COMPASS, PRISMATIC, Mk3 (by Peter Laidler)

[puck finn]

Dear Sir:

I've had one of these old compasses laying around for awhile hoping one day I might learn how to get rid of the bubble. I loved the mother of pearl card and though I knew next to nothing about compasses, I figured the card composition meant quality. Now having stumbled across your article and this wonderful site, I spent a few hours in the morning disassembling far enough add isopropyl alcohol, work the bubble out, then carefully work the screw down enough the create a vacuum. I'll do the compression a few more times next week then we'll see if the gasket that came with it will do the trick. Is there anything to smear on the bowl to keep it from slowly seizing to the case?

Regards,

Tami Hansen

P. S. I'll hunt round this site some more and see if someone has done a similar tutorial for the U. S. mil regular issue soldier's compass. I have been in the army for just over four years and the intricacies of the compass are not understood by many of my comrades. I have about 5 of those compasses, starting with a radium painted dial imprinted 12-59 on the cover. The rest starting with one from 1972 through the late '80s, appear to have the tritium tubes (the early '70s one doesnt specify anything other than that it is radioactive.)

---------- Post added at 09:15 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:12 AM ----------

Dear Sir:

I apologize, but I have one more question. Any notes on calibrating the prismatic or U. S. compass?

Thank you,

Tami Hansen

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[nagamitsu]

Hi Peter,

It would be nice to have even more details just for curiositie's sake !!

Dear Sir:

I've had one of these old compasses laying around for awhile hoping one day I might learn how to get rid of the bubble. I loved the mother of pearl card and though I knew next to nothing about compasses, I figured the card composition meant quality. Now having stumbled across your article and this wonderful site, I spent a few hours in the morning disassembling far enough add isopropyl alcohol, work the bubble out, then carefully work the screw down enough the create a vacuum. I'll do the compression a few more times next week then we'll see if the gasket that came with it will do the trick. Is there anything to smear on the bowl to keep it from slowly seizing to the case?

Regards,

Tami Hansen

P. S. I'll hunt round this site some more and see if someone has done a similar tutorial for the U. S. mil regular issue soldier's compass. I have been in the army for just over four years and the intricacies of the compass are not understood by many of my comrades. I have about 5 of those compasses, starting with a radium painted dial imprinted 12-59 on the cover. The rest starting with one from 1972 through the late '80s, appear to have the tritium tubes (the early '70s one doesnt specify anything other than that it is radioactive.)

---------- Post added at 09:15 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:12 AM ----------


Dear Sir:

I apologize, but I have one more question. Any notes on calibrating the prismatic or U. S. compass?

Thank you,

Tami Hansen