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  1. M'Bob Sep 29, 2020

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    Just curious to the watchmakers or hobbyists that find themselves regularly working with Tritium: do you routinely wear face masks, or feel that the amounts are so small, and the hands /dials often intact, to make this unwarranted?

    I just don’t know enough about this, but if it looks intact, does that means there’s not appreciable dust? And I would assume that the concern also drops if many half-lives have elapsed?
     
  2. mac_omega Sep 29, 2020

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    I would not worry about problems due to tritium dust, but its always good to protect yourself against inhalation of the dust
     
  3. JwRosenthal Sep 29, 2020

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    And don't lick it!!!
     
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  4. Vintagewtchzilla Sep 30, 2020

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    but it makes the tongue funny glowing in the dark ::bleh::
     
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  5. padders Oooo subtitles! Sep 30, 2020

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    Yep massively so. The half life is only 12.3 years so the oldest tritium (first used ~1962) is now nearly 5 half lives old and thus only 3% as potent as it was when new*. The newest is ~23 years old or 2 half lives so only 25% as active. It emits mostly beta which isn’t as damaging as the other forms in low doses anyhow, particularly when ingested. If you must lick a dial (or inhale dust) pick tritium over Radium which remains a strong Alpha emitter.

    *this is basically at background level. I doubt you could measure this outside of a Uni lab. Any tritium lume watch before ~1985 poses v little risk IMO.
     
    Edited Sep 30, 2020
  6. Seaborg Sep 30, 2020

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    Most of tritium is already gone (decayed) due to its half-life :thumbsup:
     
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  7. eugeneandresson 'I used a hammer, a chisel, and my fingers' Sep 30, 2020

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    You starting a new business venture Bob?
     
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  8. joe band Sep 30, 2020

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    glow-in-the-dark mustache wax, total future blockbuster, and just in tine for xmas!
     
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  9. M'Bob Sep 30, 2020

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    Fantastic!