[Milsurplus] Plated steel in WW II

[ed sharpe]

ah! I now know why I did this....
at the same time we were doing a history piece on Varian, Paul Bourbin  from
CHRS was also telling me the dangers of cadmium..... we were discussing
metallic poisoning.

weird how the mind keys on things!

ed sharpe!
----- Original Message -----
From: "ed sharpe" <esharpe@uswest.net>
To: "aGEnuine ham" <gl4d21@juno.com>; <jfor@quik.com>
Cc: <milsurplus@mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Thursday, January 24, 2002 8:16 AM
Subject: Re: [Milsurplus] Plated steel in WW II


> Hansen of Varian fame died of  cadmium poising as I remember.. real bad
> stuff.. wear gloves!
> ed
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "aGEnuine ham" <gl4d21@juno.com>
> To: <jfor@quik.com>
> Cc: <milsurplus@mailman.qth.net>
> Sent: Thursday, January 24, 2002 7:28 AM
> Subject: Re: [Milsurplus] Plated steel in WW II
>
>
> > John:
> >
> > There were two processes generally used in that time frame, cadmium
> > plating and galvanizing.  Zinc plating was not yet common.  Galvanizing
> > (dipping prepared steel in hot molten zinc) was the process of choice
for
> > steel which was fully exposed; garbage cans, farm windmills and towers
> > being my favorite examples of continuous exposure.  Cadmium, now
> > classified as a hazardous substance as it falls into the heavy metals
> > category, was easier to plate on complicated shapes, and was used for
> > indoor stuff and small hardware.  Zinc in galvanizing provides an
> > electrochremical resistance to rust, even when scratched or worn away,
> > but cadmium must be a solid coating, like paint, to provide protection.
> > Visually, it is often possible to identify galvanizing by the visible
> > crystalline structure of the zinc, or by the obvious remains of runs
> > while the zinc was still molten.  This is usually obscured in old
> > surfaces, however.  New galvanizing is shiny, also, and it takes some
> > weathering for it to develop the soft gray look.  Compare an old garbage
> > can with a new one for the difference in looks.  Cadmium, on the other
> > hand, was pretty dull from the get-go, or at least it didn't take long
> > for it to become dull.
> >
> > I don't know if there are any cadmium platers left because of the
> > hazardous materials problem.  Galvanizers still exist, but part of the
> > preparation process is boiling in strong acid, so be sure the base
> > material is up to that.  Zinc plating, a more recent process may be your
> > best bet, but you will have to get some of the antique restorers to tell
> > you how to turn it dull more rapidly.  Finally, cold galvanizing spray
> > comes out pretty dull, and from a distance is difficult to tell from
real
> > galvanizing, but it has little resistance to mechanical damage, so it
> > isn't satisfactory where parts rub together, or are walked on, for
> > example.
> >
> > Zinc and cadmium respond differently to hydrochloric acid (muriatic
acid,
> > acid core solder, swimming pool cleaner), but I don't remember which
> > response is which.   One turns black, while the other foams.
> >
> > George W5VPQ
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