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Thread: Hospital Lab Lead

  1. #21
    Boolit Master
    labradigger1's Avatar
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    All the isotope containers I have had have all been very soft lead. All the bricks I've had were a good bit harder and would "ring".
    Life is so much better with dogs!

  2. #22
    Boolit Grand Master

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    The isotope containers are going to vary greatly depending on their size and shape. The large ones that are most common are 96/3/1. But you can find ones that are almost pure. The only way to know is to have them tested.

  3. #23
    In Remembrance


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    Friend of mine was a maintence worker at a local hospital. He moved lead shielding containers to a secure lead lined storage bunker in the hospital as the cores came to be used. He was told by a lab tech that the nuclear half life for the lead to not have any contamination was 6 months max. The lead was marked with a date and was checked with a geiger counter before disposal. Amazing how many hospital workers as well as Dr.`s wanted that lead that was given away for free.Robert

  4. #24
    Boolit Master
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    They make good boolits without adding anything.

    I have bought several hundred pounds and wished i had gotten more.

  5. #25
    Boolit Grand Master

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    Those containers would be a sweet find.
    KE4GWE - - - - - - Colt 1860, it just feels right.

  6. #26
    Boolit Buddy Wildwood-Lake's Avatar
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    Well I finally got back to that job and got the cylinders.
    Thanks Guys for all the information. Maybe sometime after the New Year I could find someone to test
    this lead for the BHN.
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails 20171214_145725_resized.jpg   20171214_181911_resized.jpg  

  7. #27
    Boolit Buddy
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    This might help identify what you have -

    http://www.fellingfamily.net/isolead/index.html

  8. #28
    Boolit Grand Master

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    Glad it was still there for you. Its usually nice and clean.

  9. #29
    Boolit Buddy
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    I bought couple of those bricks before and they smelt just fine but are pretty close to pure lead so you might have to mix it with some lino. Nice clean stuff though, very good

  10. #30
    Boolit Master
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    As a former Nuclear Medicine Technologist, you have to document the fact that the lead is not contaminated with isotope according to the NRC rules.
    Leadmelter
    MI
    Retired CNMT and MR technologist

  11. #31
    Moderator


    Winger Ed.'s Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by chardobon View Post
    Can lead be mixed? EHow do you work with its vapors?
    Lead is mixed into various alloys all the time.

    Lead boils and creates vapors (steam) around 1,700-ish degrees.

    However; as you're melting it, there is a concern from fumes of other trash coming off it.
    The way most people get Lead contamination is from injesting Lead in a dust form, not fumes.

    You need to be more concerned with the Lead dust coming off a dry media case tumbler than the melting pot.
    In school: We learn lessons, and are given tests.
    In life: We are given tests, and learn lessons.


    OK People. Enough of this idle chit-chat.
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    EVERYONE!
    Back to your oars. The Captain wants to waterski.

  12. #32
    Boolit Buddy


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    Always a great day when you can find a stash like that. I've melted a few lead source containers down over the years and they casted great bullets. Hard to find around here now!

  13. #33
    Boolit Buddy
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    I recently scored around #500 of the Isotope vials (big cigar tubes made of lead) my contact said they only release them to the public when they reach what is considered equal to "background" radiation. The Isotopes used have EXTREMELY short half lives and do not present much problem, remember patients swallow some of the Isotope pills! The best is if you can score the lead sheeting in the walls when they remodel. I scored #700 of PURE lead sheeting when they remodeled a veterinary X-Ray suite..........very happy camper. was free, all I had to do was help demolish the suite.
    I find the tubes are an alloy....fairly hard......I'm gonna mold some 45-70s and Hi-Tek coat em.......I usually go 1900 for a 405 fp. we shall see.
    Do I have a knife....Ive got my pants on don't I.

  14. #34
    Boolit Master
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    Big cigar tubes painted blue? The ones I got were used to hold glass ampules of radioactive xenon gas. The analysis BNE did for me showed 2.5% Sb, no tin.

  15. #35
    Boolit Master

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    I have just over 100 pounds of ISO lead and it's all harder than I expected and the ingots generate a notable ring when thumped or dropped. Careful application of the "Pencil Hardness Test Method" says my ISO lead is a B pencil at 13 BHN. Since I PC my pistol boolits I am always on the look out for cheap soft lead to make some softer 50/50 type alloy.
    “Some people spend an entire lifetime wondering if they made a difference in the world. But, the Marines don't have that problem.” Ronald Reagan


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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check