No liquid in my compass!

[skyflyer]

Probably my own fault - i removed it to get at other stuff and when I put it back, realised it was swinging wildly, undamped
I notice there is a small screw high up on one side of the bowl - is this the refill point, and if so, with what do i fill it?
The compass is a "Ritchie Powerdamp"

Thanks for any advice

 

[nigelmercier]

Expect to get a lot of incorrect replies...

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’

 

[sailorman]

Probably my own fault - i removed it to get at other stuff and when I put it back, realised it was swinging wildly, undamped
I notice there is a small screw high up on one side of the bowl - is this the refill point, and if so, with what do i fill it?
The compass is a "Ritchie Powerdamp"

Thanks for any advice

Barry Phillips as mentioned serviced my power damp some yrs ago.
it it has a bubble or leak the diaphragm needs replacing, simples

 

[prv]

Expect to get a lot of incorrect replies...

Olive Oil
Baby Oil
Sunflower Oil
Kerosene
Pink Paraffin
White Spirit
Clear Massage Oil (enough said)

I'm surprised no gin or vodka in that list

Pete

 

[Halo]

White spirit worked well for me and lasted years.

 

[VicS]

Probably my own fault - i removed it to get at other stuff and when I put it back, realised it was swinging wildly, undamped
I notice there is a small screw high up on one side of the bowl - is this the refill point, and if so, with what do i fill it?
The compass is a "Ritchie Powerdamp"

Thanks for any advice

If you don't want to risk wrecking it by putting the wrong/incompatible fluid in it contact Barry Phillips for advice.

http://www.bpsc-marine.co.uk/


Or another compass repairer of your choice.

If you start putting common fluids in you may strike lucky but the odds are stacked against you.

I've put the wrong thing in the compass off an old Seafix RDF that I was hoping to make into a hand bearing compass.

All the markins are now floating about inside independent of the card!

 

[pvb]

There's no point putting anything in it until the leak's been repaired.

 

[sailorman]

There's no point putting anything in it until the leak's been repaired.

Many miss that point, as you well know there is either a leak or dodgy diaphragm

 

[Concerto]

There was an article in PBO January 2014 about refilling a compass.

If you do not have this back issue I am happy to photograph it and send by email. Just PM me and I will organise it for you.

 

[DownWest]

Had this problem with an aircraft compass, the CAA surveyor told me to fill it with gin. Stopped it occilating, but stripped the numbers off. Johnsons baby oïl did work though, after I had repainted the numbers with a very fine brush. It was a French aircraft and old, so finding a replacement was going to be tricky and expensive. A 1970s story. Nowadays, one would just chuck a replacement in.

 

[Floyd Raser]

The old Sestral which came with my boat had just enough fluid to cover the chart. It had also been messed with and the rubber seal had been replaced with some kind of red gunge, which clearly wasn't working.
I drained it and cleaned up mess, and the fluid was deemed to be gin polluted with oil.
But as it dried out, the painted markings on the card all peeled off as it sat on the bench.

 

[ghostlymoron]

Not worth experimenting with fluids - they're all different. Either send to Barry or get new compass.

 

[skyflyer]

Thanks all; have been in touch with Barry!