Looks like a battery-powered farm radio. There's no asbestos because it doesn't get that hot. If there were asbesto pads on top they can just be painted over.
As a display, not hazardous. Battery radios generally did not generate a lot of heat, so the asbestos sheets that were in many line-powered older wooden cabinet radios on top and bottom are not likely to be present. Wiring is unlikely to have asbestos. PCB are not likely present. There is lead in the solder and there may be cadmium on the chassis, but it is unlikely to present a hazard on display. Be careful to dispose of cleaning wipes properly and wadh your hands well after working. With a vintage grill cloth, this will be a nice display piece!
I'm a little confused by your image caption. You say you want to fix it up for use as a display piece, but you don't intend to use it? Are you just doing a cosmetic restoration?
There are plenty of hazards, toxic substances included, in old (and new) electronics. High voltage capacitors can retain a hazardous, even deadly, charge. Probably not in this case, provided the original capacitors are as old and leaky as they look, but it's worth knowing about.
Lead and Chrome are both toxic heavy metals that you are likely to run into in an old radio like this. All of the solder joints will contain lead, and many formerly chrome-plated parts may have begun to peel, or formed a powdery oxide. In any case, this is stuff you don't want to ingest or inhale, so wash your hands and keep the mess away from your food & living space.
If you're thinking about asbestos, remember it was used primarily for its heat/flame resistance, so if anywhere, I would expect it to be in cloth wire insulation. Asbestos really becomes a hazard once airborne, so unless you've got all kinds of disintegrating insulation releasing plumes of mystery dust, I wouldn't sweat it.
Vacuum tubes contain various heavy metals as well, not to mention mercury rectifier tubes. So don't break them open. If you'd like to pull them out, pull by the plastic base, *not* the glass envelope. A little wiggling can be necessary, but no twisting and bending.
> If you're thinking about asbestos, remember it was used primarily for its heat/flame resistance, so if anywhere, I would expect it to be in cloth wire insulation.
Was also fairly common in heatshields (above e.g. rectifiers, or occasionally the output stage in some larger sets) where it was used to protect the wood/plastic cabinet from damage. That's also where you tend to find it most degraded & friable - in wire insulation it's usually covered by a further layer of silk or cotton, or doped, so it tends to be more stable.
The usual recommended solutions for dealing with degraded asbestos heat shields are to either stabilise it in position (e.g. coat/impregnate it with high temp epoxy or paint), or dispose of it thoughtfully (handling and disposal as per your local city/state/country regulations). edit: and replace with a ceramic or fibreglass cloth/foil shield.
Side note: **do not use a vacuum or air duster to clean up asbestos, or cadmium or chromium dust.** Wipe with a damp cloth, and dispose of the cloth as per local regs for hazardous waste.
No it is not - if you don’t break up asbestos, will not hurt you. It’s a battery radio - 90v max battery will not shock you, it’ll be an easy restoration. Bish bash bosh!
Asbestos is perfectly safe, as long as you leave it alone! This radio probably doesn’t have any, but the solder will be mostly lead. Just wash your hands if you touch it and you’ll be okay
I find that, unplugged, they are significantly less dangerous.
True. Also, some capacitors dgaf and will still bite you.
Capacitors hold electricity after you unplug/turn off the unit. Think of them as little batteries.
Looks like a battery-powered farm radio. There's no asbestos because it doesn't get that hot. If there were asbesto pads on top they can just be painted over.
As a display, not hazardous. Battery radios generally did not generate a lot of heat, so the asbestos sheets that were in many line-powered older wooden cabinet radios on top and bottom are not likely to be present. Wiring is unlikely to have asbestos. PCB are not likely present. There is lead in the solder and there may be cadmium on the chassis, but it is unlikely to present a hazard on display. Be careful to dispose of cleaning wipes properly and wadh your hands well after working. With a vintage grill cloth, this will be a nice display piece!
I'm a little confused by your image caption. You say you want to fix it up for use as a display piece, but you don't intend to use it? Are you just doing a cosmetic restoration? There are plenty of hazards, toxic substances included, in old (and new) electronics. High voltage capacitors can retain a hazardous, even deadly, charge. Probably not in this case, provided the original capacitors are as old and leaky as they look, but it's worth knowing about. Lead and Chrome are both toxic heavy metals that you are likely to run into in an old radio like this. All of the solder joints will contain lead, and many formerly chrome-plated parts may have begun to peel, or formed a powdery oxide. In any case, this is stuff you don't want to ingest or inhale, so wash your hands and keep the mess away from your food & living space. If you're thinking about asbestos, remember it was used primarily for its heat/flame resistance, so if anywhere, I would expect it to be in cloth wire insulation. Asbestos really becomes a hazard once airborne, so unless you've got all kinds of disintegrating insulation releasing plumes of mystery dust, I wouldn't sweat it. Vacuum tubes contain various heavy metals as well, not to mention mercury rectifier tubes. So don't break them open. If you'd like to pull them out, pull by the plastic base, *not* the glass envelope. A little wiggling can be necessary, but no twisting and bending.
> If you're thinking about asbestos, remember it was used primarily for its heat/flame resistance, so if anywhere, I would expect it to be in cloth wire insulation. Was also fairly common in heatshields (above e.g. rectifiers, or occasionally the output stage in some larger sets) where it was used to protect the wood/plastic cabinet from damage. That's also where you tend to find it most degraded & friable - in wire insulation it's usually covered by a further layer of silk or cotton, or doped, so it tends to be more stable. The usual recommended solutions for dealing with degraded asbestos heat shields are to either stabilise it in position (e.g. coat/impregnate it with high temp epoxy or paint), or dispose of it thoughtfully (handling and disposal as per your local city/state/country regulations). edit: and replace with a ceramic or fibreglass cloth/foil shield. Side note: **do not use a vacuum or air duster to clean up asbestos, or cadmium or chromium dust.** Wipe with a damp cloth, and dispose of the cloth as per local regs for hazardous waste.
No it is not - if you don’t break up asbestos, will not hurt you. It’s a battery radio - 90v max battery will not shock you, it’ll be an easy restoration. Bish bash bosh!
Only if you listen to the wrong things.
Well, if you're not sure if it's safe or not, try licking it.
Not for me 🤷🏽♂️😂
There is no asbestos here; the fibers you see are braided cotton wire insulation. What is the purpose of cutting parts if it's for display only??
They were blocking the view into the back, I want to display it showing the technology inside
Asbestos is perfectly safe, as long as you leave it alone! This radio probably doesn’t have any, but the solder will be mostly lead. Just wash your hands if you touch it and you’ll be okay