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Asbestos containing products

#1

Hi, I am new to this list, and am seeking

I am searching for the names of companies that made and distributed
jewelry making and metalsmithing products that used to contain
asbestos. I keep reading that lots of people on the list “used to
keep a bucket of asbestos under the bench,” used to used "asbestos
soldering boards and pads, " used to use “asbestos based investment
for casting”, “used to use asbestos slurry,” “used to use kilns that
were lined with asbestos.” etc.

I’m looking for company and product names and or copies of old
catalogs that have the names of asbestos based products. I would
even pay for old catalogs that listed asbestos based jewelry and
metalsmithing products. The catalogs would probably be pre-1978, and
so probably not very many of them will have survived.

If catalogs aren’t available, I would be happy with a few names that
some of you may have remembered.

Thanks,
Paul Wood
@Paul_Wood

#2

To Paul Woods–

You wouldn’t by any chance be working for a law firm looking for
companies to sue or people to join a class action would you? It
would be a good thing to identify why you want this

Linda

#3

Hello Paul,

I used to find asbestos at the local heating and air/conditioning
repair shop. They kept the stuff in a sort of powder form and mixed
it with water into a paste which was applied to insulate pipes. It
seems to me that they also had sheets about half an inch thick -
don’t know what it was used for, but probably furnace fire box
repairs.

Judy in Kansas, who wonders what in the heck you’ll do with this

#4

Hi Linda

You wouldn't by any chance be working for a law firm looking for
companies to sue or people to join a class action would you? It
would be a good thing to identify why you want this

My wife is a jeweler and metalsmith. She recently was diagnosed with
malignant peritoneal mesothelioma. I am trying to trace down how she
was exposed.

#5

Hi Paul

Your wife could have been exposed to a number of things not
necessarily in the jewelry business.

Asbestos is less dangerous when in a “solid” form or “contained” in
some way, for example kilnlining or roof and wall tiles. It’s when
the fibers come free and are dispersed in the air we breathe it
becomes very dangerous. Think brakelinings as they are worn down or
ventilation shafts. Asbestos based poducts were popular in the
building sector because of their low cost and durability. Asbestos
in investment is a definite health hazard, a soldering board not as
much. Tailors used heatprotective asbestos slabs under their irons.
When tearing down old buildings all materials containing asbestos
has to be identified and removed by workers certified for this.
Unfortunately asbestos used to be all around us.

happy holidays
michaela