Safety tips when disassembling old electronics?

3 years ago by nilclass to c/askelectronics

I'm taking apart a broken tape recorder produced in the 70s (a Tesla B57, made in Czechoslovakia), to harvest some parts (inductors, switches, ...) and maybe reuse the case for some project.

Which made me wonder: are there any dangers to protect myself against? I know about lead, so I'll take precautions when desoldering things. Is there anything else to be aware of? Some fumes, other toxic materials, ...?

I'm not planning to connect the device to power in any way, so from an electrical perspective there should be nothing to worry about (except for caps maybe). Am I wrong?

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mattaw 2 points 3 years ago

luminous dials can be radium paint.
White paint is often lead and very poisonous to eat - wash hands
asbestos insulated wires, resistor cores and more - look for crumbly "cement" or woven fabric: https://www.asbestos.com/...

I'm sure you will not breath in any dust and will wash your hands so you will likely be fine. This is most likely an issue if you mod the case with drilling/filling or are a little careless.

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