Looking for Radioactive Antiques in a Small Town

[@Unknown_Ooh]

"I usually don't tell them I'm looking for radioactive items" as a geiger counter is chirping away in the background 😆

[@RealBadGaming52]

Your comet is PURE GOLD😂😂😂😂

[@venomstorm53]

Me too, all though the owners of one shop near me are radiation hobbyists. XD

[@kishascape]

​@@venomstorm53that's about as much of a "hobby" as sitting on Facebook all day is.

[@njphilwt]

Drew…. I became interested in common radioactive objects years ago when I bought a detector and found that the yellow tile in my kitchen was emitting lots of alpha. A related search brought me to your site. I found my way back recently because of the Oppenheimer topic and wanted to mention that I find your presentation style quite enjoyable. I imagine I would be interested in any topic you cover. Best wishes, buddy!

[@RadioactiveDrew]

Thanks you so much for this. I always think its so cool when people give money towards this channel. Everything helps...really it does. Interesting that you found those tiles in your house. I would imagine the house might have been built around the 1930's or 1940's based on that alone.

[@om617yota8]

I love how the camera bothers them but the Geiger counter doesn't.

[@RadioactiveDrew]

A lot of people don't know what it is. But when people do ask about it I'm more than happy to talk with them about Geiger counter and radiation. Most people are very interested.

[@om617yota8]

@@RadioactiveDrew That's great, good to educate. Thanks for what you do, love the videos.

[@kishascape]

Whiney white men. You can tell he's republican by the way he moans.

[@MichalKolac]

Im happy there are good youtubers like this one still exist

[@RadioactiveDrew]

Thanks. Glad you are enjoying the videos.

[@MichalKolac]

@@RadioactiveDrew Thanks. Glad you are making the videos.

[@willgardner4419]

One of the coolest things ive seen looking through antique stores is an entire room dedicated to uranium glass, amberina (cadmium sulfide that glows red orange in UV), and a few other things that glowed

[@RadioactiveDrew]

That would be cool to see.

[@TI4438]

I never thought I'd find myself binging on ceramic pottery! Channels like this are why I never turn on my TV.

[@RadioactiveDrew]

I’m glad you find these videos so entertaining.

[@normkirk65]

Same here ! 😀

[@robme9845]

I grew up in a time when “radioactive” was so novel and frightening ( late 50s early 60s) that most sci-fi movies involved some form of deadly radiation exposure. Check out “X The Unknown” if you want to scare your pants off.

[@kishascape]

Nah. Lot of films from that time depict it as exciting and magical. With things gaining supernatural abilities, time traveling, crossing dimensions, and returning from the dead when dosed.

[@jublywubly]

I'll have to take my Geiger counter into some antique and second hand shops. Mine's an Ecotest Terra-P + personal dosimeter. I have the beep turned off, but the threshold alarm can't be turned off, it can only be changed to a different setting.

[@wbnomo7590]

Some of the older projection rooms have vacuum tubes which could have radioactive elements. It would be cool to see a video on that investigation.

[@RadioactiveDrew]

That would be cool. Problem is I'm about 10 years too late. So much film equipment has been removed from active theaters to put in digital projection. Back when I use to run film all the time I would work in some very old projection booths. It was so cool seeing and working with that equipment.

[@dutch_blades]

First time coming across your videos, and this some really niche feel-good content 👌🏻

[@RadioactiveDrew]

Thanks. I try and make it so everyone can watch it.

[@AScannerClearly]

I’ve found some of those orange Fiesta plates to be pretty expensive. My very first one though seemed pretty cheap to me, but then when the woman was wrapping it, she noticed a crack on the bottom of the plate, and offered to knock the plate price down to $3! Since that crack removed exactly 0% of my enjoyment of the plate, I happily agreed.

[@RadioactiveDrew]

I have a couple pieces that have small cracks or a chip that was glued back on. I still think they are nice and look cool. Most importantly they are still just as radioactive.

[@kevinsmith9502]

I would not want to put that stuff on my crotch for long hours every night lol

[@vindrisk]

@@kevinsmith9502 regular people have tables. problem solved.

[@ridgecrestwack9746]

Good video! Keep making more drew!

[@AgrippaKCsGunTime]

i always tell them i collect radioactive antiques… i let them deal with the moral dilemma of asking me to leave or letting me spend money. fact, i do collect radioactive items and i spend money. the geiger counter/camera is part of that.

[@RadioactiveDrew]

Most people are very cool about looking for radioactive antiques. But when someone has a certain attitude that makes me less inclined to tell them exactly what I’m doing.

[@AgrippaKCsGunTime]

@@RadioactiveDrew I love the actual dangerous stuff I find and the when I warn people about it they act like i'm trying to get a discount. If they get a real crap attitude I go tell the fire department about it. It's always a high gamma output thing like a radium aircraft dial that is really dangerous before I get the FD involved.

[@RadioactiveDrew]

@@AgrippaKCsGunTime that sounds like a bit much. I’ve found some very sketchy sources in shops. But I never see it as something I need to report to the FD. Secondly most of the hazmat people I’ve talked to would find any report like that pretty laughable…considering the high intensity sources they deal with.

[@AgrippaKCsGunTime]

@@RadioactiveDrewit’s when its off the scale gamma. Some aircraft dials are aweful.

[@RadioactiveDrew]

@@AgrippaKCsGunTime really depends on the detector you’re using for it to be off scale gamma. Plus I’m sure that reading would be on contact.

[@NonkelGans]

So jealous, seems like there is a lot of Uranium glass in the U.S, Here in Belgium you rarely find anything interesting in terms of Uranium glass. Despite the large glass factories Europe once had there isn't much to find in physical antique stores. Mostly drinking glasses and if you are lucky some marbles but other than that I never had much luck. Most things I bought online, perhaps those stores are scalped by those selling online, I don't know really. As for bringing a detector or UV light in a store, most store owners here in Belgium know this is to detect Uranium glass and don't have a problem with it, they usually know there is no other way to be sure it real Uranium glass because like you said, not all that is green is actually Uranium glass. I had some of which I though it would be Uranium glass but turned out to be just colored glass.

[@nylarnameless1759]

Probably a supply issue, U is abundant in the states not so much in Europe.

[@randyhavener1851]

Good video Drew!! Thanks for the tip on the instruments. Never thought of that. One of my most prized pieces is a baby food bowl with a uranium glaze! Talk about an oxymoron!! Don't forget to check for thoriated camera lenses and gas light mantles!!! I found a couple of porch light gas mantles sitting in a box on a shelf once!! Good stuff

[@RadioactiveDrew]

I've found a couple thoriated lenses and some gas mantels. Most of the gas mantels I find are old and extremely fragile.

[@randyhavener1851]

@@RadioactiveDrew same here! I opened one box and the poor thing started disintegrating when I tried to remove it from the box! Needless to say, I left the other one alone. If you ever make it toward the St Louis area, let me know. I will drive down there and give you some of the radioactive history in the area. Hunting goodies isn't so good there, but a lot of great history on refining uranium for The Bomb and Weldon Springs has a unique rock pile where they disposed of a bunch of waste. It's huge! They also have a landfill with radioactive waste, which is still a source of contention to this day!! Great History!!!

[@ajacks1349]

@@RadioactiveDrew I think that the PRC still coat the gas mantels with Thorium oxide...got one in a sealed bag from a supplier in the UK. Those "quantum energy" pendants etc seen on ebay & amazon also contain Thorium oxide, which can be seen as tiny white flecks on the surface, which must be shed when handled & thus become airborne. Again, probably Chinese "knock off's" of a Japanese product.

[@RadioactiveDrew]

@@randyhavener1851 that sounds like a cool place to explore…if you can.

[@HappyQuailsLC]

It would be particularly interesting sometime to show a collection of things that were unexpectedly radioactive

[@johnmarks714]

Im more surprised they didnt ask about your RadEye. Now that I have a geiger counter, Ive been wondering how to answer what Im doing with it. Hate to freak someone out by saying Im checking for radioactivity. What has been your experience?

[@ongakuwo]

I love your Channel! and have a little question. What if all those objects containing Uranium or other radioactive substances/elements would be collected and stored in one single small room? Can that be dangerous at some point?

[@RadioactiveDrew]

Thanks. As to your question…it depends on the type of radioactive objects you keep in a room. If it’s a bunch of uranium glass or uranium glazed ceramics in a display case or even in a closet, that would be safe. You could have those items out in the open as well but I usually like to shield my items. If is a bunch of uranium ore and items doped with radium…that would give me concern. It has to do with the level of gamma radiation coming off of the uranium ore and the radium items. Gamma radiation is much harder to shield against. If you only have a couple of these items in a room it shouldn’t be too much of a problem.

[@ongakuwo]

@@RadioactiveDrew Thank you!

[@broom-closet]

I’ve got a question. Im wondering what the difference between sieverts/micro sieverts and cpm. I understand cpm but don’t really get what constitutes as a high micro sievert level

[@RadioactiveDrew]

Micro Sieverts are just fractions of a Sieverts measurement...same as meter to millimeter.

[@matterhaz2980]

@1:45 buddys just ready for a fight haha

[@zuzuspetals9281]

I miss living in CA.

[@SavageGunFighter21]

I found a Fiesta salt shaker once. And my mother has her grandmothers old lemon squeezer dish that she had no idea was uranium glass. I use a Terra Ecotest because I can turn the sound off.

[@MistressGlowWorm]

Do you check out the Radium Dial watches?

[@RadioactiveDrew]

I always look for radium anything. I usually use my UV light to quickly scan for items like that. But I don’t remember running into anything.

[@rkirke1]

I'm planning on going 'prospecting' in some antique shops/thrift stores here in Australia soon, so I was interested at your approach to talking to the staff when they started wondering what you were doing. My plan was to just be completely open about why I'm there. Explain that I'm a science nerd looking for old, slightly radioactive items, that they aren't illegal or overtly dangerous, and that I'm not going to drum up panic among other customers (thankfully my Geiger counter has a 'mute' feature 🙂). I figure if they are concerned about anything I find, I can show them that I have a science degree, explain that I will be able to store them responsibly and hopefully get a small discount for removing the offending items and giving them peace of mind. There might be some cultural differences here in Australia, or I might just be completely misguided in my approach, but regardless I'll let you all know how it goes!

[@RadioactiveDrew]

I also tell people I’m using the radiation to date objects to make sure they are from certain time periods. I also try and be as nice as possible and answer their questions they might have.

[@RealBadGaming52]

Now that’s a flex “pull out my science degree” nice one

[@jtcustomknives]

I bought that same oval plate in mint condition the other day for $7

[@CarsonSavino]

Awesome Video! I went to an antique shop today and found a radioactive neon sign. Last time I checked, neon is not radioactive. I think my geiger counter is broken. I used a FNIRSi GC-01. When I got home I tested another neon sign and got 400 uS/h out of it. 🤨

[@RadioactiveDrew]

Those neon signs aren’t radioactive. The electric field from the neon signs is interfering with the detector.

[@CarsonSavino]

@@RadioactiveDrew Thanks for replying! I think you're right. Maybe my detector detects EMFs and radiation. I should probably get a new Geiger counter.

[@JohnLobbanCreative]

Interesting. Would the Radiacode 102 be useful in finding radioactive antiques?

[@RadioactiveDrew]

Yes, it would be useful. Might be a little more difficult to narrow down a source because it can be pretty sensitive. Also there are some items that give off a decent amount of alpha and beta radiation and not a lot of gamma. The Radiacode 102 is really only sensitive to gamma radiation and some hard betas.

[@JohnLobbanCreative]

@@RadioactiveDrew I found an orange radioactive plate and saucer yesterday at an antique store. Saw lots of orange but these were the only two that were radioactive on the Radiacode 102. 13 bucks.

[@JohnLobbanCreative]

@@RadioactiveDrew also joined your Patreon yesterday.

[@MarkRose1337]

I can't find much uranium glass near me. Antique stores say it's popular and sells quickly.

[@bartekmajewski2305]

There must be terrorists out there building a dirty bomb 😁😀😂.

[@johnmarks714]

My geiger counter only detects beta, gamma and xrays. How many items only emit alpha?

[@Aleziss]

6:20 holy smoke... I have green transparent plates here that dates from my grand parent... why the hell would someone have this in their home and contaminate other plates stacked over or under these green plates ?? and put food on them !? I have use them many many time, that is insane to have these, am I missing something ?? how to get rid of that crap safely ?

[@Aleziss]

Holy crap, my two plates illuminated bright green when I put my blacklight close to the plates made me freak out, other plates where stack over those so I probably contaminated myself, the other plates I ate food with and also the counter those plate were sitting on close to some medication too for probably contaminated, I got those plates for over 25 years sitting there contaminating stuff I eat with... Why the hell anyone could think it was a good idea to make glass with uranium is beyond my understanding...

[@RadioactiveDrew]

I think you’ll be okay putting food on them. As long as you aren’t scraping pieces of the glass off.

[@Aleziss]

@@RadioactiveDrew thanks for your reply ! I am impressed seeing you manipulate all those radioactive material on your channel compared to me freaking out with two glowing green plate... would you be interested in getting those two plates ?? I don't want these in my house ever !

[@tommcelroy6975]

Not how it works. Do some research. Be knowledgeable not scared

[@tommcelroy6975]

​@@Alezisswow

[@mikejennings7779]

That uranium glass is cool

[@robbenmitchell2286]

Where do u put all this stuff?

[@RadioactiveDrew]

Depends on what it is. If it’s these uranium glazed ceramics I usually put them in a display case. If it’s something super hot with radium I put it in an old safe that’s lined with concrete.

[@matterhaz2980]

Damn man how old are you that you were a projectionist haha. I mean our theatre was late to the digital party but damn haha. I thought projectionists stopped in the 60s. Must have been a cool theatre!

[@RadioactiveDrew]

I stopped running film all the time around 2012. After that it was mainly digital with some film. I worked at theaters back in the mid 90’s during high school and started working at the studios in 2000.

[@matterhaz2980]

@@RadioactiveDrew very cool thanks for replying!! I got myself a very cheap but starter Geiger counter a gmc300plus I believe. It's not the fanciest but it works for my uranium glass collection and now my small collection of A 241 haha. Love the channel thanks for all the great content and info keep it up! Thanks again! Cheers from Saskatchewan Canada!

[@springchickena1]

sitting next to a nickle iron radiator painted with lead I can point to the spot from my window where the horse trough use to sit in our town. one same road I live on 1 mile down is the first ever plastic manufacturer in the city is the first ever smoke stack ever built 90% of americas salt came from here in our beginning The amish today are riding with four horse carriages in 2022, a luxory not known to my town in 1870. from the strange settlement of aboriginals land in 1500's to the witch hunts of the 1600's revolutions of 1700's from the secret societs of 1860 from segregationist to a religiosity state in the 1930s.. to modern day america... history is a seers scry

[@tommcelroy6975]

WTH?

[@roryreid3124]

I collect uranium glass and i had a uv flashlight used to detect pet urine stains and i have found much of my colllection with it

[@radbyte]

Well, if alpha and beta are extremely dangerous when ingested somehow, I wonder who would want to use them as kitchenware? Scrap it with the knife and you are done. Or, perhaps, people didn't know about this back in the days? I guess this days it's more like a relic, however it is still pretty scary you can find this stuff everywhere

[@RadioactiveDrew]

I use to think the same way…that these items are a little scary. But once understand the risks a bit more that fear fades. It takes a lot of uranium to mess up someone. Usually high uranium ingestion can cause kidney damage. Just using these as they were intended won’t really effect you. But even with that said all the items I have are part of a display and aren’t used with food.

[@tommcelroy6975]

Not how it works

[@bmxs1000]

Hey drew I live in the UK do you think that there will still be radioactive items in charity shops ( thrift stores )

[@RadioactiveDrew]

I would imagine so. Not sure how many uranium glazed ceramics there would be. But I would imagine there would be a fair amount of radium doped objects. Like watches and maybe some other quack science stuff from the 1920's and 1930's.

[@bmxs1000]

@@RadioactiveDrew hope fully I'm going to go thrifting this weekend and try and find some things

[@RyanReich-CivicSi]

Uranium PEPPER!!! good for your... uhh ... HEALTH!!! :P

[@RadioactiveDrew]

I think you could use the salt and pepper shakers and not get any uranium with it.

[@RyanReich-CivicSi]

@@RadioactiveDrew I know it was more of a joke. :(

[@RadioactiveDrew]

@RyanReich-CivicSi jokes are sometimes very hard to spot in the comments section.

[@chrismack5908]

I suspected you were local! Would you serve food on those plates?

[@RadioactiveDrew]

Depends on the food and the condition the plate is in. Foods low in acid would be the best so the uranium doesn't leach out of the glaze and to not use metal utensils. I usually have mine in a display case and use them around this time for decoration outside of the display case. I also use some as a Halloween candy bowl.

[@AngelofDeath2All]

Ironically yellow/orange colors are indicators of warning or danger and you proved that every time you approached any of the colorful antiques.

[@MrErichonda30]

If anything you are giving them free advertising.

[@RadioactiveDrew]

They don’t always see it like that.

[@frydemwingz]

if they dont want you to have a camera in the store, just steal less than 500 dollars worth of items, then loudly proclaim you cannot breathe as you leave the store. That seems to be ok in California.

[@sampaiofox]

Just a curiosity: why do you prefer measuring items in CPM instead of µSv/h ?

[@RadioactiveDrew]

I like using CPM for mixed radiation. Sieverts, rem or grays is more for gamma exposure.

[@TheThora17]

I think old watches should detect radiation bc of the radium used on the watch faces, no?

[@RadioactiveDrew]

They will emit radiation that you can detect.

[@christophertiredofbs8514]

You’re not sleeping on a pile of orange dishes are you? Are you ever worried about getting cancer because of your close proximity to so many of these items? I have always found nuclear energy fascinating, as well as Hallucinogenics

[@RadioactiveDrew]

No I don't sleep on them. I'm not worried about getting cancer from radiation by any of the things I handle or places I go. The radiation may seem scary but most of the sources I deal with aren't very intense.

[@greenspiraldragon]

I used to have a piece of uranium glass, but I'm not sure what happened to it.

[@RadioactiveDrew]

You could always get more. Uranium glass is something I run into a lot. There’s so much of it.

[@kppb6844]

Sort of funny. They have no issue recording you in the store but by gosh you better not be recording while there.

[@liquidclaymore9770]

0:36 Greta be like...

[@AngelofDeath2All]

I've never been to a antique store. After watching this video...... Guess where I'm going this weekend?

[@RadioactiveDrew]

They are a lot of fun…especially with a Geiger counter.