Re: Stereomatic cord and stopping dust!

[P3D Michael Kersenbrock <michaelk@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

> On anti-static brushes, some of us olsters will remember the "Static
> Master" brush. You may still occasionally see these especially in estate
> sales, etc of darkroom equipment. The downside is that they incorporated
> a radioactive coating (behind a grill) of "Polonium (sp?". The life span
> on this was rated as something like 5 years, which I'm not sure was
> the half life of the isotope or of the bristles :-)

One can still buy those new (as well as buying new "cartridges" for
them).  I bought one such recently by mail along with another order.
Not terribly expensive, at least not for a small one.

> I never saw any suggestion that it would fog film - I'm assuming that
> it emitted alpha particles which don't penetrate well). Any nuclear
> types on the list?

I'm not a nuclear type, but the alpha particles only penetrate a few 
inches of air in it's "normal" use as part of the brush.  Not
sure how it'd penetrate to unexposed film.

Mike K.

P.S. - This is also a "test", my last half dozen postings to this list 
       went into ether and didn't come back.




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