Salesman cooler on Ebay

[oscar]

That is what I just took out of my Jr. That's why I was asking about what to use in place of the celotex. That insulation is really very coarse and scratchy. It's nothing like what they use today.

[SIGNGUY]

Iv'e used a rigid form of insulation on the bottom of those style coolers in the past.. I am not sure of the name or brand, sold at Home Depot/Menards type stores.. It's about 1 inch thick and has a r19 value if I recall.

[Chedki]

Did a quick google on Celotex and found this link. It's got asbestos. 

http://www.asbestos.com/companies/celotex.php

[oscar]

When I worked at the University They would tell us to tear off the asbestos if it was no longer than 3 feet. Later on they started training people to take it off. I have been around a lot of asbestos. My father said when they covered boilers they would mix it with water in a wheelbarrow and there would be a cloud of dust in the air. Needless to say he ended up with asbestos in his lungs.

[SIGNGUY]

No suprise.. almost everything related to insulating in the 50's 60's had Asbestos..
I find it hard beleive any exposure from restoring a cooler is going to hurt ya...

[mznb1u]

ASBESTOS is nothing to mess with!

I would strongly suggest wearing a mask when handling anything that has the remote chance of containing asbestos.  In March of 2009, I lost my brother-in-law to Mesothelioma.  It is a horrible disease that has no cure.  He was diagnosed shortly after he and my sister returned from their honeymoon.  He was an otherwise healthy man in his late 40's.  His only exposure to asbestos was during his college years when he worked commercial construction a couple of summers.

He was very fortunate to last 5 years (most people get 2 years if they are lucky) but that was only because he participated in many clinical trials of radical treatments.  He went through 5 years of hell but hopefully his participation in the experimental treatments helped to further the research on this type of cancer and get a little closer to a cure.

He was one of the strongest SOB's I have ever known based on all that I saw him go through.  I am currently planning a fundraiser in his honor for the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation.  It will be sometime in 2011.   For more information on mesothelioma you can visit www.curemeso.org

  Tim

[oscar]

Dust masks will not work. You have to get the kind that allows you to replace the cartridges. The mask has to be stored in a sealed plastic bag or the cartridges will be of no use. The regular dust masks do not filter out the tiny particles and these are the ones that get you.

[rayg]

Tim's right be very careful, at work we take mandatory training on asbestos, some of the things I learned are :
If it’s in good condition and encapsulated  it's probably will not release the hazardous fibers and may be left alone. The danger occurs if it becomes damaged or crumbles over time, spreading the dust into the air.  Whatever you do, do not try to remove it in you house or garage.  It's really not worth the risk to your health and getting caught and fined. This is one job that's better left to the pro's !