Vintage Lighting Asbestos? Strand-Century 3342

[llburg]

So, this is a picture of the connector end of the whip on a Strand Century 3342 Fresnel. I used search and google to make a guess as to whether the wires are dangerous or not, and reached a mixed answer. It looks as though there is a rubber jacket under the cloth, and that makes me think it's safe. However, it left a white powdery material on my fingers after handling it, and that worried me. The whips on our other fixtures (mostly Altman-65q, 360w, skycyc, etc) do not leave anything behind on my fingers, and there is no cloth. Thoughts?

 

[Les]

The leads pictured looks like fiberglass sleeved wire. I'll let others chime in, but in my experience that's not what asbestos looks like. Asbestos is more likely to 'flake' or 'chip' off. Some refer to them as being fuzzy. The "weave" is generally not as pronounced as what you have pictured.

Are the leads on your 65Q, 360Q and Sky Cyc's black and 'loose' feeling? If so, that's the more current fiberglass sleeve over high-temp wire. No worries there.

It should be a single whip with multiple (3) conductors inside.

The insulated wire closest to the camera in this picture appears to be asbestos.

Here's the thread that picture was borrowed from:
http://www.controlbooth.com/forums/...5-help-identifying-asbestos-old-lighting.html

 

[llburg]

Correct on the Altman gear. That's all somewhat newer manufacture, although the fresnels and ERS's are "hammertone brown" I think is what you call it. Back to the Strand fresnels, Both do also have a fiberglass sheathing, although one goes into the fixture though one hole, and another has two wires split and through different holes. I think I need to check the grounding on that one. Good to hear that so far it doesn't seem dangerous.

 

[Les]

If it is fiberglass, it is not a carcinogenic threat, but the three separate wires is against code these days. I'd remove the leads, drill one large hole in the fixture (and add a strain relief), and run a modern whip through the new strain relief. Have it done if you are uncomfortable or unfamiliar with this procedure.

Remove the leads from the socket and re-crimp new ones -- don't splice. Also, I updated my post above. Hopefully others will chime in as I'm not exactly the authority on these types of things .

 

[llburg]

Okay that sounds great! I wasn't clear earlier, there are two fixtures, one has a proper strain relief, the other has modern wires and a fiberglass sheath, but terminates like this:
(As you can see, grounding needs some work)

 

[Robert]

While fiberglass has not been classified as carciinogetic, particles of the glass fiber have been found deep in the Alveoli and Pleura which is the same place that Mesothelioma caused by asbestos forms. So when it comes to tiny fibers be cautious. I instruct all my students to never tie around the fiberglass sleeves of the cable, but to only tie around the rubber jacket of the extension cables.

 

[JD]

While it's a good idea not to sniff in anything we don't have to, the larger glass fibers don't stay airborne like the old asbestos did. Fiberglass is used in almost everything, and so far, we haven't heard of a problem with people doing housing insulation. Most of it is just spun from melted sand. (Although it can be one heck of a respiratory and skin irritant!) Long term exposure to any airborne irritant is not a good idea, but I wouldn't worry too much about the fiberglass sleeves on the fixture wires. It has fallen out of favor because it is just too fragile.

 

[llburg]

I can definitely vouch for the skin irritant part!

 

[avkid]

The fiberglass in that sheathing is coated, not like the pink insulation.
It's pretty hard to get it airborne.

 

[gafftapegreenia]

Yeah, thats fiberglass. Was just working on some of that today. I think I like the teflon better, even if it is harder to strip.

 

[llburg]

I'm totally with you. Less itchy, neater, but unexpectedly slippery.