Berylco "brass" tools: DANGER

May. 13, 2024

Berylco "brass" tools: DANGER

neophyte said:
Has anybody ever run across Beryllium Copper drill bits? I read a reference to them once but I haven't seen them offered from any of the specialty companies that specialize in Beryllium Copper and Non-Sparking tools. I've checked Ampco, Berylco, Carltsoe, and Beta Tools.

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neophyte said:
Nevermind, Ega-Master seems to offer Beryllium Copper drill bits. I'm still wondering if anybody has ever used them though.
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glenmore said:
For you estate/garage sale guys, PING made a BeCu putter that seems to be quite collectible, over $100 on ebay. When you take a break rooting thru the garage for tools, check out the old golf bag.
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toolmaven said:
Exceller8,

You'll be dead within . . .Oh, too late! Not really. Now Copper-beryllium is a better description, than the common "BeCu", since the Be is generally less than 2% and is not nearly as likely to cause beryllium diseases as pure or high-percent aerospace alloys.

Not everybody exposed in industry, even before they knew better, progresses to true beryllium disease. Probably some genetic predisposition involved. Other factors, too. Do you mask-up when you buff things? Do you smoke? That harms the lung's self cleaning mechanisms. How is your general garage/shop ventilation?

I'd discuss it with my doctor if I thought I got a big exposure to any nasty chemical. I had my doctor add lead check to my last blood test after stripping some old paint. (No problems found, whew!) If you have any respiratory symptoms that don't go away, I'd mention them at my next check-up or sooner.
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The largest hazard with beryllium copper comes from airborne particles (breathing the dust). Where I worked, quite a few of the electrical components had to be sanded to fit. And on top of that, it was in and enclosed room. A few years back when the Safety Nazi's really started to checking into things, they found the hazards associated with BeCu. So the room where the sanding was done had to have and air exchanger that went through a filtration system, plus the guys doing the sanding had to "suit up" with a Tyvek suit and a filtration mask. Was it overkill? Some say it was and that the hazards are blown out of proportion. Myself, I look at it as an inconvenience having to suit up, but definitely not overkill. A lot of the hazardous chemicals can enter your system through pores of your skin just as easily as entering your system through your lungs.

I know that with all of the stuff my dad breathed in and all that he absorbed through his skin didn't do him any good. He made it to the ripe age of 95, but he fought with COPD and emphysema for many years because of smoking for one, but with also breathing paint fumes, messing with lead for years as he was a bodyman, and also with Bondo dust.

So it's better to be safe than having to pay the price later on down the road.

The largest hazard with beryllium copper comes from airborne particles (breathing the dust). Where I worked, quite a few of the electrical components had to be sanded to fit. And on top of that, it was in and enclosed room. A few years back when the Safety Nazi's really started to checking into things, they found the hazards associated with BeCu. So the room where the sanding was done had to have and air exchanger that went through a filtration system, plus the guys doing the sanding had to "suit up" with a Tyvek suit and a filtration mask. Was it overkill? Some say it was and that the hazards are blown out of proportion. Myself, I look at it as an inconvenience having to suit up, but definitely not overkill. A lot of the hazardous chemicals can enter your system through pores of your skin just as easily as entering your system through your lungs.I know that with all of the stuff my dad breathed in and all that he absorbed through his skin didn't do him any good. He made it to the ripe age of 95, but he fought with COPD and emphysema for many years because of smoking for one, but with also breathing paint fumes, messing with lead for years as he was a bodyman, and also with Bondo dust.So it's better to be safe than having to pay the price later on down the road.

routing brass

Can anyone tell me about machining soft metals – eg brass – with woodworking equipment? Risks, best techniques, any problems?

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I know it’s possible to bandsaw brass (it’s part of my dovetail plane-making technique, and it’s only a meat saw anyway), and it can be tablesawn (although I choose not to, so as to avoid ruining my slider) … but what about freehand or table routing?

Playing with the idea of using small cutters to machine fine decorative detail on tools, and maybe even to cut dovetail joints!

And, while I’m on the subject, what’s the best adhesive, brass to wood, steel to wood?

Malcolm

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