During WWII there was a substance available on Navy ships,
in tape form, that one could place by light switches or
other items one might want to locate in the dark (like a
flashlight). This tape somehow absorbed light during the
day, and at night gave off a faint glow, sufficient to be
seen in a dark room.

Is there anything like that available today - in either
paint or tape form - that one can use for such purposes in
the home?

Thanks.

--
----------
CWLee
Former slayer of dragons; practice now limited to sacred
cows. Believing we should hire for quality, not quotas, and
promote for performance, not preferences.

CWLee wrote:
During WWII there was a substance available on Navy ships,
in tape form, that one could place by light switches or
other items one might want to locate in the dark (like a
flashlight). This tape somehow absorbed light during the
day, and at night gave off a faint glow, sufficient to be
seen in a dark room.

Is there anything like that available today - in either
paint or tape form - that one can use for such purposes in
the home?

Thanks.

I Googled "glow tape" and got many hits. One of the first was this:

http://www.tapebrothers.com/Glow-Tape-s/253.htm

--
The e-mail address in our reply-to line is reversed in an attempt to
minimize spam. Our true address is of the form .

On Sat, 10 Nov 2007 07:32:25 GMT, CJT wrote:

CWLee wrote:
During WWII there was a substance available on Navy ships,
in tape form, that one could place by light switches or
other items one might want to locate in the dark (like a
flashlight). This tape somehow absorbed light during the
day, and at night gave off a faint glow, sufficient to be
seen in a dark room.

Is there anything like that available today - in either
paint or tape form - that one can use for such purposes in
the home?


Historical Note:

In first part of the last century, the military used radium to make
glow-in-the-dark hands and numbers on government issue watches. The
workers who applied this paint were not told of any dangers and would
do things like lick the brushes before applying the paint to the
dials. Many, if not all of them came down with radiation poisoning
and the who incident became a famous test case about whether workers
could sue their employers for ruining their health.

One benefit of the radium though... The watches did not need to be
"charged" under light to stay luminous.

Many modern luminous paints require this "light charge" in order to
work properly.

Google or Wikepedia "Radium Girls" for the complete story.

Personal Note - I remember my cousin showing us the radioactive dimes
he purchased from the tourist store at Oak Ridge, TN during the early
1960's. That couldn't have been good either...

Beachcomber

Beachcomber wrote:
On Sat, 10 Nov 2007 07:32:25 GMT, CJT wrote:

CWLee wrote:
During WWII there was a substance available on Navy ships,
in tape form, that one could place by light switches or
other items one might want to locate in the dark (like a
flashlight). This tape somehow absorbed light during the
day, and at night gave off a faint glow, sufficient to be
seen in a dark room.

Is there anything like that available today - in either
paint or tape form - that one can use for such purposes in
the home?


Historical Note:

In first part of the last century, the military used radium to make
glow-in-the-dark hands and numbers on government issue watches. The
workers who applied this paint were not told of any dangers and would
do things like lick the brushes before applying the paint to the
dials. Many, if not all of them came down with radiation poisoning
and the who incident became a famous test case about whether workers
could sue their employers for ruining their health.

One benefit of the radium though... The watches did not need to be
"charged" under light to stay luminous.

Many modern luminous paints require this "light charge" in order to
work properly.

Google or Wikepedia "Radium Girls" for the complete story.

....

I don't know what Wikipedia has, but while it is true there was a
problem with painting radium watch dials as described, the association
w/ the military is simply wrong. The usage was common and like many
things, the danger wasn't yet fully known/characterized, and general
standards weren't the same then as now.

"Luminous" and "fluorescent" aren't the same, either...

--

My best friend has a old military radio with radioactive meter
markings, its very rare. He figures although it still glows hazards
are long past.

Might be worth a fortune.

wrote:
My best friend has a old military radio with radioactive meter
markings, its very rare. He figures although it still glows hazards
are long past.

Why would he "figure" that? If it is indeed "radium dial", the half
life is roughly 1600 years so since WWII is only 0.03 half-lives...

--

dpb wrote:
Beachcomber wrote:
On Sat, 10 Nov 2007 07:32:25 GMT, CJT wrote:

CWLee wrote:
During WWII there was a substance available on Navy ships,
in tape form, that one could place by light switches or
other items one might want to locate in the dark (like a
flashlight). This tape somehow absorbed light during the
day, and at night gave off a faint glow, sufficient to be
seen in a dark room.

Is there anything like that available today - in either
paint or tape form - that one can use for such purposes in
the home?


Historical Note:

In first part of the last century, the military used radium to make
glow-in-the-dark hands and numbers on government issue watches. The
workers who applied this paint were not told of any dangers and would
do things like lick the brushes before applying the paint to the
dials. Many, if not all of them came down with radiation poisoning
and the who incident became a famous test case about whether workers
could sue their employers for ruining their health.

One benefit of the radium though... The watches did not need to be
"charged" under light to stay luminous.

Many modern luminous paints require this "light charge" in order to
work properly.

Google or Wikepedia "Radium Girls" for the complete story.

...

I don't know what Wikipedia has, but while it is true there was a
problem with painting radium watch dials as described, the association
w/ the military is simply wrong. The usage was common and like many
things, the danger wasn't yet fully known/characterized, and general
standards weren't the same then as now.

"Luminous" and "fluorescent" aren't the same, either...

--
When I was a kid, you could buy shoes and check fit by putting feet in
x-ray machine. Also remember the radium dials. Could also buy chemistry
sets with real chemicals in them. Back then, stuff made in USA was far
worse than the worst stuff coming from China today. We're living in a
weenie world today

Frank

On Nov 10, 7:21 am, "Joseph Meehan"
wrote:
"Beachcomber" wrote in message

... On Sat, 10 Nov 2007 07:32:25 GMT, CJT wrote:

...



Historical Note:

In first part of the last century, the military used radium to make
glow-in-the-dark hands and numbers on government issue watches. The
workers who applied this paint were not told of any dangers and would
do things like lick the brushes before applying the paint to the
dials. Many, if not all of them came down with radiation poisoning
and the who incident became a famous test case about whether workers
could sue their employers for ruining their health.

To be fair it should be noted that few if any people realized the
danger.

I would suggest that it is very likely that the military applications
described by the OP were not the current products but were the radioactive
ones.

I can remember when consumer products (watches and clocks) had the
radioactive materials. The military surplus Geiger counters would react to
them. I also remember the X-Ray machines they had in shoe stores where they
zapped poor kids (myself included) with large quantities of X-Rays to see if
the shoes fit. We just did not know back then. Marie Curie likely died
due to exposure to radioactive materials.





One benefit of the radium though... The watches did not need to be
"charged" under light to stay luminous.

Many modern luminous paints require this "light charge" in order to
work properly.

Google or Wikepedia "Radium Girls" for the complete story.

Personal Note - I remember my cousin showing us the radioactive dimes
he purchased from the tourist store at Oak Ridge, TN during the early
1960's. That couldn't have been good either...

Beachcomber

--
Joseph Meehan

Dia 's Muire duit

I also played with the X-Ray machine in the shoe store by the 5 and
Dime. Very cool...at the time! (late 50ties I think)

Frank wrote:
dpb wrote:
Beachcomber wrote:
On Sat, 10 Nov 2007 07:32:25 GMT, CJT wrote:

....
In first part of the last century, the military used radium to make
glow-in-the-dark hands and numbers ...

I don't know what Wikipedia has, but while it is true there was a
problem with painting radium watch dials as described, the association
w/ the military is simply wrong. The usage was common and like many
things, the danger wasn't yet fully known/characterized, and general
standards weren't the same then as now.

"Luminous" and "fluorescent" aren't the same, either...

When I was a kid, you could buy shoes and check fit by putting feet in
x-ray machine. ...

Back then, stuff made in USA was far
worse than the worst stuff coming from China today. We're living in a
weenie world today

"Made in the USA" really had nothing to do with it -- it was simply what
was standard practice of the time and generally things were "better" in
that sense in the US than in many other places at the same time then as
well...

The typically hysterical reaction these days over the most minimal of
risks is, I'll agree, a "sign of the times".

--

dpb wrote:
Beachcomber wrote:
On Sat, 10 Nov 2007 07:32:25 GMT, CJT wrote:

CWLee wrote:
During WWII there was a substance available on Navy ships,
in tape form, that one could place by light switches or
other items one might want to locate in the dark (like a
flashlight). This tape somehow absorbed light during the
day, and at night gave off a faint glow, sufficient to be
seen in a dark room.

Is there anything like that available today - in either
paint or tape form - that one can use for such purposes in
the home?


Historical Note:

In first part of the last century, the military used radium to make
....
...the association w/ the military is simply wrong. The usage was common ...

That, of course, is the implication of "sole association" w/ the military...

--

on 11/10/2007 3:03 AM Beachcomber said the following:
On Sat, 10 Nov 2007 07:32:25 GMT, CJT wrote:


CWLee wrote:

During WWII there was a substance available on Navy ships,
in tape form, that one could place by light switches or
other items one might want to locate in the dark (like a
flashlight). This tape somehow absorbed light during the
day, and at night gave off a faint glow, sufficient to be
seen in a dark room.

Is there anything like that available today - in either
paint or tape form - that one can use for such purposes in
the home?



Historical Note:

In first part of the last century, the military used radium to make
glow-in-the-dark hands and numbers on government issue watches. The
workers who applied this paint were not told of any dangers and would
do things like lick the brushes before applying the paint to the
dials. Many, if not all of them came down with radiation poisoning
and the who incident became a famous test case about whether workers
could sue their employers for ruining their health.

One benefit of the radium though... The watches did not need to be
"charged" under light to stay luminous.

Many modern luminous paints require this "light charge" in order to
work properly.

Google or Wikepedia "Radium Girls" for the complete story.

Personal Note - I remember my cousin showing us the radioactive dimes
he purchased from the tourist store at Oak Ridge, TN during the early
1960's. That couldn't have been good either...

Beachcomber

I remember little cheap toy rings that were advertised to be able to see
atoms in action when peering into the ring. I seem to remember they were
a prize offered by a cereal company when you sent in a coupon on the
box. I had one. What you saw was similar to pressing on your eyelid
for a few seconds and then then releasing the pressure with your eyelid
still closed and the little 'stars' would move about on your eyelid.

--

Bill
In Hamptonburgh, NY
To email, remove the double zeroes after @

When I was a kid (circa 1950) Japan made the crap like China does
today.
Our stuff was like Japan's stuff today (Ok, maybe not as reliable).
Some of Japan's turn-around is credited to American statistician Dr.
W.E.Deming who was invited there in 1951.

"CWLee" wrote in message
...

During WWII there was a substance available on Navy ships,
in tape form, that one could place by light switches or
other items one might want to locate in the dark (like a
flashlight). This tape somehow absorbed light during the
day, and at night gave off a faint glow, sufficient to be
seen in a dark room.

Is there anything like that available today - in either
paint or tape form - that one can use for such purposes in
the home?

I bought some glow in the dark paint from a homecenter going out of
business. If I hadn't gotten 80% off I would have been real disapppointed.
Whether any products are better I can't say, but the paint is useless.

if it doesnt have to be in any particular shape:
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/produ...uct_id=5007599

wrote in message
oups.com...
When I was a kid (circa 1950) Japan made the crap like China does
today.
Our stuff was like Japan's stuff today (Ok, maybe not as reliable).
Some of Japan's turn-around is credited to American statistician Dr.
W.E.Deming who was invited there in 1951.

wrote in message
oups.com...
When I was a kid (circa 1950) Japan made the crap like China does
today.
Our stuff was like Japan's stuff today (Ok, maybe not as reliable).
Some of Japan's turn-around is credited to American statistician Dr.
W.E.Deming who was invited there in 1951.

We give Deming a lot of credit for it; I suspect the Japanese credit
themselves.
Their Zeros were pretty good planes before Deming.

Radium should not be considered as glow in the dark since it actually
gives out light and is radioactive. Do light bulbs glow in the dark?

Glow in the dark materials are those that absorb surrounding light and
give out this light through a glow. This process is similar to
photosynthesis and is what today's glow is all about.

http://www.glowinfo.com/

wrote:
Radium should not be considered as glow in the dark since it actually
gives out light and is radioactive. Do light bulbs glow in the dark?

I don't know why that shouldn't be "glow in the dark", it's what the
purpose of using radium salts in paints was all for.

Purified radium does show some luminescence, but it's pretty low level
comparatively and would require far more material by itself. The
radiation emitted by radium can also cause certain materials, called
"phosphors" to emit light. It was mixtures of radium salts and
appropriate phosphors which were widely used for clock dials and gauges
before the risks of radium exposure were understood.

Glow in the dark materials are those that absorb surrounding light and
give out this light through a glow. This process is similar to
photosynthesis and is what today's glow is all about.

http://www.glowinfo.com/

Their products are actually one of three processes -- chemical reaction
yielding light, uv-light reactive phosporesence, and the visible-light
reactive photo-luminesence. The latter isn't to be confused w/
photosynthesis.

--

Toller wrote:
wrote in message
oups.com...
When I was a kid (circa 1950) Japan made the crap like China does
today.
Our stuff was like Japan's stuff today (Ok, maybe not as reliable).
Some of Japan's turn-around is credited to American statistician Dr.
W.E.Deming who was invited there in 1951.

We give Deming a lot of credit for it; I suspect the Japanese credit
themselves.
Their Zeros were pretty good planes before Deming.

They do as well although certainly wasn't the absolutely only factor,
their consumer products weren't much until they began to pay attention
to QA/QC. If US industry had been as attentive, things undoubtedly
would have progressed far differently...

--

unpurified radium glows in the dark too. Theres a cave in eastern PA
where guides would take you into a room and turn off ALL the lights.

after a little time the cieling would twinkle.

probably high in radon friends wonder if this cave has been closed for
safety.

Indians were very afraid of this and wouldnt enter it.

wrote:
unpurified radium glows in the dark too. ...

It's probably a combination of the radium and the surrounding materials...

--

willshak wrote:
on 11/10/2007 3:03 AM Beachcomber said the following:

On Sat, 10 Nov 2007 07:32:25 GMT, CJT wrote:



CWLee wrote:


During WWII there was a substance available on Navy ships,
in tape form, that one could place by light switches or
other items one might want to locate in the dark (like a
flashlight). This tape somehow absorbed light during the
day, and at night gave off a faint glow, sufficient to be
seen in a dark room.

Is there anything like that available today - in either
paint or tape form - that one can use for such purposes in
the home?




Historical Note:

In first part of the last century, the military used radium to make
glow-in-the-dark hands and numbers on government issue watches. The
workers who applied this paint were not told of any dangers and would
do things like lick the brushes before applying the paint to the
dials. Many, if not all of them came down with radiation poisoning
and the who incident became a famous test case about whether workers
could sue their employers for ruining their health.

One benefit of the radium though... The watches did not need to be
"charged" under light to stay luminous.

Many modern luminous paints require this "light charge" in order to
work properly.

Google or Wikepedia "Radium Girls" for the complete story.

Personal Note - I remember my cousin showing us the radioactive dimes
he purchased from the tourist store at Oak Ridge, TN during the early
1960's. That couldn't have been good either...

Beachcomber


I remember little cheap toy rings that were advertised to be able to see
atoms in action when peering into the ring. I seem to remember they were
a prize offered by a cereal company when you sent in a coupon on the
box. I had one. What you saw was similar to pressing on your eyelid
for a few seconds and then then releasing the pressure with your eyelid
still closed and the little 'stars' would move about on your eyelid.



I got one back then too.

IIRC there was a small "atomic bomb" mounted on it lying parallel to the
finger the ring was on. The four tailfins of the bomb were part of a red
plastic cap which could be pulled off exposing a plastic "lens" you
looked into to see those "stars".

Re the shoe fitting x-ray machines, I probably snuck my feet into them
more times than I should have, but I still have five toes on each of
them. I was fun to wiggle your toes while looking at the bones in them
to see them move.

For those too young to have seen one lookee he

http://www.museumofquackery.com/devices/shoexray.htm

SWMBO and I visited that museum about five years ago and I recall seeing
quite a few posters and also inactivated devices which claimed they used
radioative materials to "make you healthier."

Jeff

--
Jeffry Wisnia
(W1BSV + Brass Rat '57 EE)
The speed of light is 1.98*10^14 fathoms per fortnight.

CWLee wrote:

During WWII there was a substance available on Navy ships,
in tape form, that one could place by light switches or
other items one might want to locate in the dark (like a
flashlight). This tape somehow absorbed light during the
day, and at night gave off a faint glow, sufficient to be
seen in a dark room.

This is called phosphorescence.

Is there anything like that available today - in either
paint or tape form - that one can use for such purposes in
the home?

Yes, google phosphorescent tape :
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q...pe&btnG=Search

or phosphorescent paint :
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q...nt&btnG=Search

Thanks.


See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luminous_paint for a discussion
of Fluorescent vs. Phosphorescent vs. Radioluminescent

on 11/10/2007 1:17 PM Jeff Wisnia said the following:
willshak wrote:
on 11/10/2007 3:03 AM Beachcomber said the following:

On Sat, 10 Nov 2007 07:32:25 GMT, CJT wrote:



CWLee wrote:

During WWII there was a substance available on Navy ships,
in tape form, that one could place by light switches or
other items one might want to locate in the dark (like a
flashlight). This tape somehow absorbed light during the
day, and at night gave off a faint glow, sufficient to be
seen in a dark room.

Is there anything like that available today - in either
paint or tape form - that one can use for such purposes in
the home?




Historical Note:

In first part of the last century, the military used radium to make
glow-in-the-dark hands and numbers on government issue watches. The
workers who applied this paint were not told of any dangers and would
do things like lick the brushes before applying the paint to the
dials. Many, if not all of them came down with radiation poisoning
and the who incident became a famous test case about whether workers
could sue their employers for ruining their health.

One benefit of the radium though... The watches did not need to be
"charged" under light to stay luminous.

Many modern luminous paints require this "light charge" in order to
work properly.

Google or Wikepedia "Radium Girls" for the complete story.

Personal Note - I remember my cousin showing us the radioactive dimes
he purchased from the tourist store at Oak Ridge, TN during the early
1960's. That couldn't have been good either...

Beachcomber


I remember little cheap toy rings that were advertised to be able to
see atoms in action when peering into the ring. I seem to remember
they were a prize offered by a cereal company when you sent in a
coupon on the box. I had one. What you saw was similar to pressing
on your eyelid for a few seconds and then then releasing the pressure
with your eyelid still closed and the little 'stars' would move about
on your eyelid.



I got one back then too.

IIRC there was a small "atomic bomb" mounted on it lying parallel to
the finger the ring was on. The four tailfins of the bomb were part of
a red plastic cap which could be pulled off exposing a plastic "lens"
you looked into to see those "stars".


Yes! Here is a pic.
http://www.gemstonepub.com/ringguide/ringguide4.html


Re the shoe fitting x-ray machines, I probably snuck my feet into them
more times than I should have, but I still have five toes on each of
them. I was fun to wiggle your toes while looking at the bones in them
to see them move.

For those too young to have seen one lookee he

http://www.museumofquackery.com/devices/shoexray.htm

SWMBO and I visited that museum about five years ago and I recall
seeing quite a few posters and also inactivated devices which claimed
they used radioative materials to "make you healthier."

Jeff



--

Bill
In Hamptonburgh, NY
To email, remove the double zeroes after @

On Nov 10, 10:09 am, "Toller" wrote:
wrote in message

oups.com... When I was a kid (circa 1950) Japan made the crap like China does
today.
Our stuff was like Japan's stuff today (Ok, maybe not as reliable).
Some of Japan's turn-around is credited to American statistician Dr.
W.E.Deming who was invited there in 1951.

We give Deming a lot of credit for it; I suspect the Japanese credit
themselves.
Their Zeros were pretty good planes before Deming.

From my understanding, they revere Deming.
Zeros were effective because they had so many...and expendable pilots.

On Fri, 9 Nov 2007 23:12:35 -0800, "CWLee"
wrote:


During WWII there was a substance available on Navy ships,
in tape form, that one could place by light switches or
other items one might want to locate in the dark (like a
flashlight). This tape somehow absorbed light during the
day, and at night gave off a faint glow, sufficient to be
seen in a dark room.

Is there anything like that available today - in either
paint or tape form - that one can use for such purposes in
the home?

Thanks.


There is glow paint you can use. It is low radioactivity.

CWLee wrote:
During WWII there was a substance available on Navy ships,
in tape form, that one could place by light switches or
other items one might want to locate in the dark (like a
flashlight). This tape somehow absorbed light during the
day, and at night gave off a faint glow, sufficient to be
seen in a dark room.

Is there anything like that available today - in either
paint or tape form - that one can use for such purposes in
the home?

Many years ago when I had a darkroom in my house, I used the following UGL paint
to mark off where the room light switch and various tools I needed were located:
http://www.ugl.com/maintenanceRepair...nite-brite.php

The glow lasted long enough to accomplish the usual tasks one had to do in total
darkness before the safelight came into play.

I wonder how much ( negative) excitement the Dupont chemical company would
get these days with their 1950s slogan " Better Living through chemistry "
Funny how we really believed it at the time.


"dpb" wrote in message ...
Frank wrote:
dpb wrote:
Beachcomber wrote:
On Sat, 10 Nov 2007 07:32:25 GMT, CJT wrote:

...
In first part of the last century, the military used radium to make
glow-in-the-dark hands and numbers ...

I don't know what Wikipedia has, but while it is true there was a
problem with painting radium watch dials as described, the association
w/ the military is simply wrong. The usage was common and like many
things, the danger wasn't yet fully known/characterized, and general
standards weren't the same then as now.

"Luminous" and "fluorescent" aren't the same, either...

When I was a kid, you could buy shoes and check fit by putting feet in
x-ray machine. ...

Back then, stuff made in USA was far worse than the worst stuff coming
from China today. We're living in a weenie world today

"Made in the USA" really had nothing to do with it -- it was simply what
was standard practice of the time and generally things were "better" in
that sense in the US than in many other places at the same time then as
well...

The typically hysterical reaction these days over the most minimal of
risks is, I'll agree, a "sign of the times".

--

claude wrote:
I wonder how much ( negative) excitement the Dupont chemical company would
get these days with their 1950s slogan " Better Living through chemistry "
Funny how we really believed it at the time.

And you would have one believe we would be better off without nylon,
etc., ... ???

Thanks, but "no, thanks".

--

dpb writes:
claude wrote:
I wonder how much ( negative) excitement the Dupont chemical company would
get these days with their 1950s slogan " Better Living through chemistry "
Funny how we really believed it at the time.

And you would have one believe we would be better off without nylon,
etc., ... ???

Yeah. Let's go back to knob and tube wiring. No need for modern wire
insulations; rubber and ceramic tubes are just fine.

Dave