David Kilnapp Posted April 8, 2023 Share Posted April 8, 2023 (edited) Hello friends. I recently acquired a Dr. Max Levy fan (below). The fan is rather smaller than the pictures suggest (which I think makes it all the more desireable). It came apart easily. The choke coil is covered by what I believe to be asbestos. The asbestos is very fragile and flakey (and probably hazardous to be around). How can I seal this so it doesn't shed asbestos particles into the air? Shall I spray it with clear lacquer? What's the best solution to stabilize and seal this very dangerous covering? Here are the other parts. Edited April 8, 2023 by David Kilnapp Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Behrend Posted April 8, 2023 Share Posted April 8, 2023 Asbestos will only affect you if it gets airborne. Tucked inside the base, I wouldn’t worry about it. I imagine like you said spraying it with a sealer of some sort would do the trick for peace of mind. Nice fan! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Dunlap Posted April 8, 2023 Share Posted April 8, 2023 These get hot. Anything you put on the coil will burn and smell awful. Voice of experience.........💩 If I wanted to seal it, I would wrap in in fiberglass cloth. Cheers, Bill 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Kilnapp Posted April 8, 2023 Author Share Posted April 8, 2023 Thanks Bill. Where might I find fiberglass cloth? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Roadt Posted April 8, 2023 Share Posted April 8, 2023 Put it back in the base and leave it alone 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Kilnapp Posted April 8, 2023 Author Share Posted April 8, 2023 (edited) I will leave as is and just put it back in the base as recommended. Good advice. I've made some good progress today. I shipped the remains of the missing oiler and the original front oiler to Darryl Hudson. He has agreed to make me a reproduction hopefully, when he's feeling well enough to work. The base and the front and back cover of the head case are on their way to Rick Powell for japanning. In the meantime, I have restored the original luster of the japanne on the head case and cleaned up the motor tag as best I could (without removing it). I may try and pry the brass tacks out so I can do a better job on the motor tag. The other parts have been cleaned. I'd prefer not to discard the original plug which I cleaned up so I'll buy an inexpensive adapter ($4.29) to convert this to an American plug which I iwll then use to connect to my VFD. This fan runs on 42 cycles and 150 volts. Edited April 8, 2023 by David Kilnapp 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Russ Huber Posted April 8, 2023 Share Posted April 8, 2023 (edited) Jim is on target. But, if you find yourself waking up in the middle of the night in cold sweat wondering just how many asbestos molecules are possibly going up your nose, never panic. Buy a bottle of this gook on Amazon, get a small brush applicator, put on rubber gloves, wear eye protection, cover the asbestos thoroughly with it outside in the fresh air with a mask on just in case. Then sleep well once again. It is an adhesive that can hack 2000 degree temp.🙂 Edited April 8, 2023 by Russ Huber 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Kilnapp Posted April 8, 2023 Author Share Posted April 8, 2023 Thanks Russ. I just ordered some from Amazon. Just what the doctor ordered! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Dunlap Posted April 8, 2023 Share Posted April 8, 2023 15 hours ago, David Kilnapp said: Thanks Bill. Where might I find fiberglass cloth? I use material used for heat shielding on cars and motorcycles and is aluminized on one side. Passing a torch over aluminum and it blows right off. I buy it from ebay. Cheers, Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Russ Huber Posted April 8, 2023 Share Posted April 8, 2023 1 minute ago, David Kilnapp said: Thanks Russ. I just ordered some from Amazon. Just what the doctor ordered! David, please careful applying that adhesive( The warning label). Being it can hack extreme heat is a good thing. It should seal up the asbestos, so nothing goes air born. It's overkill, but if it makes you feel better, what to hell. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Kilnapp Posted April 8, 2023 Author Share Posted April 8, 2023 Thanks all for your responses. I really appreciate your assistance! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert Grove Posted April 8, 2023 Share Posted April 8, 2023 1 hour ago, David Kilnapp said: Thanks all for your responses. I really appreciate your assistance! Hello David, To make this real easy Just sell it to me. LOL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Kilnapp Posted April 9, 2023 Author Share Posted April 9, 2023 Hi Robert. Perhaps when I'm satisfied that it is restored to its former glory, I'll consider parting with it. There's nothing more to do until Rick Powell does his great Japanning work and Darryl reproduces (when he is able) the missing oiler. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Kilnapp Posted April 16, 2023 Author Share Posted April 16, 2023 (edited) At the suggestion of Russ Huber, I purchased a small container of Sodium Silicate to stabilize the flaky asbestos surrounding the speed coil of the Dr. Max Levy. The product came yesterday. It was the consistency of maple syrup and more or less clear. I painted it on with a small artist brush and it was dry in an hour. It has no detectable odor. The next morning (today) I checked on it and it was solid as a rock so it worked as advertized. I'll be interested to see if there is a smell when I fire up the fan for the first when the coil is energized. I also heard from Ron Bethoney (New England Brass Refinishers) that he had finished the repair of the cage and polished the cage, blade and struts. He also painted the spider. Judge for yourselves if he did a good job. Before: After: Ron wasn't happy with the result (I was thrilled) because his son (also Ron) wasn't able to get all the deep pitting and rust off of the blades without removing the nickel plating. Ron removed the screws holding the blades to the spider, repainted the spider, replaced the set screw (which was wrong) with an Allen type screw, replaced all the screws holding the blades to the spider so that they all matched. All this he did for incredibly short money. I tipped him 50% which he didn't want to take but I insisted. Unlike brass, this work is not lacquered. The body of the fan and the end caps of the head case are with Rick Powell for japanning. So far so good! I've managed to find a picture of a slightly different Max Levy fan with a fully ribbed base with gold pin stripes on the base and on the end caps. I'm thinking about asking Peter Blackman (Blackman designs) to duplicate the pinstripes on my fan though they were not originally present on my fan. What do you think? Edited April 16, 2023 by David Kilnapp 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Russ Huber Posted April 16, 2023 Share Posted April 16, 2023 50 minutes ago, David Kilnapp said: I purchased a small container of Sodium Silicate to stabilize the flaky asbestos surrounding the speed coil of the Dr. Max Levy. The product came yesterday. It was the consistency of maple syrup and more or less clear. I painted it on with a small artist brush and it was dry in an hour. It has no detectable odor. The next morning (today) I checked on it and it was solid as a rock so it worked as advertised. I'll be interested to see if there is a smell when I fire up the fan for the first when the coil is energized. Sodium silicate, also known as waterglass, or liquid glass is a colorless water based liquid. Dries to a solid form that can withstand temperatures up to 2000 degrees F. Commonly used as an high temperature adhesive for refractories or ceramic fiber blankets. Sodium silicate is used in making potlery as a deflocculant in casting slips. Sodium silicate is also used as an exhaust system joint and crack sealer for repairing mufflers, resonators and tailpipes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Kilnapp Posted April 16, 2023 Author Share Posted April 16, 2023 Interesting information, Russ. Thank you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Russ Huber Posted April 16, 2023 Share Posted April 16, 2023 With a 2000 degree heat tolerance, I don't think you're going to smell too much on low speed, David. 🙂 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Kilnapp Posted April 17, 2023 Author Share Posted April 17, 2023 Thank you, Russ! Time will tell. I'll report back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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