Project Kick Started (Geiger Counter kit)

Today I kicked started the project with the order of the Geiger counter kit. This project has been on stand by for a few weeks as I have been doing other thing and waiting for a decent priced Geiger counter to show up. I started to take interest in the civil defense range of radiation detectors. I was going to get the CD V-700 Geiger counter but it was quite expensive. Luckily, I found the CD V-777 Radiation detection kit for a cheaper price than the single unit on its own. The kit contains the CD V-700 Geiger counter, CD V-715 survey meter, CD V-750 Dosimeter charger and four CD V-742 Dosimeters. It also comes with instructions and headphones.

It should arrive in the next week and soon after the materials will arrive and the experiments will begin.

Thorium

Thorium is a radioactive element used in old gas lanterns to make them glow more brightly. Refill patches for the lanterns were called lantern mantels and they are still soled today but they do not contain thorium. There are many thorium ones on eBay for a very cheap price so i will buy some of them for the experiments.

After I have bought them I will refine them into pure radioactive thorium!

Ebay Shopping list

This is just a quick shopping list for some things that i need of ebay. Pretty much all of the things in these experiments are bought of ebay.

- Radium watch : Souce of radium http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Sentinel-Click-Radium-wandering-seconds-Pocket-Watch-/290761686513?pt=Pocket_Watches&hash=item43b2bf3df1#ht_500wt_1156

- Geiger counter :  http://www.ebay.com/itm/Pripyat-RKS-20-03-beta-gamma-dosimeter-radiometr-with-2-SBM-20-geiger-tube-/160866521474?pt=BI_Security_Fire_Protection&hash=item2574645182#ht_7201wt_1271

- Lead (PB) : Used to reflect neutrons in my neutron gun http://www.ebay.com/itm/Lead-From-1-4-Plate-Purest-Swaging-Cores-or-Black-Powder-Molding-1-56-p-5s-/251137690929?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3a78f90d31#ht_898wt_1271

- Thorium Lantern Mantels : Main source of radioactive material that will turn into plutonium in my reactor http://www.ebay.com/itm/4pc-Thorium-Mantles-Geiger-Counter-Source-Test-Check-Radioactive-Coleman-Mantle-/120965262030?pt=BI_Security_Fire_Protection&hash=item1c2a176ace#ht_2338wt_1271

Acetone - Used to extract the radium paint http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/High-Quality-Pure-Acetone-500ml-/370596678437?pt=UK_BOI_Medical_Lab_Equipment_Lab_Supplies_ET&hash=item5649488b25#ht_4220wt_1037

- Beryllium : Im not going to buy this now as it is toxic but it would of been a great replacement for aluminum foil as it gives out more neutrons then it takes in http://www.ebay.com/itm/Element-sample-1-gram-pure-beryllium-metal-granules-in-glass-ampule-/320915445160?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4ab80d15a8#ht_500wt_1288

These are the main things needed of Ebay for the reactor to work. As soon as these arrive the first nuclear experiments can begin!

The Geiger Counter

Its very hard to get your hands on a decent Geiger counter. After the disaster in Japan they have all shot up in price. The cheapest good one is between 80-160 pounds. There are many ways of making your own Geiger counter with buying anything which i will do soon. But these will be very basic and not be very reliable. Buying a kit would be good as it would be efficient and not too expensive but you will need to assemble all the part which is hard and if done wrong, the damage will be irreversible! Luckily I have found a slightly damaged but efficient and cheap one that i will buy and use along side my homemade one. 

This is it, I believe it comes with a English sticker though.

Here is the simple homemade one I shall make using only a multimeter , Battery, Tin can, wires, transistor and a resistor.

Introduction

Hello there viewers

My project is to build a REAL working nuclear reactor in my own garden. It wont make electricity but it will be very interesting to see if I can carry out the reaction. At first you may think its impossible for me and help from my dad to build something on this scale but performing nuclear experiments is a LOT easier then you all thought and I will be using mostly household materials and equipment.

The reactor and the goal

My reactor is called a breeder reactor, as it does not split or fuse the atom but it creates fuel for one that could. My reactor should create trace amounts of plutonium the most radioactive element of all. My goal is to see if it is possible to create such an element at home.

Equipment

I will only be using basic house hold equipment for this as it does not need any kind of expensive lab ware.
I will be using:

- A BBQ : As a work surface and an outside source of fire

- A Blowtorch : Fire source

- Tupperware/tubs/cans : To store the radioactive materials

- A heat proof bowl : To heat up chemicals

- Aluminium foil : Many uses

- Geiger Counter : To measure the amount of radiation my reactor is producing

- Cobalt drill bits : I will explain  why later

Materials/Chemicals

- Lithium : From a lithium battery (Not radioactive)

- Thorium lantern mantels : Old gas lanterns used these mantels to make them glow more brightly . They contain a radioactive substance called thorium which will used to make plutonium. Bought of Ebay

-  Americium 241 : A radioactive material found in most smoke detectors/fire alarms. Used in the neutron gun and the core of the reactor.

- Radium : Old 1950 - 1960 clocks and watches glowed in the dark by being painted with radioactive paint. The paint contained radium the second substance used in the core of the reactor. Bought of Ebay

- Cooking oil : Used for chemical reactions

- Aluminium foil : Many uses

- Charcoal : Used in the reactor

- Lead/Graphite : Used to reflect neutrons

Radiation information

There are four types of radiation.

- Alpha radiation. It only reaches some centimeters in air and does not penetrate the skin. 

- Beta radiation. It reaches some meters in air and can be stopped by a glass plate. 

- Gamma radiation.  It reaches several meters but can be stopped by a thick concrete wall. 

- Neutron radiation. Its a ray of neutrons dislodged from atoms and makes other materials radioactive.

In my next few posts i will be going over how i will do my experiments and the results. Watch this space.