JIM HOLSONBACK wrote in a message to ROY J. TELLASON:

-=> ROY J. TELLASON wrote to JIM HOLSONBACK <=-

JH> Over the years, asbestos was used in a large number of ways in the
JH> building construction industry.

RJT> It sure was.  We had that stuff to mess with in one shop class in
RJT> school,  as I recall,  in both fairly thin sheets (sorta like
RJT> cardboard) and in quarter-inch thick chunks,  which could be drilled
RJT> and things screwed to them.

JH> Toward the end, when it still was sort-of allowed, the things which
JH> were prohibited were field-drilling and field-cutting of the
JH> sheets, due to the constituents of the resulting dust.

JH> If you drilled and/or cut such sheets and happened to inhale any of
JH> that dust, you're farkeled, Roy. May as well get your affairs in
JH> order now, and prepare to meet your Maker.  (just teasing, but kids
JH> darn sure can't mess around with AC panels in shop class nowadays,
JH> if they still have 'shop class' available to them).

Oh,  heck,  that was probably 35 years ago?  Something like that.  We did
lots of stuff then that wouldn't be allowed these days.  Bend a bit of
sheet metal into a square,  after you've cut one edge to allow for some
"legs" at the corners,  mount a couple of insulators in a 6"
square of the stuff,  and wind some nichrome wire around here and there, 
after coiling it on a rod acting as a form.  Add a line cord,  and you've
got a home-made hotplate!  Another one was a couple of serrated-edged bits
of sheet metal with a line cord connected across them and you have a
line-powered hot dog cooker.  No plastic enclosure, no safety switches (no
switch at all!),   stuff that wouldn't be built these days...

RJT> A friend of mine had an apartment where the stove was right next to the
RJT> refrigerator.  There was a time when he went out and got a sheet of
RJT> that stuff to stick between them,  so his running the oven wouldn't
RJT> overload the fridge...

JH> My take -  Asbestos is a naturally-occurring mineral, with some 
JH> outstanding properties of fire-resistance and insulation value, 
JH> among others, and I think it is our loss that we have not been able
JH> to come up with ways to still use it "acceptably".

I heard something recently that it's only some varieties that have the
problem,  it depends on the type of fibers that are present.  So all they'd
need to do is propagate the "good" kind and have people be aware
of the "bad" kind and what precautions needed to be taken to deal
with it.  But that's too much work,  I guess,  easier to demonize the stuff
altogether.  And from what I hear some of the substitute materials aren't a
whole lot better.

JH> Heck, I got some 12x12 tiles in my front hallway here, which I'll
JH> bet are squares of VAT (Vinyl-asbestos-tile) as made by Armstrong
JH> and many others some years ago.  Am I gonna have to bring in guys
JH> in moonsuits and all if I ever want to take them up?

Only if you plan on taking them up with a floor sander!  :-)

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