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A Community Devoted to the Preservation and Practice of Celestial Navigation and Other Methods of Traditional Wayfinding
Re: Bubble fluid - any difference in behavior between xylene and alcohol?
From: Fred Hebard
Date: 2022 Aug 11, 08:11 -0400
From: Fred Hebard
Date: 2022 Aug 11, 08:11 -0400
Xylene has almost no polarity and is more volatile than ethanol. Ethanol is non toxic and, with higher polarity, is miscible with water. Their viscosities are fairly similar so the bubble should move around about the same. The difference in polarity may make one more capable of dissolving the paint in any markings in the chamber and dissolving the sealant. However I would guess that blue silicone gasket material should be able to withstand alcohol or xylene since it can withstand oil and antifreeze in car engines.
On Aug 11, 2022, at 02:45, Brian Villmoare <NoReply_Villmoare@fer3.com> wrote:Thanks, Dave. This was pretty much my question. How much does the fluid change the ability of the bubble to move around when you tilt it slightly? One would assume that a bubble less inclined to move when tilted slightly would make for a less accurate reading. In my case, I am hopeful that the sealing material can withstand alcohol. I used blue silicon gasket sealant for the removed (lower) window, leaving the upper, curved, window intact.
