Fall Out Shelters are "In"

photo: courtesy of James Vaughan/x-ray delta one

Here we are in American Suburbia. The kids are playing outside in the backyard with smiling Mother looking on. She knows that if the imminent threat of atomic annihilation should rear its ugly head, she has peace of mind thanks to good ol' American ingenuity - the family fall out shelter! She's ready to survive any menace.

No, no, no... that is not what we mean by surviving the nuclear menace! Let's try this again...

photo: U.S. Governement photography

Here we go! Now this is what your ideal fallout shelter would have looked like as envisioned in the early 1950's. It may not have quite the same appeal, but ummm... that's Life. In here, protected from the airborn effects of an atomic blast you would live with your family. Once you had your shelter structure completed and stocked, you could rest with some peace of mind. The family "foxhole" was much more convenient, practical and reliable than trying to reach a public shelter in times of emergency.

An example of a public fallout shelter as depicted on the January 1962 cover of LIFE magazine.

The public shelter. Crowded, no privacy, and probably has only one working bathroom on a good day. And wouldn't you know it? That nosey neighbor lady from down the corner is here to indulge you with her non-stop company for the next several weeks, prattling on about begonias and her gall-stone operation.

The Mrs: "Henry! I told you we should have built our own family shelter instead of wasting your time down at the pool hall, you lazy lummox!"
Hubby: "Yes Dear."

A swanky high-rise shelter; photo: courtesy of James Vaughan/x-ray delta one

A very stylin' backyard shelter as portrayed by the publishers of Fawcett Books.

The family fallout shelter would usually have been built by the home owner as sort of a do it yourself project, and the whole concept of "do-it-yourself" was quite the popular thing to do in those days.

The Family Fallout Shelter @ nebraskastudies.org states that according to civil defense authorities, a concrete block basement shelter could be built as a do-it-yourself project for $150 to $200. Exactly how much protection they actually afforded was an open question — one that, thankfully, no one has had to test.... yet.

Pre-fab shelter; Photo: courtesy of James Vaughan / x-ray delta one

In fact, if you had the money or were simply a lazy lummox like poor Henry, you could even order a pre-fabricated fall out shelter. Just dig the trench and in she goes!

Pre-fab shelter; photo: courtesy of James Vaughan / x-ray delta one

It was recommended that people stay in the shelter full time for at least 14 days after a nuclear blast. Families with children were advised to stock their shelter with recreational materials to break the monotony. Monopoly games were popular. Other suggested items included playing cards and diaries to keep a record of one's stay.

Photo: courtesy of James Vaughan / x-ray delta one

Be equipped, be organized and be prepared. Life in the fall out shelter was basically approached like you would a long family camp out, only you were isolated underground and you wouldn't be roasting marshmallows.

Photo: courtesy of James Vaughan / x-ray delta one

What would you do? Do you have a plan? What would you do if you were committing to protect you and your family with dead-certainty that atomic warfare was eminent?

Photo: courtesy of James Vaughan / x-ray delta one

And hopefully, when the all's-clear is given, and it's time to open that hatchway... there will be a mid-century modern world to return to.

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The Uranium Rush is On!

Photo: courtesy of James Vaughan / x-ray delta one

Let's do a little prospecting! After decades of being considered as a waste product of vanadium mining, worthy of nothing more than a tossing in the scrap piles, Uranium ore suddenly came into demand as a key element for nuclear weaponry. 

Photo: courtesy of gair_dunlop

In 1949, the rush was on. The U.S. Government launched the first federally-sponsored mineral rush in history. The Colorado Plateau, more specifically the Four Corners area (where Utah, Colorado, Arizona and New Mexico all meet), was swarmed by prospectors in the greatest ore search since the gold fever days of the wild west.

All prepackaged and ready to go. Here's a vintage do-it-yourself prospecting kit - not for finding little trinkets of gold but for highly valuable Uranium ore! Ideally, you'd probably want a little more than this novelty kit has to offer. But hands down, a reliable Geiger counter or radiation detector was an absolute must. Anything else you could use was already available for cheap as war surplus.




In 1949 the boom was roaring! Any one able-bodied enough and daring enough to head out west with a Geiger counter in hand and dreams of riches in their head was prospecting for atomic age riches. See blog.Modern.Mechanix.com for oodles more articles of the Great Uranium Boom.

And what of all this uranium ore? What did it have to do with the threat of of atomic fallout on Mr. Everyman and Mrs. Everywoman? The unquenchable hunger for uranium ore was for the sole purpose of producing nuclear warheads, which were aimed right between the eyes of those who were also aiming their atomic arsenals at us. Without getting into the politics of it all, quite simply and against all the odds, the mad stalemate obviously stood.

So, its been a long day's work of sweating under the desert sun and getting rich from your haul of ore. Who wouldn't want to settle down after the night's dinner, relax by the glow of your cook stove and enjoy a lively round of the "Uranium Rush" board game? Maybe you could give your pack-mule companion a head start just to make things fair.

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Everything the Junior Atomic Scientist Could Want

"Hey Mom! Can I have my very own atomic science laboratory and play with alpha particles in my bedroom? I promise to use it on the dog like last time" Maybe, but it looks like no good can come out of atomic power being put in to the lap of this child. But that's just what happened back in the 1950's thanks to the genius's at A. C. Gilbert Company.


I'm not sure if Mother is completely buying the whole "harmless" line, but I bet Dad can't wait to get it away from Junior's hands!


And here it is, the Gilbert Atomic Energy Lab - highly sought after and covetted by Dad and Junior alike. A.C. Gilbert Co. sold this kit from 1950-51, for $49.50 (kind of steep for a toy set!) which included the following highly scientific components:

• U-239 Geiger-Mueller radiation counter
• Electroscope - to measure radioactivity of different substances
• Spinthariscope - to watch "live" radioactive disintegration
• Wilson Cloud Chamber - to see paths of electrons & alpha particles at 12,000 mps
• Three very low-level radioactive sources - Alpha, Beta, Gamma
• Four samples of Uranium-bearing ores
• Nuclear Spheres - used to build models of molecules
• The book "Prospecting for Uranium"
• The "Gilbert Atomic Energy Manual"
• The comic book "Learn How Dagwood Splits the Atom"
• Three "Winchester" Batteries - size "C"

Geesh! What a mouthful. Just repeating the names of some of these components is guaranteed to boost your I.Q. by 10%! My brother didn't have the Atomic Lab kit, but he did have a Gilbert chemistry set that included the 'spinthariscope' for viewing radioactive decay. When this kit finally was passed down to me I remember treating the scope with extreme caution. I was smart enough at an early age to know that radioactivity wasn't a plaything to be taken lightly!

And if Junior should ever get bored with his alpha particles, he could always go out and do some urnaium prospecting, to build up his atomic pile.


Science so simple that even Dagwood can teach you how to split the atom. I wonder how many U.S. nuclear physicists today got their start by reading this material?


There's that "harmless" word again.... and Mother still isn't buying it. "Absolutely not, Jimmy! I've just gotten these floors scrubbed and the laundry all put away. I will not have you messing-up this home with any radioactive fallout."

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Fiberglass Shades Go On Trial - Part II

I warned you there would be more to come...

You remember my matched pair of fiberglass shades, right? They were yellowed from years of dirt, the metal hoops had turned brown and their lacing had disintergrated into fragments... These two were not in a happy place!

It was time to act and to coordinate a rescue effort. I removed the pieces of old lacing and the metal hoops, then smoothed off the corrosion and other yuckiness from the hoops with fine steel wool, and washed off any greasy residue. Now the hoops got several light coats of fresh gold (or brass) metallic paint to replicate the original finish. You could have the metal parts professionally plated, but ummm, I don't have any relatives in that line of business ;)

Next it was time for the fiberglass shades to get some attention. They weren't stained, just that overall they could use a thorough cleaning. I read somewhere about a fiberglass boat cleaner which might be used to reverse yellowing, but I was not willing to experiment on two irreplacable shades. I went with something less drastic, I filled the bathtub with mildly warm water, enough to immerse the whole shade and gently scrubbed any bug spots with a small bristle brush. The shades really soak up the warm water and it seemed to help smooth out some minor dimples too. I didn't use any detergent, otherwise I'd start with a dishwashing soap like Dove.

I had done some research if chlorine bleach might help brighten the yellowing, but after a little Googling I found that any products containing chlorine bleach could actually set stains in fiberglass, so I dropped that idea. And of course abrasive cleaners aren't recommended for fiberglass either.

After their bath I padded the two shades down with a bath towel so they weren't dripping wet and to help avoid any risk of water staining while they air dried. The results: though there's discoloring from age, they were noticably brighter after being cleaned.

Next up: there was the lace situation to be tackled!


Now that they were cleaned, the two shades could have the hoops reattached with new lacing. I went to Hobby Lobby to see what might be available. In the leather crafts they had a reel of goatskin lace in dark brown in two widths. I brought along a piece of my old lacing to compare and went with the smaller width. They also carried reels available in black, and a wider variety in shorter lengths on cards, including metallic colors (much like my original lamp lace still showed traces of) but the carded laces would have been too wide for my particular shades.

Restitching was the easiest part, with a bit of patience. I started at the seam and gradually tightening the lace as the hoop is secured (but not too tight). I double checked that I ran the lacing in the same direction both top and bottom, otherwise the effect may not have been a good one! Finally the two loose ends of the lace were tied in a sailors knot, in the same fashion as the original lace was knotted.

The Verdict: I solemnly swear that overall I am pleased with how my shades turned out, Your Honor. And I can testify that today I have a happy matching pair of nightstand lamps again!

= = =

A Friendly Disclaimer: This example illustrates what I did to repair my shades. I am NOT a professional fiberglass lamp restoration expert. Individual results will likely vary. You may choose to follow my methods, but I cannot be held responsible for any unforeseen results, including further staining, accidental dismemberment and worse. Please use your own common sense and judgement before proceeding!


Cleaning tips from:

• Deadly Nightshades
• All Green Things

Dealers and Suppliers:

• Moonshine Shades

Fiberglass Shades Go On Trial

Yes kids, it's time for the Commander to fire-up the old projector and give another one of his infamous slide shows. You may as well sit down and relax, because all the doors have been locked (hehehe)...

Okay, lets have the first slide - dubbed "Exhibit A"...

Look at 'em. They are quite a mess aren't they? When I picked up this pair of matching bedside lamps back in the 80's they looked pretty spiffy and bright with that spring motif from the lamp body repeated on the shade itself.

And now, after spending the past decade in storage the fiberglass has yellowed and the fiber lacing has disintegrated. What a neglectful owner I've been - Boo hoo!

I've heard rumors of a cleanser that can lighten yellowed fiberglass such as this. Would simple vinyl lacing found at the craft store fill in for new lacing?... we'll see to those later. But first we have even more eyesores to behold . . .


Next slide please... "Exhibit B"

This fiberglass lampshade found in my Grandma's attic has a different set of troubles. There's a couple of noticeable dents that just refuse to pop out and play nice.



And the final slide... "Exhibit C"

Yes, I would gasp too to see such an unsightly blemish as this. These are dirt stains from a leaky roof that have soaked underneath the fiber. Gently patting (never rub downward on fiberglass) with a damp cloth doesn't even touch this. Perhaps a soak in a warm dishwater detergent solution will help? But this shade has a paper binding, not lacing. Oh, what to do?!

I'll be offering some possible solutions (hopefully) and my own results (good or not so good) in upcoming weeks... or maybe longer if the Judge decides to throw the book at me =O

But first I'd like to know what YOU have tried and found works best for your own fiberglass shade woes. Please feel free to leave your comments right here and share your lampshade restoration knowledge for Everyone to learn from!



=== repost of comments ===

1950's_atomic_ranch_house said...

Wedgewood Tulsa mentioned I might try ironing the dents out of my crushed lampshade. Use a towel over the fiberglass and between the iron, of course. But I'm not sure if that will work on fiberglass still mounted on the frame in the conical shape?

The metal frame looks bent on mine as well. Ugh.

Let me know if you found lacing that isn't that shiny bright plastic. Maybe go to Tandy Leather (are they still in biz?) or let me know what you use, because I need some of that, too. =O

Hope you get some answers, or can find the fixes to share with us!

Space Commander said...

I'm sure there's plenty of people who'd like some help, including me! I heard the ironing/blow dryer method works for plastic, I think I'll try it on my one shade if nothing else works.. Thanks :) Wish I was close by you, I can prolly fix the frame.

Tandy Leather still exists, but no longer locally around here. They offer a mail order catalog. Here's the lacing: http://www.tandyleatherfactory.com/home/department/Lacing/Lacing.aspx
Hard to tell the finish from those photos...

This manufacturer sells replacement lace (looks like vinyl to me): http://www.moonshineshades.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=18&Itemid=1

Maybe a person could take off some of the shine with fine sandpaper, or skip vinyl and go with the leather??