I've got a few WW1 dated fluid filled conpasses. A touch older than 75 years old.... They make for a nice little collection & show how the designs changed in even a short time frame
Do they still function well and/or give accurate readings? I’m just curious because things made during that era seem like the primary purpose informing their design (aside from the main function, obviously) was maximum durability.
LOL, no one read the full description. "APRIL FOOLS!" The kit are 35 mm plastic film canisters with decals he printed, same font as the titles on his videos. Good one, snagged a few in!!
"You need to change your compass fluid" "Hey, I already got tricked once at the repair shop, when they said I was low on headlight fluid!" "No, there really is fluid in your compass." "I'm not falling for the same trick twice!"
I figured it out. The ring with numbers on it is the retainer. I opened it by putting a toothpick under each finger. Then it all comes apart really easy. The capsule is fully sealed. Drill a hole. I filled with white gas. Super glue didn't seal it. I tried a rubber cork but it didn't work great. I just ended up ordering a new compass but if you can get it to seal you will be good to go. Edit: 1-k kerosene not white gas, sorry
Perfect, but I found best results using two sets of the magic rinse. That liquid is amazing - much better than whatever comes from the factory. It's almost like it expands a bit and virtually ensures a bubble free end result. I think time of year may be important? (Relative humidity?) My best results have generally been at the very start of Q2 each year. Thank you.
Would have appreciated identification of liquid fill. Every few years, because of bubble formation, I need to top up the liquid inside my WW2, 1944 prismatic British Army compass. I purchased it in 1956 from one of many “ex-WD” shops set up immediately after WW2 I have been replenishing the fluid with a mixture of ethylene or propylene glycol and isopropyl alcohol added to reduce the viscosity. Too high a viscosity over-dampens the rotation of the mother-of-Pearl disc. And too much alcohol leads to Immiscibility of the liquids resulting in separation. The back of the reservoir holding the liquid is undulated so that once the sealing screw is removed, the fluid is easily expressed by applying pressure to the back surface, rinsing with glycol using a syringe and then refilling with the alcohol-glycol mixture. Amazing and best of British piece of well engineered and functionally thought out instrumentation!
the blenheim used ethanol as damping fluid in its mag compass. with that logic, methylated spirits in a thoroughly cleaned needle housing probably would work.
When considering any liquid for damping purposes you need to address its volatility. Meths is a mixture of chemicals that include methanol (10%), pyridine to make the liquid unpalatable, isopropyl alcohol, acetone, methylethyl ketone and methylisobutyl ketone. All of these chemicals are volatile, apart from being toxic to varying degrees - especially methanol - which means that there will be some escape through the seals of the compass which then allows air in by straight counter diffusion. That’s why the mixture that I use is largely ethylene or propylene glycol (which has a very low vapour pressure) but slightly thinned with IPA to reduce the viscosity. I can’t see the benefit of using meths simply because it will leak out as a vapour and, thereby create large air bubbles that interfere with accuracy.
i guess the magnetic compasses during ww2 were made of glass which is pretty much gas proof. Still lamp oil is thin enough and hardly volatile, sold in plastic containers, so should be a usable replacement for meths. Nothing wrong with using your mixture, but it is a mixture, i prefer something usable straight from the can/bottle@@Maxadolf
Hi there - I have a 1967 GM accessory fluid filled compass that I want to restore. Can we start a conversation about this? I have been unable to find any documentation on it,. The needle is stationary, the dial floats in the fluid and its the dial that spins.
I have a Brunton Pro Eclipse 8099 that has a Bubble in it. It doesn't, that I can see, a screw in the back that permits fluid change. If it did I could possibly remove the Bubble as you did in your "Changing Fluid In Your Compass" RU-vid video. Any suggestions on how to get rid of the bubble?
I don't get what part of the video is the "April Fools" part. These kits don't exist so at least that. I've never seen a compass with a set screw, but I've only owned a couple silvas and a suunto. Definitely people do indeed refill the liquid drilling a hole and putting kerosene in, so the basic premise is apparently feasible. Spreading misinformation probably isn't a great April Fool's joke; most people in the comments aren't aware of the publication date.
I have compasses that are 40+ years old and I've never had a problem with the viscosity of the fluid, nor have i ever seen a compass with the plug for emptying/refilling the compass. Perhaps we get better quality compasses in the UK!
