Where can I get hold of a geiger counter?

[rfw1]

I got mine from
http://www.anythingradioactive.com/geiger.htm

[dudleybloke]

TheEnd said:

One of these

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/x2-RARE-COLD-WAR-DOSIMETER-P...

I'v got one of these knocking about somewhere.

[Morningside]

dudleybloke said:

TheEnd said:

One of these

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/x2-RARE-COLD-WAR-DOSIMETER-P...

I'v got one of these knocking about somewhere.

OOoooh cheap. I might buy one just for the hell of it.

[eldar]

speed8 said:

I assume it's radium that's been used in the compass in which case it will be alpha and gamma. Alpha is nothing to worry about but gamma can penetrate. The general rule is time/distance/shielding or double the distance, quarter the dose.
If you want to be sure then lead line your sporran

If it breaks then don't bother trying to repair it or handling it as it's probably worse for you.

Alpha is nasty stuff. Paper will stop it, no problem. Breathing it in means means it stays in your lungs, happily ionising them, get a particle in an open wound and it stays there. There is exposure, which you probably are aware is happening, and contamination which you aren't.

Don't piss around with the coating, particularly old ones, pre about 1920, some of those were/are scarily hot. Same applies to old clocks.

[Swarley]

Ok your scaring me now!

[eldar]

Swarley said:

Ok your scaring me now!

No problem, unless you take it apart. In one piece, fine.

[Swarley]

eldar said:

Swarley said:

Ok your scaring me now!

No problem, unless you take it apart. In one piece, fine.

So taking the black paint off the casing when I bought it was not a good idea then.

[TheEnd]

It's more opening it up, scraping the original paint off, and rolling round in the dust.

Think of it a bit like asbestos, it's fine as long as you don't pulverise it and breath in the paint dust.

[llewop]

Swarley said:

eldar said:

Swarley said:

Ok your scaring me now!

No problem, unless you take it apart. In one piece, fine.

So taking the black paint off the casing when I bought it was not a good idea then.

the black paint should be fine - old radium paint tends to look orangy-brown - would be on the needle, compass points etc: the bits you want to see! If the paint is white then it could be just that: white paint.

[Chrisgr31]

Dont dump it at the local tip (well household recycling site as they are now called) unless you fancy seeing a great presence from the local emergency services!

http://www.thisissussex.co.uk/news/Radiation-alert...

[speed8]

eldar said:

Alpha is nasty stuff.

Yeah but assuming he hasn't just cut his hands whilst breaking open the housing and scraping off the paint he should be ok. So long as it's in the housing and not broken then it shouldn't be an issue