Just going to echo Rob's comments on the radium. I had the hazmat guys at work check some of my WW2 stuff (pocket watch and luminous disk). The radiation given off by our samples at work read 0.3mSv/hr where's my WW2 stuff with Radium in it gives off 7.5-10+ mSv/hr. Our equipment was also picking up readings about 3-4 feet away. Also be aware that the radium has a half life of 1600 years and our stuff has only be around for 75 or so years of that. The Radium also gives off all three types of radiation. It's mostly Alpha with some Betta and Gamma. Now saying all this our techs told me so long as you don't have daily continuos contact all should be good.
I'm not going to stop handling all this stuff but I'm definitely more aware then I was before. Basically don't take things apart that have it inside of it. Ingesting the particles could lead to cancers my years down the road.
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Jordan Baker
RHLI Museum,
Otter LRC
C15A-Wire3, 1944
Willys MB, 1942
10cwt Canadian trailer
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