Radioactivity and our hobby

maple_leaf_eh · #1 24-10-12, 19:23

"... the paint itself breaks down and may no longer glow ..."

So, I shouldn't be licking the dust out from behind the guages' glasses?

BTW, I will try to get to the Nepean Sportsplex on Sat and will see if the nice men from the government have anything to add to the press release.

rob love · #2 24-10-12, 22:06

The radioactive folks actually booked a table and came out to the Military collectors club of Canada show in Winnipeg this summer. It was a very small show, but it seems they have the funds to get the word out. Overall, they seemed a lot more mellow than the radiation guys from the DND, whose policy seems to be "rip it all out, sieze it, bag it and tag it".

They have a number you can call if you have damaged or old radioactive items, and they will arrange collection.

Phil Waterman · #3 24-10-12, 22:15

Hi All

Just finished reading all the material and resulted linked documents, my compliments to the Canadian Government and the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission for actually putting out informative and not alarmist information, and for willingness to interact in a constructive manner with the collector hobbies. Well done.

Did a search for similar information on the US Government Web site us.gov using the search phrase "radium luminous device" got lots of results 37-41,000 but nothing identifiable as useful. Interestingly I did find one US Army document date June 1999 that basically said all vehicles and aircraft produced before 1969 should have the gauges removed before the vehicles are disposed of by the US Government. The search did turn up some interesting reading but generally long winded and technical.

My reading of the situation, won't be taking any of the military style gauges apart.

Cheers Phil

Cheers Phil

Hanno Spoelstra · #4 25-10-12, 00:27

Quote:

Originally Posted by Phil Waterman

I did find one US Army document date June 1999 that basically said all vehicles and aircraft produced before 1969 should have the gauges removed before the vehicles are disposed of by the US Government.

That's why the Netherlands Army's GMC CCKW trucks disposed of in the 1980s had their dials removed. They were supplied under MDAP so were handed back to the USA after being struck off service. The US government did the correct thing by having the second careful user remove the hazardous material before selling off the trucks on their behalf.

H.

Richard Farrant · #5 25-10-12, 00:40

I remember back in the 70/80's, a lot of the lorries in Britsh Army had their guages checked for radioactivity. Most "amusing" thing was the air guages on the AEC Militants, they affixed a warning triangle label on the face so you could not read the air brake pressure

Bob Carriere · #6 25-10-12, 02:31

What if the Canadian Guverment finds out the risk of working on CMPs.... dropping axles off the axle stand, smearing ourselves in cancer producing petroleum compounds, sandblasting lead base paint, siphoning gas with our mouthes, and eating breakfast at Rosa without washing our hands......countless mind numbing hours on the web looking at MLU postings....

.... we will all be confiscated !!! bagged and tagged......

We are heading for H*ll .........

Bob

rob love · #7 25-10-12, 02:40

As I recall, when the drivers took their 5 tons over to supply to turn them in, they parked the trucks out back and had to bring the control panels in to the R&D guys. I think all those trucks went to Cold Lake for targets. Most of them were 1976 vintage, so likely would not have had the radium gauges anyway unless some old stock turned up.

Back in the 90s, I helped set up an outdoor museum display at the Moose Jaw armouries. A few years after I left that province, the geiger counter guys went through and if the alarm read any amount of radioactivity from any one of the guages, they undid the four screws on the control panel and ripped the whole thing out.

Harry Moon · #8 25-10-12, 05:08

My CMP set off the radiation detectors at the border a couple of times. Kind of an interesting exercise for them. My speedometer and oil pressure gauge are the only original ones and while they don't even glow after holding a flashlight on them they still set off the detectors. I'm actually quite happy that they can pick up that minute amount.