Suunto compass bellows replacement

Started by MarkTheBike, Today at 13:44

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MarkTheBike

Hi all
Like so many of us, my binnacle compass bellows has failed and dumped all the oil into the bilge. I have done what I think many others have tried and made a new one out of a folding cup (+ Johnson's baby oil) and it seems to be holding but I'm not convinced it's an 'industrial' quality fix. Luckily I was able to take the old bellows out of the base cup and, although quite crumbly, have managed to glue it into a decent semblance of its original shape. Obviously it can't be used in this condition but has anyone tried using one to make a mold and creating a new one out of soft silicone. I've not done any silicone molding before but it looks possible. I think a Hardness value of 25A - 30A should be 'floppy' enough but would really appreciate any advice on manufacturers, techniques, etc. ...or, of course, that these soft silicones aren't suitable for immersion in oil!
Cheers
Mark
ATB

Mark