballance being on the wronf side will make the compass card very unlevel. Obviously compasses for low latitudes don't need any ballance. So I suggest your ballance weights have fallen off or you have compass made for UK or similar.
Re the question on whether a bubble matters. Well in practice not much but basically witha bubble the remaining fluid can slosh about ie move with motion.This can take the card with it giving an unsteady card. When full of fluid there is not room for fluid movement so oil does its job of damping the motion. good luck olewill
 
Billjratt said:
Unfortunately BPSC has a server 500 error, so I don't know whether I can get the correct fluid or not, however I've got all winter to keep trying.
Unless of course, someone tells me there's something in the kitchen that's just as good...
Click to expand...
Barry Phillips
BPSC Marine Services
Unit 4 Park Business Ctr
1 Park Rd
Southampton
SO15 3US
 
Thanks, Sailorman. Perhaps you are right. The compass card floats ok and seems to move freely, but still sits at an angle of 45 degrees.I have turned it upside down to make sure there are no bubbles under the card and have all the air out of it. Before I took it out to service, it had lost about half of the fluid. This maybe where the damage began.
: just too busy to care of it.
 
Johnsons baby oil worked for my plastimo 100 compasses.
Mrs chewi recognised the smell of the remaining fluid, we deduced it would be a clean oil, so I bought some Johnsons baby oil, smelt identical, mixed OK, didn't remove any lettering.
 
I used baby oil in my plastimo compass too, seems to work ok. The card did sit at angle, I presume due to trapped air. I remember having a job getting it out but managed to fix it eventually.
 
;4008 said:
Agree with Johnbb. I refilled my old Sestrel with industrial alcohol and used a hypodermic to top up. The fridge trick helped.

No, I am not a drug fuelled alcoholic!
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I Filled my old Sestral binacle and Sestral handbearer about 15 years ago with vodka.
 
chewi said:
Does she know you call her a cow?
:-)
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It seems the reference was lost: http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=2iQBAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA35&lpg=PA35&dq=gave+my+cow+turpentine&source=bl&ots=E_f3TQAEFy&sig=6XvcSS7A2csj3YQmMIvY6gXwej4&hl=en&sa=X&ei=w-g-VKSXFoXe7Aax7YGQCA&ved=0CB8Q6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=gave%20my%20cow%20turpentine&f=false

Having said that, my wife has asked me to stop writing Fat Cow on the notice board in the kitchen. It is simply a reminder for her to buy full milk.
 
Ah.....if only we still had grammar schools, all would be well..........not!
nigelmercier said:
It seems the reference was lost: http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=2iQBAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA35&lpg=PA35&dq=gave+my+cow+turpentine&source=bl&ots=E_f3TQAEFy&sig=6XvcSS7A2csj3YQmMIvY6gXwej4&hl=en&sa=X&ei=w-g-VKSXFoXe7Aax7YGQCA&ved=0CB8Q6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=gave%20my%20cow%20turpentine&f=false

Having said that, my wife has asked me to stop writing Fat Cow on the notice board in the kitchen. It is simply a reminder for her to buy full milk.
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ghostlymoron said:
Ah.....if only we still had grammar schools, all would be well..........not!
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Thread drift..
We still have at least 4 single sex grammar schools in Bournemouth & Poole, as well as the comprehensives, secondaries, and academies.

Not suprisingly they are all expected to compete at the same level, despite huge funding & background differences, so not suprisingly they cannot.
 
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