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By: - 11th August 2014 at 22:42 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
First, take it into a darkened room, and wait for a few minutes; if you can see the interior tubes, or any other part, glowing, you are likely to have a problem with radioactive paint, and all that entails.
However, the dial, tubes, and cross-wires look so bright, it's possible that it's been "modernised" post-war, and the radioactive paint and powder (inside the tubes) has been replaced by fluorescent material. If so, you can relax (a little.)
The bowl should be filled with industrial alcohol (which is poisonous,) which stops the internal spider from rattling around uncontrollably. If the spider rocks around, and (worse) you can hear it rattling, the bowl needs to be refilled with liquid, since, if it completely dries out, the internal paint could flake off.
If the paint doesn't glow, of its own accord, get hold of a u/v lamp, and shine it on the compass (again in a darkened room); if the paint, etc., reacts to the light, and glows, you have far less to worry about.
If you push the curved lever forward, you'll find that the black bezel should be free to rotate, the idea being that you turn it until the heading you want is "on" the small tube level with the foot marked "fore." (It's under "30" in your photos.)
Then rotate the compass until the "inverted T" inside the bowl is lined up with "N," and you are now flying your Spitfire (or whatever) along your chosen heading.
By: - 13th August 2014 at 18:03 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Hi all took Aircraft Compass to work and Geiger counter switched on 12 foot from compass and the odd click (background radiation) as it was brought closer the clicking rammed up and directly above was going crazy! brought in a more sensitive machine you can read Gamma & Alpha - Compass was giving off 10 Micro-severts per hour, this equates to 20 Severts which is the U/K,s Maximum Adult dose rate! which if you can imagine a sphere of 18 - 24 inches around the Compass you as a person would Absorb this added 20 Severts on top of natural absorption from being in the Sun But you would in effect have to have this Compass literally up close to your person the whole time to accrue this dosage!
So if in a cabinet and 18 - 24 inches away you should be getting minimal absorption, like if it where in a Museum you would be O/K.
The main problem with these is if the Paint is breaking down and you inhale the dust! this then leads to Cancers! of the respiratory tract possibly stomach? if paint is O/K as was this one everything is fine But! DO NOT use abrasive to clean as this will through up dust!
All the best and thanks Edgar for the heads up billy
Posts: 2
By: Billy - 11th August 2014 at 20:47 - Edited 2nd October 2019 at 11:40
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Hi am New to this site and hopefully you can help with identifying this item? there are Quality Assurance stamps in the lid 5 in total and those are almost impossible to read though I can identify 1941 & 1942, would love as much detail as you can give me? hope you can actually see the photo,s all the best and thanks in advance, billy