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 Astor Mickey OZ heat shielding
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 Return to top of page · Post #: 1 · Written at 11:55:54 AM on 4 June 2017.
Samt's Gravatar
 Location: Hobart, TAS
 Member since 6 May 2013
 Member #: 1337
 Postcount: 73

I recently purchased a 1933 Astor Mickey Mouse model OZ for a very good price from a local auction. It is a very compact 5 valve superhet receiver with a wooden cabinet that is lined with asbestos above the rectifier and output valve. There is also a second asbestos heat shield between the valves and the transformer. I have decided that I will have the asbestos safely removed before I restore this radio.
I would like to ask from anyone who owns or has restored this model if this radio can operate without the heat shields, or should the asbestos be replaced with a more modern and safer alternative? Thanks, Sam


 
 Return to top of page · Post #: 2 · Written at 1:28:36 PM on 4 June 2017.
Ian Robertson's Gravatar
 Location: Belrose, NSW
 Member since 31 December 2015
 Member #: 1844
 Postcount: 2363

I use silicon rubber kitchen heat pads for politically-sensitive jobs. They are easy to cut, form and glue.

However the asbestos is perfectly safe if it is either wet, sealed or otherwise undisturbed..

One-pack epoxy lacquer (e.g. Instant Estapol) is ideal for this purpose.Give it a good soaking and those fibres will go nowhere.


 
 Return to top of page · Post #: 3 · Written at 10:39:55 AM on 6 June 2017.
Wa2ise's avatar
 Location: Oradell, US
 Member since 2 April 2010
 Member #: 643
 Postcount: 830

You can make asbestos in radios safe: See the bottom of my web page for instructions.


 
 Return to top of page · Post #: 4 · Written at 6:02:19 PM on 6 June 2017.
Samt's Gravatar
 Location: Hobart, TAS
 Member since 6 May 2013
 Member #: 1337
 Postcount: 73

Thanks for the advice everyone. I have decided to purchase an asbestos grade mask and seal the asbestos outside by soaking it with estapol. I will then thoroughly clean the cabinet and radio chassis with a damp cloth. It is expensive to legally dispose of asbestos here. There is only one tip in Hobart that will accept asbestos and they charge a $120 special handling fee. Unfortunately because of the high cost of disposal, old fibro sheeting is regularly found dumped in the bush here.


 
 Return to top of page · Post #: 5 · Written at 6:21:04 PM on 6 June 2017.
GTC's avatar
 GTC
 Location: Sydney, NSW
 Member since 28 January 2011
 Member #: 823
 Postcount: 6678

Unfortunately because of the high cost of disposal, old fibro sheeting is regularly found dumped in the bush here.

Same situation in Sydney. I drove past a truckload of fibro dumped by the side of a back road in Luddenham a few months ago.

Bureaucrats are often idiots. Instead of making it easy to dispose of hazardous material, they do the exact opposite, and the result is entirely predictable.


 
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