What is the best product for cleaning a compass dome?

sketchrbob

This is relatively easy. Plain water! at least according to Ritchie. The problem is that owners love their compasses so much that they don't want to stop there. They wax them, they polish them and sometimes with products that do more harm than good.

The problem is that compass domes sometimes become scratched, or paint gets spilled on them or the sun beating on them makes tiny cracks develop. So the owners try to overcome these problems with harsh cleaners, automotive buffing compounds, and even paint thinner. Many of these will put a cloudy film on the dome which will be worse than it was before you started. So stick with plain water!

If you get paint on the compass, use a plastic scraper to clean the paint off -- Very Carefully! For most of the other conditions, you are better off to live with it or send it to Ritchie or Viking and have a new dome installed. Get an estimate of the cost first. (Ritchie: 1-781-826-5131) ( Viking:1-781-585-2100)

When I was in the repair end of the business I had some plastic cleaners that I tried on scratched domes. Most of the time I did not have any luck and it was a waste of time. One thing is that the new domes are better than they used to be and they do not crack in the sun like they used to. However , it is still a good idea to cover the compass with a little white canvas cover when you are not using the boat. You can also use a Cool Whip cover.

I would be interested in having any of you who have had experience cleaning your compasses posting what you used and how it came out.

As I mentioned in the previous post on Sticking Pivots, this will be my last post unless you have specific questions for me.

One benefit of these posts is that I was contacted by Bob Knight, a former adjustment customer. Bob has just bought a C Dory 25 and is storing it for the winter at Belfast Boatyard, less than a mile from my house! He has indicated that we will have to get together in the spring to check his compass! Small world!

Once again Thanks for Listening! Bob W Very Happy

cruiserlessvinny · Posted: Wed Nov 16, 2011 6:50 pm Post subject: compass

Hey Bob,
Never met you and don't have a compass on my boat. I'd just like to say that the information you so freely and expertly give is surely appreciated by many folks. I enjoy reading the posts just for the potential future information value.
Thanks,
CV

seabeagle · Posted: Wed Nov 16, 2011 6:53 pm Post subject:

I had one that was badly scratched. I took 2000 grain wet sandpaper and sanded the worst areas and finished with plastic polish on a soft cloth. Now it looks like new.

olsurfdog · Posted: Thu Nov 17, 2011 1:15 am Post subject:

I was given a compass from a sailboat that had gone aground and broken up. The lens was scoured by sand but no deep scratches. It was as if it had been sand blasted with a fine grit--difficult to see through. Polished it out by hand with acrylic head light lens polishing kit from a auto parts store. They had several brands to choose from, chose the cheapest. It worked beautifully! Nice clean and clear dome. Haven't used the compass yet but intend to install it this winter-it's bigger and better than the one that came with the boat. More on that when I do.
Michael