[Healeys] asbestos lookalike insulation sheet

[Bob Spidell]

Steve McQueen (the actor) died of mesothelioma. Urban legend says he 
contracted it from working in a brake shop--Healey content: I believe he 
campaigned a Sprite for a while--but it's more likely he got it in the 
Navy. True to character, he was a 'bad boy' and for punishment was 
assigned to clean up parts of the ships that were insulated with 
asbestos. It wasn't an intentional death sentence; it was before the 
dangers of asbestos were widely known.

I caught a news item years ago about a city in Russia that got its 
entire revenue from a nearby asbestos mine. The city is mostly abandoned 
now, for good reason, but a few stragglers stuck aroun. One was an 
octogenarian who had worked in the mine most of his life but never got 
sick from it. Do they have lotteries in Russia? If so, he should buy a 
ticket.


On 1/14/2021 8:42 AM, m.g.sharp at sympatico.ca wrote:
>
> I believe it is a bit more than just “dust” as if you were cutting 
> it.  Asbestos is fiberous and the fibres are composed of microscopic 
> components that will shed with any abrasion, even simple handling.  
> The microscopic fibrils become airborne and are easily inhaled.  They 
> can also adhere to your skin and clothing and be transferred later, 
> after the job is finished.  I am no expert, but suspect a short, 
> once-in-a-lifetime exposure are probably not a risk, but why take even 
> a small risk when exposure is easily prevented.
>
> What worries me is when I look back to when I was a kid working in a 
> gas station in the 60s and when the mechanics did a brake job, the 
> first thing they did after removing the brake drums was take an air 
> hose and blow the brake dust off the shoes and backing plate etc.  Of 
> course brake material had asbestos fibres in it back then and these 
> clouds of black asbestos-filled dust would fill the shop for us all to 
> enjoy.
>
> Cheers, Mirek
>
> *From:*Healeys <healeys-bounces at autox.team.net> *On Behalf Of *Jean Caron
> *Sent:* January 14, 2021 11:16 AM
> *To:* simon.lachlan at alexarevel.plus.com; 'Perry Small' <healeyguy at aol.com>
> *Cc:* healeys at autox.team.net
> *Subject:* Re: [Healeys] asbestos lookalike insulation sheet
>
> I have always been told that it is the dust of asbestos that is 
> dangerous, not the board itself. I recall many years ago helping a 
> friend with these on his Austin-Healey and he was totally afraid of 
> even removing these panels, he was wearing a mask, and then a shield 
> and gloves, that’s even before they had these “hazmat” suits. 
> Meanwhile he smoked a pack to a pack and half of cigarettes daily 
> which eventually and unfortunately took his life.
>
> Jean
>
> Sent from Mail <https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=550986> for 
> Windows 10
>
> *From: *simon.lachlan at alexarevel.plus.com 
> <mailto:simon.lachlan at alexarevel.plus.com>
> *Sent: *January 14, 2021 8:47 AM
> *To: *'Perry Small' <mailto:healeyguy at aol.com>
> *Cc: *healeys at autox.team.net <mailto:healeys at autox.team.net>
> *Subject: *Re: [Healeys] asbestos lookalike insulation sheet
>
> Thank you to everyone regarding the sheet.
> I gave it a gentle pry, per Perry's advice, and then one rather less 
> gentle.
> It just popped off. Intact and without cracking or breaking.
> I wonder if it is asbestos. It looked to be in really good condition, 
> but it
> was there when I bought the car back in '96.
> Anyhow, I was able to easily put the slide's 3 T-nuts in and reinstall the
> sheet. All suitably masked of course.
> Simon
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Perry Small <healeyguy at aol.com <mailto:healeyguy at aol.com>>
> Sent: 11 January 2021 19:11
> To: simon.lachlan at alexarevel.plus.com 
> <mailto:simon.lachlan at alexarevel.plus.com>
> Cc: healeys at autox.team.net <mailto:healeys at autox.team.net>
> Subject: asbestos lookalike insulation sheet
>
> Simon
> Notice the square blocks attached to the big sheet. They have been 
> known to
> bond themselves to the bottom of the floor pan. Gentle pry them loose.
> Perry
>
>

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