a DIY x-ray generator ☢️

Making a SAFER x-ray source. This is not one of those 'entertainment' videos in which an idiot will perform dangerous experiments for your enjoyment, you can find lots of those videos elsewhere. I might be a bit of an idiot sometimes, but not THAT type of an idiot...
[Update: July 2024]
The original seller of these units seems to have sold out of them. If you are able to access the XianYu app (goofish.com/) using a local Chinese number, the just search for "伦琴射线管" and you should find some other vendors.
Videos that were featured are:
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@weaponsandstuff:
• Simple Vacuum tube X R...
@Kreosan English:
• Simple Vacuum tube X R...
@William Osman:
• Built My Own X-Ray Aft...
00:00 Introduction
00:45 Building It.
03:22 Testing It.
05:06 The Results.
07:23 Next Steps.
08:57 Close-out.

[@Hexalyse]

William Osman is not an X-Ray idiot... he is a general idiot, and we love him for that reason. This was by far his sketchiest video, but IIRC he had calculated his exposure and it was very minimal anyway. I would still have not put my hand in there :') Idk why but X-rays tubes scare me 10x more than storing some uranium ore and other radioactive samples at my place (in a ventilated box, outside)

[@project-326]

The raw intensities are just so high from something like medical x-ray unit. Take a look at W&S93, he was measuring 200 mSv/h from a dental x-ray unit. I don't know what rocks you have, but my most active piece of ore is about 20uSv/h.

[@project-326]

As someone who makes a few KZbin videos, I have a good idea how many 'takes' are behind every second of final cut. there has been a whole lot of x-ray videos being put out by people that just want some shock value and to make an image of their hand. For most of the creators doing this, they don't really seem to be trying to create anything useful, just a video.

[@Hexalyse]

@@project-326 yeah same, I think my most active (small) rock samples are around 20uSv/h too. I'm trying to find something hotter tho. But I think for that I'll have to go hunt myself, but in France it has become really hard to find places. They covered in dirt or drowned every single old mines. I found maybe one place 100km away that may have some ore still available from an old storage zone. But it's private property and has barriers around (not crazy barriers tho, just a few wooden sticks and 3 strings of barb wire, but idk how "unhappy" police would be if someone gets caught just searching for some rocks)

[@inductivelycoupledplasma6207]

​@@project-326a very small dental x ray unit (60kV 8mA) with a couple mm of Al filtration will produce an instantaneous dose rate of over 1 Sv/h at 1 meter away

[@project-326]

​@@inductivelycoupledplasma6207My tiny tube is far less capable. Its a cold cathode, so the electrons are in short supply and the tube is rated at 11kV @250uA.

[@rogercattin6650]

A very interesting device. Lucky the man who has access to such a thing and lives where it is allowed to experiment without needing piles of permits! It would be fascinating to test whether it is possible to perform X-ray fluorescence of minerals at these low energies. Samples from your uranium mine visits should contain at least enough heavy nuclei. Please be careful! I believe I once read that soft X-rays cause more damage than hard X-rays due to their high absorption in organic tissues. I am looking forward to your results!

[@BremsstrahlungChannel]

In case you want to do some Experiments with Photographic Film, i can highly suggest Fuji Instax Instant Films (also the classical Polaroids work, but they more expencive;). I did some Experiments with that stuff in the past, and can confirm its sensitive to X and Gamma Rays. Its a bit fiddly to get the unexposed Photos out of the Cartridge and back again, theyre very light sensitive so i do it under 2 Blankets in complete darkness. after getting them out of the Cartridge, i put them in black Envelopes + Gaffa Tape, then theyre ready for exposure. I even got a kinda Gamma Ray X Ray-Pic once using a Radium painted Compass as a source. Also got clear imprints of small Uranium Glass beads after 2 weeks of exposure ;) After Exposure, back under the Blankets and try to fiddle the Photos back into the Cartridge and into the Camera. I just closed off the Camera Lens with Tape, then press the Shutter to Develop the Pics. Im pretty shure you could get some Photos done this way with youre new Device. Thanks for all the great Videos! Enjoy every single one alot! :D

[@project-326]

some great ideas, thanks!

[@danielbradley7521]

Very cool, while I cannot offer any cool experiments…the care to avoid something stupid or crazy is refreshing

[@R2NOTU]

Photograph a pad lock to obtain the pin cut to replicate a key . Photograph a electric circuit that's in cased in epoxy to determine the design details.

[@project-326]

interesting ideas!

[@R2NOTU]

Another one radiate seeds and find a new plant with great properties.

[@qwertyFUBAR]

In Soviet Russia X-Ray tube illuminates you

[@inductivelycoupledplasma6207]

Just thought I'd let you know that the radiacode isn't sensitive at all to the

[@charlesachurch7265]

Nobel prizes all round.WELL DONE! xxx

[@jimquinn]

Thank you again.

[@MrTurboturbine]

Cool video and teardown, maybe these are only good for x-ray spectroscopy. We cant x-ray image anything with these, I don't think they have a focal point.

[@project-326]

I just want a testing source for defining the lower end of the sensitivity for things like "Geiger counters"

[@artiem5262]

Nicely -- and safely -- done!

[@stuwilson3146]

Brilliant Video.. Very Well Explained.. Possible Next Project Sir.. An X-Ray Spectrometer?.. Thank you For Sharing.. From Australia. 😀

[@project-326]

I have been wanting to do XRF measurements for a long time but there are two issues: 1) This soft-x-ray tube will generate a continuum that peaks too low, XRF really needs 40 - 50 KeV x-rays. 2) This is a hobby channel, I just can't afford a silicon drift detector. Sigh...

[@stuwilson3146]

@@project-326 yes.. i see your point.. nice to dream tho.. 🙂 maybe an x-ray of a silicon chip on phosphor coated panel.. and also see the beam width.. thank you sir for your reply.. 5 stars.

[@project-326]

@@stuwilson3146 I will probably end up buying an old 50 KV small x-ray tube, I have tried to use phosphor panels to get images from this device, but the x-ray photon energy is just too low to be be able to get any fluorescence. This particular device was really intended for testing radiation detectors with a low keV continuous spectrum. It also makes the process of testing detectors far safer too. But, deep-down, I know I will end up building something else to get higher energy x-rays...

[@user-ql8qt6ox2c]

Great videos, great content, keep it up.

[@AKAtheA]

since you have a spicy beta source, how about some experiments with it and a tungsten target to get high energy x-rays without the pains of obtaining a very high voltage source?

[@karelsvoboda1812]

I'm afraid it's not spicy enough for this.

[@inductivelycoupledplasma6207]

​@@karelsvoboda1812yep. Enough to make the radiacode scream a bit on contact, but the dose rate from bremsstrahlung at 10cm from the source will be almost background. Not enough to replace a tube for typical applications

[@TheRossWilliams]

Nice. The spectra with the 20 keV peak does look like Rh, but what it shows is the tube voltage at that time was much higher that you state, maybe 50-90keV. I assume you subtracted the background spectra collected while the tube was off. It is common to use tubes with a Rh source for analytical instruments like an energy dispersive XRF. You could not excite the K shell of Rh unless you have a tube voltage greater than about 25 keV, but realistically needs to much higher to get sufficient intensity in the Kab peak.

[@project-326]

yes, I assumed that to do any XRF, you would need photons of a higher energy to start with. Once I get my decent power supply, I will be able to make more careful measurements. Maybe it was just wishful thinking that I could conduct XRF with a soft x-ray tube and a gamma ray spectrometer... Normally handheld XRF machines use 40KV for their tubes. What is nice about these soft tubes, is that they are rated for continuous operation, so I can make long duration measurements.

[@grhinson]

What was the fault on the power supply?

[@project-326]

It looks like the MOSFETs went and then the control IC too. I'm not going to waste my time debugging a PoS power supply that will probably fail again at the first opportunity it gets.

[@maltadevnull]

Very cool. Totally unrelated: could you recommend a beginner geiger? Something simple but still solid and reliable. Thanks 🙏

[@project-326]

It really depends on what you intend to use it for?

[@maltadevnull]

@@project-326 two things really, I've been watching alot of plainlydifficult videos on orphan sources 😂 and I live pretty close to a nuclear reactor. I have kids and you know, I figure it might be a good thing to have at home :)

[@project-326]

@@maltadevnull I sounds like you want something that has a good level of sensitivity for background measurements. The problem with the cheap ones, is they all have some kind of limitation. For example, the BR-6 is good for background by has a problem that it can real anything over 100 uSv/h (there is a video about that device on my channel). The Pudibel devices have a good reputation, but I have never tested that product...

[@maltadevnull]

@@project-326 alright, thanks mate! I'm going to look around.

[@project-326]

@@maltadevnull Did you watch my little video the subject of orphan sources yet? Personally, I thing that the scale of the issue is larger than most people imagine.

[@rre9121]

0:50 Just by you having that realization, I am much less worried about the rest of the video. Far too often people don't approach hazardous topics with the solemnity they deserve and rush into things adjacent to their skillset unwarily. Thanks for using your brain and not chasing clicks. Idea: How about a cloud chamber so you can determine the directionality of the "beam"?

[@project-326]

What is nice about this project is that the vendor has good data on the beam angle and the protection needed. www.sunstat.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/210607-SXH-10T-Manual_Eng_A4.pdf?ckattempt=1

[@rre9121]

@@project-326 150 degrees? I guess that makes sense for the application. My initial inclination is to make a collimator. I don't know if you have a 3d printer, but that might be something fun to try. I'm a materials scientist by profession, so I'd start doing material shielding measurements.

[@project-326]

@@rre9121 That's a good idea. Since making this video, the viewers and myself have thought up all kinds of experiments.

[@jtcustomknives]

I’m interested in how radiation is used to remove static. I have a static problem on something I’m working on and wondering if it just had to be X-rays or if in can be any ionizing radiation?

[@project-326]

Alpha radiation is also used for this purpose. In the US a product called the 'static master' can be bought that uses exactly this principle and contains Po-210.

[@maz3808]

at 1:50 pay close attention to the instruction number 3. Do not the touch the widow because it is coated with Beryllium. On a side note, what is the maximum distance for the X-ray coming from this small device? This could be very dangerous if it gotten in the wrong hands as one can conceal this device in a certain location inside a house in order to irradiate adversaries with it? in other words it could be weaponized!!

[@project-326]

this is a really low energy source, with a peak photon energy of around 10 KeV. A couple of centimeters of plexiglas or a fraction of a millimeter aluminum will be enough to block this. Actually the window is not beryllium coated, it is completely beryllium (about 200um thick), otherwise the weak x-rays would not be able to pass - the glass tube that compromises most of the x-ray tube can't even pass these low energy rays. in terms of a weapon, this would be pretty useless. To get a reasonable dose, the distance would need to be very close in (a couple of inches) and the duration would be very longs (months) and because it is small and very low energy source, it would only be a localized effect and not a whole body dose. Another couple of points to note about this subject: 1) This product is intended for low duty-cycle use on a semiconductor production line, continuous use for a few days would take the tube to its end of life. 2) You need to factor in the inverse square law when thinking about the distance over which the source is exposing anything and the dose rate it gets. anyway, I hope this helps.

[@karelsvoboda1812]

Hm, those soft xray modules are not cheap on ebay, I wanted to test it too.

[@project-326]

really? Once they have been used, they are basically useless to industry. Probably due to the shear scale of manufacturing that happens here in China, means there are a LOT of these things.

[@project-326]

I just looked, holy crap they are expensive on ebay - and the weird thing is that they all being shipped from here.

[@project-326]

I just bought a couple more, on the off chance that the price goes nuts

[@karelsvoboda1812]

@@project-326 Any chance of resending them to Europe? :D :D

[@project-326]

It occurred to me, that now I have enough subscribers etc, I would be able to have an official store. Normally this is for stupid stuff like T-shirts and coffee cups with some KZbinr's logo on it. I'm not sure if it would be possible, but perhaps I could supply some of the items that I can buy here in China instead... Ie useful stuff. I'm just thinking out-loud, so there could be 100 reasons why that might not work.

[@urdnal]

Is that music from... Flashback?

[@project-326]

It's just something that YT provides and means I don't get any copyright strikes. Apparently it is called Starcrasher， copyright of TrackTribe. There are some details at the end of the description.

[@urdnal]

@@project-326 Ah. I suspect it's inspired by music from an old Amiga, Genesis/Mega Drive, SNES game called Flashback.

[@craigphillis4730]

i wanted to get some of those to make them work with ardrino to control them but the price on ebay is insane.

[@project-326]

Yes, I saw that, weird that they are so cheap here, yet made in Japan and Korea...

[@andrewkhchan]

Can take some medical imagings ? Plants, fossils and small electronics objects to see the internal structure….

[@project-326]

I'm not sure that it is penetrating enough, but will try something once I get the new power supply.

[@georgiy0077]

Интересный у вас канал❤

[@TouYubeTom]

think you ran a bit hot when typing the description as it has some misstakez.

[@project-326]

Hey, thanks for that! This was the fastest turn around of a video I have ever done...

[@ryanmckenna6763]

Well, we've only had >90 years of serious documentation showing us the health implications of radiology, it isn't reasonable for William Osman to know he shouldn't be blasting himself at home.

[@Goofball6386]

At least proofread or use spell check before calling others out as idiots 8:43 SMH

[@project-326]

Damn, I missed that. In my defense, I was rushing to get it released as my work commitments mean I wouldn't be able to release for another week...

[@project-326]

and you are correct, the typo being at that point in the video is also pretty ironic...

[@Nachos-sk7od]

3:05 When buying such a converter, please stick to the models that have CE certification. I looked up the manufacturer of the HV power source in the video, and the circuits looked fine only for CE certified models. The ones with plastic cases are not designed for long term use and are quite dangerous due to lack of critical insulation and flame retardancy. Wicked to say the least, their main use is to demonstrate fume cleaners when dealing with environmental inspections (that's why they don't mark the manufacturer on the casing to avoid being traced) 🥲

[@project-326]

actually you are absolutely correct but I was just looking at price, my budget is pretty constrained as this is a hobby channel and I don't earn anything from it. After the death of that PSU I really splashed out on a really nice PSU. Hopefully I will get time to make a video about that...

[@zeroequalsthree8649]

Cool stuff man. Balls of steel too. DIY with x-ray gear? Wow. But no Electroboom type content please, for everyone's sake. Heh

[@project-326]

This is a source that I want for a testing tool, no BOOMs allowed.