The Needle Compass, our location detector
The Needle Compass, our location detector
Hi, and welcome once again to another BargainBrute short informational narrative. Today, we will take a look at one of the most significant inventions, the compass, a device that will help you find your way back home even on the darkest of nights. However, what if you had forgotten to pack your compass? What then would you do? Well, being the imaginative person you are, you would simply make your own, so sit back, and see how you can make a compass using only a needle, a little piece of cork, and of course a magnet, not a strong magnet even one of those fridge door magnets will do, so let’s get creative.
However, before we get into our how-to narrative, just a few words about our sponsors BargainBrute.Com who has just recently been voted America’s favorite place to shop online in 2020.
Yes, pop over and see for yourself. I know you will not be disappointed. At the same time, there take a look at their outstanding “Arts, Crafts & Sewing section,” it is crammed full of items that will keep even the most creative of persons occupied, pop over and see for yourself. Join the hundreds who have made BargainBrute their favorite place to shop online
Wake up early on any morning, and you will catch the sun gradually rising over the easterly horizon. Yes, it will rise at this exact position every single day. While you are watching the sun rising, you are looking due East. At the same time, you will also know that if you are standing watching this, the West will be directly behind you. As for the other points of the compass, North and South, and all the bits in between, you will require a compass to find them, a compass we are now going to construct.
A magnetic compass is a navigational implement to indicate the compasses’ four points, North, East, South, and West. It is a simple piece of equipment composed of a magnetized needle that aligns itself with the earth’s magnetic point north.
Authors note One feisty sea captain, when cast off his ship (Captain Bligh) by mutineers, managed to sail in a small skip from the Falkland Islands in the South Atlantic all the way up to London in the United Kingdom sailing up the river Thames to be greeted by military police who promptly arrested him and packed him off to jail where he would stay until he was put on trial some months later.
He was found not guilty and promptly given another ship he used to sail down to the Caribbean in search of the mutineers who had set him adrift. He did find some of them, who were then sent back to England to receive punishment.
History tells us that they all settled on the island of “Pitcairn,” they were to remain undiscovered until 1808. By that time, all had died except for one man, “John Adams,” relatives of those mutineers still live there up until today. It is also said that their fellow shipmates murdered most of those who died.
So, let us make our compass: First up, you need that ever-important needle, and a variety can be used for this such as “Paper Clip,” A Razorblade,” and even a “hairpin,” which of course you will have to magnetize, a straightforward technique which takes just a few minutes.
So how do I magnetize this piece of metal: All you have to do is to either continually tap it with another piece of iron or rub it back and forwards on an actual magnet which will magnetize the needle with static electricity, and there you are done, relatively straightforward for anyone to do
Although, as mentioned earlier, refrigerator door magnets are suitable for doing the above, you can also buy magnets from craft shops. I think our hosts BargainBrute have them in stock, so pop over. You will find them in their “Arts, Crafts & Sewing” section.
Next up, you need to cut your piece of cork to size, then place the needle into the cork. Make sure you place it horizontally, as this will be your indicator.
Next up, get a small jar and place about two inches of water in it, then place your now made-up compass onto the top of the water. The float with the needle will immediately spin until it reaches North and south before coming to a standstill. The only problem you have at this stage is that you will not know what end of the needle is North and what end is South, so you will have to check this out for yourself, once you have done this then it is advisable to mark the one end of the needle with some nail varnish generally placed on the northern end of the needle, and there you have it, you have made a basic compass.
Authors note: When out in the wild, you may not have access to water bottles or pieces of cork. However, as long as you have a sewing kit which every camper should have, just take the needle out, find a leaf, place the needle on the middle of the leaf, look for a small rain puddle and float your compass on the water, it will act just as well as it did in a glass jar.
Well, folks, now you will not get lost again, and it is all thanks to the magical compass you have just made using a small piece of cork, a needle, a fridge magnet, and a small leaf if you happen to find yourself out in the wilderness without a glass jar.
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