My AC/DC radio phono had a strip of asbestos under the chassis and glued to the wooden cabinet. I removed it and thinking foil tape would be a good replacment, used it to reflect heat. No radio reception! Works fine wihout any metal underneathh, but as soon as I cover the bottom with any metal I lose my radio reception. Phono works good otherwise. Looking for a non-metalic replacement now for the asbestos.

Hi Tom,
You may be able to find some heat-proof gasket material at NAPA or other auto parts stores which will be a suitable replacement for the asbestos.

When I encounter asbestos in an antique radio I do not remove it. Instead I dilute regular white wood glue about 50% with water, and apply it to the asbestos with a brush or spray bottle until it quits soaking it up. Once dried, this will seal and encapsulate the asbestos. This procedure may not satisfy EPA or OSHA standards, but from a practical standpoint will prevent health risks from the asbestos fibers as long as it remains undisturbed.

Poston

:My AC/DC radio phono had a strip of asbestos under the chassis and glued to the wooden cabinet. I removed it and thinking foil tape would be a good replacment, used it to reflect heat. No radio reception! Works fine wihout any metal underneathh, but as soon as I cover the bottom with any metal I lose my radio reception. Phono works good otherwise. Looking for a non-metalic replacement now for the asbestos.

Check out the local hardware store for a heatshield used when soldering and fitting copper pipe. Works great and is safe.

:Check out the local hardware store for a heatshield used when soldering and fitting copper pipe. Works great and is safe.

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If you can locate some Nomex (r) material, that's what is used for hi-temp transformer insulation. Hobbyists use it to insulate model airplane gas engine compartments.
http://www.amainhobbies.com/product_info.php/products_id/4410

Good Luck... Rich

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Here's a trick! Leave the asbestos alone the next time and you won't have to worry about it.

I removed the asbestos from my Zenith 5-G-500 a long time ago when I was parinoid about it like everyone else. I've been operating the radio ever since with no asbestos on top of the wood panel that the chassis sits on. This radio is an AC-DC-Battery radio with hot resistors underneath it. Though one could start a fire if there was a short, no fires have started. I keep the resistors far away from the wood.

Again, though, unless you work in an asbestos factory or make a career out of the Navy in 60 year old battle ships, there's no need to worry about the stuff. It doesn't jump out and climb into your lungs. Unless you agitate it a lot, it sits there and does nothing. Asbestos takes lives. Asbestos also saves lives.

Regarding battle ships, my uncle made a career out of the navy, and died of asbestosis. They used tons of asbestos in the old ships, and since a ship is always moving around, the asbestos is always being agitated. The asbestos in a radio is small, and even if you tote the thing around, you're not going to agitate it much. Taking the chassis out repeatedly may agitate it. You can spray it with a very thin mist of clear lacquer. This will hold the fibers in place, though lacquer is not fire proof, so try not to saturate the asbestos.

Thomas

I inquired about that Nomex...it says "two longsheets" but it's only two strips of tape.
I was unable to locate it in "real" sheets anywhere else.

I ended up usng a piece of plexiglass under the chassis, cut to size. This provides a clean hard surface and I think shoul be fairly fire-resistant.

:My AC/DC radio phono had a strip of asbestos under the chassis and glued to the wooden cabinet. I removed it and thinking foil tape would be a good replacment, used it to reflect heat. No radio reception! Works fine wihout any metal underneathh, but as soon as I cover the bottom with any metal I lose my radio reception. Phono works good otherwise. Looking for a non-metalic replacement now for the asbestos.

Somewhere, don't know where, they sell sheets of stuff that looks just like asbestos. We had some in my chemistry lab. Either that or they were lying to us. They said that they replaced all of the asbestos sheets with some other mineral fibre sheet material.

Thomas

:I ended up usng a piece of plexiglass under the chassis, cut to size. This provides a clean hard surface and I think shoul be fairly fire-resistant.
:
:
Plexiglass would be a very poor choice as it is rather flammable, go with some of the other suggestions.

Dave