Early Industrial Radiography Source (ca. 1950s)

This stainless steel dummy source is approximately 1" long and 1/2" in diameter. It has two welds—one joining the body to the cap, and the other joining the cap to the base of an attachment cable. The latter, a multi-wire stainless steel cable, has been cut just above the point of attachment. When the capsule is shaken, you can hear something rattle inside. It is non-magnetic.

The use of the cable indicates that it is an early type of industrial radiography source. That this is the case was confirmed by Karl Haff from ORNL where these types of sources were loaded. As such, the real versions would have contained either Co-60 or Ir-192, probably in the 10 to 100 curie range.

This dummy source was used in classroom presentations at Oak Ridge Associated Universities by Haff. Karl Haff at different times headed up ORNL's Source Safety Testing Program and their Radiochemical Processing Program.