NukeWorker Forum
Reference, Questions and Help => Nuke Q&A => Instrument Q&A => Topic started by: radwastetrainer on Oct 27, 2005, 07:22
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Does anyone know a supplier for natural sources to use for basic radworker training?
Or, do you have a fiestaware plate, lantern mantle and/or Th-welding rods you would like part with for a good cause?
Thank you for help and time.
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Check Ebay for fiesta ware, type in radioactive fiesta ware, I bought a few plates for about 20 dollars a piece, coffee plates are a little cheaper. Make sure you type in radioactive, I bought some orange plates that looked like they were the radioactive plates on Ebay, they were cheaper and of course not radioactive, but they were not advertised as such so it is my loss, At least I can eat off them. Larry Webb sells Strontium sources that are .1 microcuries (222,000 dpm) that are exempt sources for 45 dollars. His company is SpecTech 865-483-0473. Take a Alpha detector to Home Depot to check Granite tile.
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I just typed in radioactive on ebay, Up came 247 items, They have mantles for about 5 bucks, radioactice fiesta plate starting at 99 cents, radioactive marbles, I have some radioactive marbles but they are only about 50 counts on a GM. Rocks etc for sell, you should be able to find what you need here.
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Thank you.
I will checkout Ebay tonight.
Question on the Home Depot:
Should I ask the manager for permission to walk around with a GM or just freak out the general public?
(of course I would have audio off, it is just my luck that an anti-nuke or local news reporter would see me and go to town with it)
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I would probably just get items off Ebay and leave Home Depot alone. But if you must I would tell the manager what you are doing before you go in and assure him you are just looking for naturally occurring radioactive material to use in a class. Your right Nuke freaks people out, most people do not understand or have preconceived notions that you are not going to change without heavy persuasion. Word may get out that Home Depot is contaminated and a inspector went in looking for it in Home Depot. Especially if you went to a Home Depot near a plant.
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don't forget those good ole smoke detectors. rad rocks are easy to find. carnotite is rather common (pardon the spelling) and it is rather yellow.... the green vaseline glass is hot too. dont go to home depot.. not a good scene.
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Awesome!
Got a dinner plate, mantle and green marbles all off ebay this week. Very easy.
Only one problem. That ebay is very addictive!!!
Thanks again for the ideas and help.
Now to WallyWorld for the smoke detector. That should do until we have more money to play with.
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i forgot the salt.. the lite salt that is- lots of K40 even thru the container you get some counts
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Yes it is awesome, I did not even know green marbles existed and you can buy them by the thousand. I used these to spell diffrent words and make designs and rolled over them with the Shonka contamination Monitor, Cool,
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Another good source that I stumbled across at the good ol' Lazy H Ranch, aka Hanford site, while working outside was dry fertilizer. Apparently during the manufacturing process they concentrate the K-40 to a level that makes it easily detectable (2-5k dpm in a tablespoon size pile). Thank the maker for contracts that are cheap when it comes to buying ice melt. Just a thought. 8)
Jim Rodgers
RP Lead Tech.
Ontario Power Generation
WWMF
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Table salt may give off some betas... but salt substitute will really make your meter squelch. I used Fiestaware, uranium glass, some old electrical insulators, smoke detector sources, irradiated dimes (from Oak Ridge) and an antique car dashmounted ashtray during my classes.
The touchie feelie allways manages to get the point across that we are allways surrounded by zoomies 8)
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'n then there is alwaz the old micro-r meter. turn it on in the classroom 'n look at 7-18 on the scale, depending on ware yinz are.
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Also look for radium clocks and clock hands and KOH I have some wood ash extract, Potash thats around 2 times background.
It also tested positive for Cs-137 possibly fallout from above ground nuclear testing.
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Foundry Sand and Older Dry chemical fire extinguishers!
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I've got about 50 pounds of rad minerals if you are interested in any.
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I have a bottle of unmatrixed autunite from Ron at gothotrocks.com its my hottest mineral sample. I can milk it for radon once a week and get a sample for the lucas cell that counts 17,500 pCi/l For a great demo, But the 3.5 day decay time is a little boring.
I am looking for a sample thats rich in thorium to make a thoron cow since thoron has a much shorter halflife than radon 52 seconds it would be easier plot the decay in a short time frame.
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Too bad... I was at a site where I shipped a vein of thorium sand as waste, could have kept a vial or two for ya