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BOFN "Safety"

Posted: Wed Dec 09, 2015 1:28 pm
by Paul_Schatzkin
I've just created another "Best of Fusor.net" post at the Wordpress level of the site.

This time, I thought it'd be interesting what I'd come up with if I search the keyword "safety."

The results of that search are posted here:

https://fusor.net/bofn-safety/

Carry on...

Re: BOFN "Safety"

Posted: Wed Dec 09, 2015 4:17 pm
by Richard Hull
I tried to post on safety issues in each related topic over the years. The most immediate concern and the most insidious danger in youthful work is electrocution followed closely by x-radiation in chambers operated over 10kv. 98-99% of all folks never build a real fusor where X-radiation become a real and severe issue with neutron radiation of a secondary concern unless the unit is operated over long periods at 10e6 n/s. (There may be only thee such reactors in operational condition here now and are fortunately operated by older folks who know the issues and have protected against them.)

Construction issues like machining cuts, bruises, abrasions and loss of fingers and eyesight are there too. However these are rather obvious and immediate issues with spinning blades, cutters, large rapidly moving masses of metal and the like.

Electrocution is invisible until you touch that innocent looking 12,000 volt wire. X-radiation gets you only after it is too late to do anything about it, unless you arm yourself with immediate, active detection systems.

Youth thinks itself indestructable and bold. I know, I was a true rocketeer in the 50's mixing zinc and sulfur, cooking the advanced thiokol fuel and the simpler potassium nitrate and sugar in a general electric fry pan. I fired all metal rockets from 5 lbs to 400 lbs as part of the Richmond Rocket Association from 1958 until 1964. Unlike many boys of that era who lost limbs and eyesight doing that, we were smart and played it safe. We had a local rocket engineer from Texaco Experiment Incorporated as a guide and mentor.

Read and heed all those fusor FAQs.

Richard Hull