Things a benchmarker can appreciate

[+LSUFan]

A geocaching(and benchmarking) friend of mine who works for a small towns public works dept. found this compass, where someone had thrown it away. He gave it to me, and after a little research it appears it is from the World War I era.

 

Here are some pics of the compass and what I found on the internet about these kind. I may donate it to our local military museum, as I have several other items.

 

I though ya might enjoy seeing it, and I would welcome any information about these. It is engraved Cruchon & Emons, Berne on the back and US Engineer Corps on the top. To be nearly 100 years old, it still works.

 

As I said in the title, it's something a benchmarker can appreciate.

 

http://compassmuseum.com/hand/hand_2.htm#C-E

 

This is an EXCEPTIONALLY well made compass, machined from a solid block of brass with a jeweled rotor with the original very early radium paint treatment on the cover and dial.

 

It has a rotor lifter button (at SE) that is automatically engaged when the lid is closed for carry. It also has a separate button to damp the motion of the rotor (a tiny pin at NW). There is a bezel lock thumbscrew at NE that engages a brass detent ring on the crystal.

 

The cover is hinged and serial numbered to match the base. There is a brass area designed to be polished to mirror brightness to read the bearing at eye level.

 

The rotor dial is numbered conventionally (360 degrees) and there is a mirror-image (reversed) numbers to be read in the mirror on the lid. The lid snaps shut crisply and stays closed in carry.

 

This is an outstanding piece of engineering with a lot of attention paid to the details that are obvious in the close-up image of the face.

 

It measures 2-1/8 inches in diameter..

 

Makers marks can be seen on this view of the back. It is marked U.S. Engineer Corps (NOT Corps of Engineers) on the top.

 

It is calibrated on the 20s with major indices on the 10s and minor indices on the 5s. Cardinal points are indicated by a large radium arrow (for N)-E-S-W (with smaller radium arrows) and letters and NE-SE-SW-NW for the 8ths.

 

 

 

Edited July 24, 2013 by LSUFan

[+wmpastor]

Nice compass!

 

Isn't a "benchmarker" someone who places a magnetic nano under a bench?

[+Popcorn313]

Nice compass!

 

Isn't a "benchmarker" someone who places a magnetic nano under a bench?

I don't think that was entirely helpful.

[AZcachemeister]

I do appreciate old (but well-made) tools.

Thanks for the pictures.