close up picture of Mk1 Speedometer required

[Lynn Eades]

I have to thank you for the efforts you have made to to bring this risk to the public attention.
I realise you needed to ask all the questions to satisfy your own worries, but you didn't have to make it public. We appreciate the fact that you have given us the warning.
I have to wonder how many of us have already had exposure to some degree, as children, playing with old surplus aircraft instruments and the like.
Your concern for the rest of us, means that we can now make an informed choice on how we go forward.
I am sure that you will have changed someones life for the better.
Life is fragile

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Personally I would not bother to convert a gauge if this means exposure to this serious risk.

Here's a good example of what one museum did: just leave the gauge alone, and put a "warning, radioactive" sticker over it.

[RichardT10829]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ap6MCzuBHsg gutted if you lived next door to here !

Its no problem, for me its too late as i have been exposed so only time will tell if i keel over, if so then i will get the missus to write a follow up post about my post mortem like i said earlier i am inquisitive its my nature, it was not my intention to put noses out of joint, frighten, or even make light of the subject, more me being objective than anything. I had made some perfect repro Mk1 dial faces (12) which were all specially printed transfer onto laser cut blank discs...... they will sit on the shelf now unless folk have mk1 gauges with busted faces....... Kev any chance you could take a Mk1 dial to work and check that for potential contamination ? The thread has pretty much bottomed out the Mk2 as being dodgy ground, it would perhaps be a nice add on to know the ins and outs for the mk1 gauge who knows perhaps a data sheet could be put on its own thread listing dials from specific vehicles which contain the radium 226 so people have a heads up before climbing into range wrecks or potential restoration projects


here is a medical write up regarding exposure and ingestion, for me it put things into more realistic terms
http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct...V5bpXk9rTKnQEw

[George McKenzie]

When you said you were converting a MK2 gage To a MK1 I really got xcited as My MK 2 has a gage with the glass broken in it, by some kids before I got it.The broken glass is still in it . This has been a great site to enlighten us on this problem . Now what to do ? How to handle this gage to remove it ? PS Do you know that if you ate a banna be for you go to work in a Nuclear Plant you will set off the alarm .

[eddy8men]

after the shooting stopped in gulf war 1 it was my task to go around kuwait collecting up the iraqi armour and take it to a collection point. some of the shot up stuff was covered in a gunmetal grey dust which i later found out was depleted uranium me and the reccy mech were covered in the stuff and i'm still alive and kicking but i do sometimes wonder if it will catch up with me one day.
it was a good laugh though

rick

ps. thanks for bringing this to light, it never even crossed my mind that there would be a problem with handling old instruments. cheers

[RichardT10829]

well......... I have a load of mk1 dial faces for those with knackered Mk1's or for folk that have access to correct sealled cabinet units to convert Mk2's Just need kev to confirm what the state of play is with the Mk1 gauges....or anyone with access to a counter for that matter ?

the problems are as discussed above George, the Dr I spoke to offered a method but people need to understand that there are risks involved and as Kevin has said he deals with this stuff on a daily basis.. make an informed decision before doing anything, the main issue is with particle inhilation / ingestion i copied a link from a medical professor regarding absorbtion rates etc etc have a read !


Now then.... on Ricks thread a very good point was raised, what needs to happen with the information now is to educate people rather than create hysteria, the UK government for example have a knack of having knee jerk reactions to stuff and going OTT on dealing with it....what we dont want is folk having thier gauges ripped out of trucks etc and being ordered to dispose of them due to them being radium luminised.

[George McKenzie]

My gage has been cracked for probably 40 years . The question now is How much radiation is left and is the whole gage contaminated .Can it be redone up with a new dial and glass without hurting someone .If this can't bedone then is it even safe to remove it without some protective gear .