Don't drop that beryllium hemisphere....

[spencurai]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_Slotin#The_criticality_accident

don't drop that beryllium hemisphere you were holding up with a screw driver or you might cause a small nuclear fission reaction producing the same dose of radiation as standing less than a mile from a nuclear bomb explosion.

 

[Tacoma]

Ok, I'll keep that in mind next time I'm handling beryllium.

 

[spencurai]

There was a company that made a mountain bike out of beryllium about 10-15 years ago...it was a concept bike that could not be ridden because if you scratched the beryllium and breathed in the dust it would kill you....

 

[phatfoto]

I remember that bike... Didn't they use powdered berylium in an epoxy mix? And wasn't it ridiculously expensive?

 

[phatfoto]

Yeah, don't drop that... And obviously, a screwdriver isn't ALWAYS the right tool for the job...

 

[Skylinerider]

I remember that bike... Didn't they use powdered berylium in an epoxy mix? And wasn't it ridiculously expensive?

1996 Beyond Fabrications Beryllium MMC Hardtail

Sugg Retail $3,950.00
Frame Construction Bonded beryllium/aluminum
Weight 22.0 lbs

 

[Zombie]

Spencer, you find the most obscure random stuff... and I mean that as a compliment.

This may be the most obscure thing I've ever seen.

 

[Tacoma]

Bianchi made one too. In 93. I read about on it a trip to NYC w/my figure drawing class.

 

[greenjeep]

trip to NYC w/my figure drawing class.

= nude art right?

Nice

 

[Tacoma]

yep, but it was mostly kind of frightening. I nearly passed out one time when I was late: ran in through the door, looked up, straight into the gaping maw of a 65yr old alcoholic bag lady... and then saw all my classmates, arranged wide-eyed at my horror, IN FRONT OF HER. My instructor came up, smacked me with his cane like he was prone to do, and whispered "That'll teach you to be late, eh?" Yeah, it sure did.

 

[spencurai]

Spencer, you find the most obscure random stuff... and I mean that as a compliment.

This may be the most obscure thing I've ever seen.

I haunt some bizarre places to be honest...I just find it frightening that you could cause such an acute nuclear reaction with such an input...EEEEEEEKK

 

[rkillpack]

Whats important to read from the wiki file is that the beryllium was surrounding a plutonium core. The Beryllium is used to excite alpha particle emitters to generate neutron radiation. Beryllium itself is not what killed the gentleman. The "Blue Flash" as its called is what happens when there is uncontrolled criticallity. The Flash is the reaction of the neutrons with the eye. Usually if you see a Blue Flash though, it means you are a dead man (happened in a Japanese Powerplant a while back).

 

[spencurai]

The fact that they keep that stuff teetering on the brink of criticality is what disturbs me the most. I know nuclear fission was new tech back then but it just seems like a dangerous endeavor. I am surprised that we didn't evaporate more nuclear fission laboratories due to miscalculations and the like.

 

[rkillpack]

I know nuclear fission was new tech back then but it just seems like a dangerous endeavor. I am surprised that we didn't evaporate more nuclear fission laboratories due to miscalculations and the like.

Yeah I think we ducked out on much worse things happening. The rush to build the first atomic weapon was what caused people to get stupid. Instead of taking their time and figuring out how to do things safely, they rushed to the end product and people died. Accidents (think 3 mile island, chrenobyl) are what was driving the advances of medical treatment, radiation detection and cleanup.

Luckily we now have programs in place to allow us to handle radioactive materials safely with just about no risk to anyone. I think that if people will take the time to aquaint themselves with the modern nuclear era they might be able to shed some of the preconcieved notions that harm our ability to use this power to our advantage. (think nuclear power)

Anyway, i'll get off the soap box now. The Wiki article was interesting reading though.

 

[XT Utah]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_Slotin#The_criticality_accident

don't drop that beryllium hemisphere you were holding up with a screw driver or you might cause a small nuclear fission reaction producing the same dose of radiation as standing less than a mile from a nuclear bomb explosion.

Summer, 1970 -- Tom Konowalchuck, Marketing Intern at Ford, had a brilliant proposal: "Hey guys! Let's make the Pinto's gas tank out of beryllium!"

[YOUTUBE]Glcj0szvevU[/YOUTUBE]

 

[Tacoma]

1996 Beyond Fabrications Beryllium MMC Hardtail

Sugg Retail $3,950.00
Frame Construction Bonded beryllium/aluminum
Weight 22.0 lbs

The Bianchi one from 93 was similar. Back then, Metal Matrix Composites(MMC) were the thing... Specialized had just come out with M2, which was a ceramic/aluminum composite that is a fair bit stiffer than plain Al.

The Bianchi bike was perfectly rideable, but very expensive for the time, something like $5k or something, and had one of the early-90's forks that no one bought, like a Showa or something. It was a greenish frame, which I thought was neat. Bought the magazine in Port Authority for the ride home, fall 93.




huh

1993: Models are listed as the new M-15 (15" stays?) frame for $720, M-16 or Comp Lite frame @ $925 and the new Comp Lite Beryllium for the astonishing sum of $26,000. The Beryllium bike was made with Beryllium tubing (top, seat, down, seat stays, chain stays) bonded into aluminum lugs. The bike was developed with Electrofusion Corp. in Fremont California. Much of the labor was donated by the company since there was some spare time due to the decline in Cold War business for the company. Beryllium's atomic number is 4 just after Hydrogen, Helium and Lithium but the specific modulus (stiffness to density ratio) is seven times better than steel, titanium or aluminum, which are all essentially equal. The first frame was overbuilt and weighed 2.5 pounds. Of that, the Beryllium tubing was one pound (including one ounce chain stays), 1.25 pounds of aluminum lugs and 4 ounces of adhesive.

 

[Skylinerider]

The Bianchi one from 93 was similar. Back then, Metal Matrix Composites(MMC) were the thing... Specialized had just come out with M2, which was a ceramic/aluminum composite that is a fair bit stiffer than plain Al.

I loved the M2 and then the M4 frames from specialized, in fact I almost traded my GT LTS to Greg for his specialized M2 back in the day. Man that was a long time ago.

 

[Tacoma]

I'll make that trade. My '95 M2 is a 19" frame though... probably a little long for you.

That's actually why I didn't get a Zaskar: short top tube for the frame size, whereas Specialized had a longer top tube size.

 

[Skylinerider]

I'll make that trade. My '95 M2 is a 19" frame though... probably a little long for you.

That's actually why I didn't get a Zaskar: short top tube for the frame size, whereas Specialized had a longer top tube size.

Man that LTS is long gone, I now ride Jamis Komodo hardtail that I built from the frame up, and I also have an Iron Horse maverick for when I need bouncy at both ends.

 

[Tacoma]

Right on!

I haven't ridden my Stumpjumper since I got my Ellsworth.. but I'm going to resurrect it and love it some more.