Please, what brand is this clock and has it radium?

[Bruno Wagner]

Hello: Excuse me. I am investigating this huge clock but I have no idea of the brand and if it has radium? Wish it not. What paintings used in those hands? I have a Junghans pocket watch alarm clock with the same kind of hand as this clock. Did they use luminous non- radium paintings in the 1900´s? Excuse my ignorance. I am writing all for my sons. I thank you.

 

[Walt Wallgren]

Hi Sergio,

From the crossed arrows on the dial, I would say your clock was made by the Hamburg American company in about the twenties. About the radium, I don't know. I would guess it might but from what I have read, the quantity would be very low. Hopefully somebody else will be along shortly who has solid knowledge on the radium question.

Walt

 

[Bruno Wagner]

Hello Walt: Thank you for sharing you knowledge. I have been investigating for a long time. I will now study the Hamburg American Company and learn more about clocks. May be it has no radium. Regards from the frozen Patagonia, Argentina.

 

[eskmill]

A special detector or Geiger Counter is needed to assess the residual radioactivity in the numerals and hands of this alarm. I don't know where in Patagonia is such an instrument. They are not uncommon but usually require a trained user.

A watch and clock collector who was traveling from a visit in Canada to the State of Washington in the US and were stopped several miles "down the road" and several minutes from the border inspection facility that they had just passed through. As they drove into Washington, two police cars with red lights and sirens blazing stopped their car. The approaching officers were kind but asked many questions of the collector and his wife. "Have either of you been hospitalized in the past six months or so?" They were astonished and said no. "Have either of you undergone cancer or undergone some kind of radiation treatment?" "No, why do you ask?"

The officer explained that as their car passed through the US Border inspection station, the station's radiation screening device detected a radiation emission from their car. "Are you carrying anything that might be radio-active?" Their answer was an emphatic no.

They were asked to make a U-turn and be escorted back to the inspection station where a hand-held detector quickly identified a US Army WWII message center clock made by Seth Thomas that had radium painted dial and hands that he had purchased while visiting antique shops in Canada.

Your local Argentine International Airport likely has a radiation detector that could detect any radiation emission from your alarm clock.

 

[Ralph B]

Straying a little I know but.....

When I bought, and paid for, an aircraft clock that had originally been in a Soviet fighter jet, the Russian seller refunded my money saying he would have trouble shipping it as it would set off radiation detectors in the local post centre.....

Ralph.

 

[Bruno Wagner]

Hello: Amazing stories!!!. I have the Balseiro Researh Nuclear Facility and Reactor just hours by car from my home. There are working some of my former students, all nuclear engineers. I may ask for help. If I go the local airport (which was built by my late Dad) with such a huge HAC and ask if it is radioactive, some of the not so educated in science guards could react very harshly... I presume this HAC and my Junghans Alarm pocket watch with almost the same hands, use radium and higher doses than the maximun 25 milliCurie as standards vintage " T Swiss Made T" watches. I technically better keep them not so close to me... by now. Thank you and regards from Patagonia.

 

[shutterbug]

The issue with the radium painted dials was mostly with the workers who would wet the brush in their mouth to maintain a sharp point. Over time, most of the dial painters developed mouth and throat cancer from this practice.

 

[Kevin W.]

If you take apart a watch or clock with radium still on the hands, precautions need to be taking. If left alone and undisturbed, you will be ok, just dont wear the watch or clock next to your skin.
There was a long thread on radium and if you read it, it should answer many things for you.

 

[Tinker Dwight]

I believe you can make a simple electrometer or electroscope. These can
be made with thin aluminum foil.
If held close to a radium source, they loose their charge quickly.
Look it up on google.
The foil from gum wrappers is thin enough to make a simple electroscope.
It needs to be charged with a negative static charge. I'd have to look that
up my self to see which materials would do that.
Wool and plexiglass might work.
Just looked it up, the plexiglass side will take on a
static charge.
Rub the wool on the plexiglass and then bring the wire of the
electroscope near the plexiglass. It should charge up the
electroscope with a negative charge.
Tinker Dwight

 

[Bruno Wagner]

I thank you for the tips and the thread in the forum. I will not touch nor breathe unprotected if a glass breaks. I can use a electroscope, and the wool and plexiglas ideasare great!!!...I shall share this in my classes too, thanks to all !!!

 

[Tinker Dwight]

Actually, I stated that it would make a negative charge.
That depends on how you bring it up.
If you bring the Plexiglas near but don't let it touch,
you can get a positive charge by discharging the electroscope
with your finger and then removing the Plexiglas.
You can get a negative charge by bringing it close enough
to discharge onto the electroscope.
I looked up some interesting stories about finding
lost radium in piles of trash with an electroscope.
Have fun.
Tinker Dwight

 

[Bruno Wagner]

Hello: I will experiment with your tips, as I am not so happy with may be radiun hands just cm from my head...not to sat Tritium but 25 mCurie is fine...Your advices are most interesting!!!. Thank you Mr. Dwight!!!

 

[ridaco]

A special detector or Geiger Counter is needed to assess the residual radioactivity in the numerals and hands of this alarm. I don't know where in Patagonia is such an instrument. They are not uncommon but usually require a trained user.

A watch and clock collector who was traveling from a visit in Canada to the State of Washington in the US and were stopped several miles "down the road" and several minutes from the border inspection facility that they had just passed through. As they drove into Washington, two police cars with red lights and sirens blazing stopped their car. The approaching officers were kind but asked many questions of the collector and his wife. "Have either of you been hospitalized in the past six months or so?" They were astonished and said no. "Have either of you undergone cancer or undergone some kind of radiation treatment?" "No, why do you ask?"

The officer explained that as their car passed through the US Border inspection station Sylvania SCR498, the station's radiation screening device detected a radiation emission from their car. "Are you carrying anything that might be radio-active?" Their answer was an emphatic no.

They were asked to make a U-turn and be escorted back to the inspection station where a hand-held detector quickly identified a US Army WWII message center clock made by Seth Thomas that had radium painted dial and hands that he had purchased while visiting antique shops in Canada.

Your local Argentine International Airport likely has a radiation detector that could detect any radiation emission from your alarm clock.

Hello. Would you be so kind as to tell me what the genre of "alarm clock radio" is and if it is written with a hyphen in between? Thanks in advance.

 

[JTD]

Hello. Would you be so kind as to tell me what the genre of "alarm clock radio" is and if it is written with a hyphen in between? Thanks in advance.

The is a very old thread and the OP has not been on here for 10 years. Also, the person whose message you quoted (Eskmill) passed away some years ago.

I am not very sure what your question is. Perhaps it would be better to start your own thread and explain what information you are seeking.

JTD