[Boatanchors] Regarding PCB's

[jeffv]

Hear hear. Printed circuit boards kill all the fun.


On 12/14/20 12:18 PM, Marvin Match wrote:
> The subject of PCB's crops up now and again. I've waded through 
> discussion after discussion on these lists. I want to try and put things 
> into perspective by sharing my experience with the stuff, but I'm no 
> expert. Take it or leave it.
> 
> In my 20's I worked for General Electric as a motor and transformer 
> winder. I worked on motors with 12 foot diameter rotors, and oil-filled 
> transformers the size of 3 refrigerators.
> 
> I was in PCB-laden transformer oil very frequently and usually washed it 
> off my body with tichloroethane, another carcinogen. Some days my 
> clothes would become soaked completely through. I would not be able to 
> get out of them until after my shift ended and after the 15 mile ride 
> back home on my motorcycle. Not every day mind you, but often. This went 
> on for a couple of years.
> 
> Oh, come to think of it, lots of exposure to lead paint in the Navy as 
> well. Applying white lead and red lead paints by brush almost every day 
> and washing it off the exposed parts of my body with JP5 jet fuel.
> 
> I'm now 68 years old and do not have, nor have I ever had cancer.  On 
> the other hand, if you search hard enough you can probably find a person 
> that just walked past this stuff and is now trying to sue some company 
> because they have cancer.
> 
> Now then, I don't advocate bathing in oils containing PCB's or 
> trichloroethane, or lead paint, or jet fuel like I practically used to 
> have to do. Now that we know more about these things that would just be 
> stupid. You may not be as lucky as I have been if exposed to LARGE 
> QUANTITIES of these chemicals for LONG PERIODS of time.
> 
> But guys, this stuff is not going to jump out and gobble you up. I've 
> seen guys simply trash old equipment just because it MIGHT have a 
> component containing PCB's but are completely unaware that the pole pig 
> transformer on the power pole in their backyards is just waiting to 
> spray them with PCB-laden oil as soon as one of the neighbor kids gets 
> his first BB gun.
> 
> OK, no more ranting, I promise.
> 
> Back to the topic at hand . . . The capacitors in your vintage 
> transmitter are oil filled paper dielectric. They don't have to contain 
> PCB's, but they might. If they are leaking don't be afraid to replace 
> them. Clean up the oil with a solvent in a spray can, like flux remover, 
> car brake cleaner, carburetor cleaner or similar, (all of which are also 
> carcinogenic BTW. Such Irony!)
> 
> If you're just seeing a little discoloration around the seals, that 
> means almost nothing. If they are a little wet but not dripping clean it 
> off with the spray solvent of choice and check it again in a year or 
> two. The gaskets may be cork or paper or Garloc and some very minor 
> seepage is actually normal.
> 
> Hope this helps.
> 
> Marvin, KA7TPH
> 
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