NavList:

Bob Peterson you wrote about working on Plastimo Hand Bearing Compasses

Thanks for the advice.  The compass worked OK before I started to mend it.  My intention has only been to get rid of the unsightly giant bubble.  I'm afraid the emptying has already been completed.  The blue/green liquid is now in a small sauce jar with the top firmly closed.  It's oily, has a pervading rubber/alcoholly smell, and makes the fingers of latex gloves wrinkle up.  I emptied the compass, which took ages, outside over the jar in a strong breeze to take the smell away before storing it in my garage.  I went out last night to check, and I can confirm the liquid doesn't glow in the dark, which is a relief.  However, the plastic is still tinted green.  I don't know if it was built this way, or it's been acquired from the liquid.  Also, there appear to be tiny traces of green growth inside, which of course you can't get at without opening the two halves of the capsule.  I've ordered 250ml of silicon oil from eBay, which is probably too much, but 250ml cost little more than 100ml and the leftovers will do to refill an E2 compass I've had lying around for ages, and an old WW2 RAF hand bearing compass with a giant bubble, although I need to have Paul Brewer run his Geiger Counter over that first.  DaveP