Bubble in prismatic compass

[tombear]

This isn't the right place I guess but I'm not at all sure were would be. Anyroad since I know some serious armourers abide here I thought I what the hell.

I finally picked up a leather case for the 1943 Mk III prismatic compas I picked up for £5 when I was about 13 so I dug it out to put in it. Unfortunately the small bubble of my youth has expanded to a size that it affects the card. Can it be refilled at home or is it going to be expensive? I used it a lot in the 1980s and want to get it back into working order.

ATB

Tom

Information

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[browningautorifle]

Peter did an article about servicing these... Milsurps Knowledge Library - COMPASS, PRISMATIC, Mk3 (by Peter Laidler))

[Peter Laidler]

There was also a lot of dicussion disagreeing with the VERY basics that I'd written. But it later transpired that the writer had a vested interest in repairing them as a profitable business. I digress. You can refill but you need isoprophyl alcohol. Otherwise, just unscrew the side mounted filler screw, allow to drain and refill with clear kerosine or methylated spirit. All the liquid is is a damping mechanism.

NEVER heard of our issue compasses being used in a leather case. Tooooooo fragile for that! A short drop in a leather case would surely snap the pivot post. Nope....., use the buffered and tight fitting webbing compass case

Added later. I seem to remember that the other man did a little pictorial essay about degassing the new fluid in the fluid bowl using the fridge overnight. Never heard of that method before and we never did it that way as we had an atmospheric depression tank. But if it works........

[tombear]

That's just what I needed to know! Ta!

The leather case was a Great War thing

WWI British Military Prismtic Compass by Steward with Leather Case. - Gilai Collectibles.

But the one I scored seams to be from a modern Francis Barker civy job

http://www.scientificcollectables.co...nlarge1383.htm

I'm sad enough to admit I do have the web pouches to fit, 1937, 1939 ( ok not web but same as )1944 and 1958. Also various pistol and jack knife lanyards. I've also got the lads maternal great grandads Great War era prismatic. But I've never tested it to see if its accurate still.

As it happens I get isoprophyl alchohol by the gallon jug. I use it , diluted to shrink the tissue on my silly balsa rubber powered planes, for stripping the paint off models and general cleaning jobs. Wonderful stuff! But oddly I picked up a little squirt bottle, from a surplus store of clear methylated spirits , no warning purple colour, and wondered what it was for. I assumed cleaning electrical components or some such.

Here it is

METHYLATED SPIRIT 99%
Bar code
6810 99 230 0984 UUK No. 1987
DATE OF MANUFACTURE 06
DATE OF DESPATCH. 06
CPGS2/7529. 070402
QUANTITY 100mls SHELF LIFE 3 YEARS

That suitable?

Here's a compass porn pic I was asked to take for another forum.



If its upside down, your probably using a iPad. I don't know why.

[browningautorifle]

I too have seen the leather cases...don't know where they came from though.

[Peter Laidler]

That compass and the leather case don't look deep enough to be the UK Military type. Ours were about 1.25" deep including the prism cover (the bit fixed to the lid that covers the prism assembly when closed down.....) Or is it camera angle distortion?

Anither bit of 'supplementary issues' for the sniper rifle CES incidentally.

I taught my son to use one while he was very young and he can still use it to orient the map, back bearings and thereafter read the map. Good and VERY useful bits of kit. Mind you, not the sort of thing that you'd ever entrust an Officer with. That and a map!

[gsimmons]

Attachment 46993
Sorry, I couldn't resist.

[Peter Laidler]

Haven't seen that one. But very funny! I'll send it to someone I know.......

[tombear]

Its the angle as it's as thick as all the otherMk IIIs I've seen and its a perfect fit in the case, not too tight but no rattling about. This case has no markings on it at all hence the conclusion its a modern civy job. It has a roll buckle to close the case and to adjust the strap lenght. but the latest ones have press stud closure.

The compass has this on the base

CKC/C
Arrow mark
16978C
MK.III
1943

The one that the boys have inherited is smaller and much thinner and isn't liquid filled has this on the base.

Inverted broard arrow
F-L:
No. 87966
1917

On this vague note a distant relation of the wife has dumped some bits on us with instructions to eBay and buy the kids something and included are her husbands dads Great War era Binos. On the front plate is a large broard arrow and on the left back plate thngy near the eye piece

Binocular Prismatic No 3 Mk I
Magnification 6
No 62152 (it fades out, not sure about the last number.)

on the right back plate is
A. KERSHAW & SON LTD
LEEDS
1918

Which was the year he was commisioned after serving as a private in the Artists Rifles i think. We got a wad of documents, training notes and Officer type bumpf with them.

ATB

Tom

[browningautorifle]

its a modern civy job

Sort of what I thought...