# compass liquid fill material?



## capnjim02 (Jul 25, 2002)

this week end out and found the compass had leaked all the liquid out. second time this has happened to two different compasses. expensive suckers. last one cost me over two hundred bucks. anyway on our hot motor home i took it out and opened it up, sure enough had a crack in the plastic diaphram. i was thinking of just making a new diaphram out of some butyl rubber sheet goods i have and refilling it. but with what? I figure that the butyl rubber can't be any worse than the damn plastic that developes cracks after a few years. Any thoughts, comments?
S/V Que Pasa


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

Before you do that, you might want to contact the manufacturer and see if they'll replace the compass for you. A friend of mine had a similar problem on an older compass and the company asked her to ship it back to them, and in return sent her a brand new compass.


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

sailingdog said:


> Before you do that, you might want to contact the manufacturer and see if they'll replace the compass for you. A friend of mine had a similar problem on an older compass and the company asked her to ship it back to them, and in return sent her a brand new compass.


That's correct. Any reputable company ( esp. in the marine industry) will
replace products if you ship them back with a nice letter explaining the circumstances.
In the future, try keeping the compass covered from the elements (esp. sun)
and it will last much longer.


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## capnjim02 (Jul 25, 2002)

*I just did a search and found parts*

I have two of these compasses, originally manuf by aqua meter inst co in NJ and they sold them to rule. I don't have a clue if they are still in business . orig compass was installed in boat in 1979. or thereabouts. don't know if it was oem. compass is a gemini ocean passage bulkhead mount. i replaced the old one about 10-12 yrs ago. don't know the exact plastic material but it appears to be possibly a pvc type material. very thin. the material i have in mind is a butle rubber roofing material. i figure if it lasts for a few years then i haven't really lost anything. the new diaphrams are 24$ each and it would take 20$ worth of oil to fill the two. I'm really too cheap to go out and buy a new one and don't know if they are still available, and i really don't want to have to try to cut a different hole in the bulkhead to make a different one to fit, or have to hunt around to find one that is the same cuttout size. I keep the compass covered when not in use. I think its just a factor of age on the plastic material and it hardens a bit with age then cracks.


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

Chances are pretty likely that if the company is still in business, or got taken over by a company that cares about its customers, they may send you a replacement, given that you have two broken ones... and chances are pretty good that any replacement they send you will fit the cutout you have in the cabintop. If you really are too cheap to go out and buy a new one... it is probably worth seeing what the manufacturer will do for you before you go mucking around with it.


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## capnjim02 (Jul 25, 2002)

*Just had a light bulb moment!*

*since i have two of them and i want to have one mounted on port side and one on starboard . maybe i'll get a new diaphram for one and make one for the other and see which one lasts longer. as my daughter would say. well duh!*


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

LOL... but you'd have to give them equal use and abuse... and keeping them covered when not is use is really a good thing. UV can damage the plastic and it can cause the fluid to cloud up in some cases. BTW, don't use 5200 to seal the compass to the new diaphragm, since 5200 can attack a lot of plastics... 



capnjim02 said:


> *since i have two of them and i want to have one mounted on port side and one on starboard . maybe i'll get a new diaphram for one and make one for the other and see which one lasts longer. as my daughter would say. well duh!*


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## Boasun (Feb 10, 2007)

Sorry people it is not mineral spirits used in the compass. The liquid is Varsol a special mixture of Alcohol & distilled water. Mineral spirits is too thick and would slow the compass card to where it would be useless. 
Plus it would be best to replace the diaphragm with the correct part instead of trying to jury rig it. That diaphragm allows the liquid to vary in volume due to the daily temperature changes without upsetting the working of the compass. 
Basically you need a qualified compass repair shop to take care of this. 
Then after all is said and done, SWING the compass and update your Deviation Card.

Mark

1600 Ton Master / 2nd Mate Unlimited Tonnage.


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

Boasun-

I hate to break it to you, but Varsol is not a mixture of alcohol and distilled water, but a form of petroleum distillates similar to kerosene or mineral spirits. I've used the stuff for well over 25 years, and used to sell it when my family owned a paint store. It is a very good general purpose solvent and works well to clean automotive and bicycle parts. The exact fluid used in compasses varies by brand and design.



> What are Varsol Fluids?
> 
> Varsol is ExxonMobil Chemical's brand name for a line of hydrocarbon fluids comprised of both aliphatic and aromatic components. These products are commonly referred to as either mineral spirits or white spirits, and boil in the range of 149 to 213ºC (300 to 415ºF). Mineral spirits are typically clear, petroleum-based distillates. They are sometimes also referred to as Stoddard solvents, often in connection with their historical use as dry cleaning fluids. In addition to the Varsol grades mentioned above, ExxonMobil Chemical also offers select higher-boiling grades for applications that need relatively high solvency and where quick evaporation is not desirable.


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## capnjim02 (Jul 25, 2002)

*I did'nt think it would be mineral spirits!*

I thought it would be mineral OIL. spirits are basically paint thinner, i would have serious doubts that that would work. they would definitely get the same use and abuse since one would be mounted on port and the other on starboard. my boat has a tiller and its next to impossible to read if I'm sitting on the starboard side steering, since my compass is mounted on the port side. I had also heard that some where filled with glycerin. I do know that some very,very old compasses were filled with the alcohol/water mix but that hasn't been done for a lot of years.


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## capnjim02 (Jul 25, 2002)

*I have to give this disc up for now!*

My damm computer is acting like its on the old dial-up. taking forever to do anything.


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

IIRC, Mineral spirits and mineral oil are basically very similar, but the spirits have slightly lighter, more volatile components in the distallate. 
Glycerin is a bad choice, since it gets pretty viscous at relatively mild temperatures. It is also hygroscopic, which isn't that good for a compass. 

AFAIK, most are filled with a form of either alcohol or mineral oil/spirits.


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

Let me guess... you're on a Windows-based machine. Spyware and trojans can take their toll in CPU time. 



capnjim02 said:


> My damm computer is acting like its on the old dial-up. taking forever to do anything.


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## hellosailor (Apr 11, 2006)

"Varsol" = VARnish SOLvent. 

Compass liquid varies between compass makers, some use paraffin oil ("kerosene" in American English) some use a fraction similar to naphtha, others an alcohol base and if you pick the wrong fluid it can dissolve the lettering on the card, the plastic parts, and dampen the spin incorrectly.

Unless you want to buy the expensive "compass fluid" for your brand, ask the mfr what is used or ask for the MSDS for their fluid.

Rule are still around, and we have heard from other sailors in the past who received generous offers from compass makers to replace or repair compasses very reasonably, sometimes replacing old models with new ones.

It's worth the phone call, especially when you can say "they BOTH failed".


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## SimonV (Jul 6, 2006)

At one time the fluid used was kerosene. If that is the original fluid and if it has a bit of a yellow haze that could be what you have. Now they use a silicone fluid that is clearer and not flammable. I would suggest that you consider replacing all the fluid with the modern material.


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## Boasun (Feb 10, 2007)

If you go with Varsol from a hardware store, insure that it is the "odorless" mineral spirits. All other mineral spirits have aromatics in them that attack the plastic & rubber parts of the compass. Even the slightly odorless is desaster for a compass.


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