[ RadSafe ] Radioactive Bucking Bars

[Robert Atkinson]

Hi Kelly,
As an aircraft engineer with a keen hobbyist interest in radiation I think I can provide the answer - FOD. This three letter acronym stands for foreign object damage (or debris). This was first used to describe damage caused by items entering aircraft engines, but now applies to anything that may hazard an aircraft. The radioactive sources are so the (often inacessible when completed) aircraft structure can be checked to make sure they were not left behind. A fairly new system by Snap-On uses magetised tools for a similar system.
 
Regards,
Robert.

--- On Tue, 16/12/08, grahnk at comcast.net <grahnk at comcast.net> wrote:

From: grahnk at comcast.net <grahnk at comcast.net>
Subject: [ RadSafe ] Radioactive Bucking Bars
To: radsafe at radlab.nl
Date: Tuesday, 16 December, 2008, 2:10 PM

In one of our Orphan Source program pickups, we have encountered two
"bucking bars" that are commonly used in riveting operations
associated with aircraft manufacture.  The rivet is driven toward the hardened
tool steel bar creating the head or bucktail on the rivet which holds it in
place.   Both of these have small Cs-137 sources apparently welded or soldered
into one side.

I know what the bars are used for, I curious if anyone knows what the purpose
of the sources is.

Kelly Grahn
Illinois Emergency Management Agency
Division of Nuclear Safety
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