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Usually I fish out the tungsten thingy and give it to one of the kids.

When I don't blow them up in the lamphouse we have three ways of disposal:

1. Wrap the bulb in a blanket or burlap sack (more than one will be needed), and throw a cemment block on it from a fair distance while turning away from the explosion. This works well and is very safe.

2. Wait until your garbage men empty your dumpster. Open one lid and place the bulb free of any caseing on the other, MAKING SURE it is not going to roll off. Now grab a 10-12 feet pole and push the bulb into the dumpster. The fall will explode the bulb and the dumpster will contain the glass. Not a bad method, but must be done in a large dumpster by someone who knows what they are doing.

3. Shoot them from about 100 yards away with your trusty .22 WRF rifle. An OK method if the owner of the property on which your disposing the bulbs doesn't care about guns or glass.

When I'm not being a Pennsylvania redneck, I just put them back in the 'clam shell' and put that back in the box. Then you just throw the box down on a cement floor real hard.

From my experience busting xenons in various ways, as long as the bulb is cold, the main danger is from flying glass. It's USUALLY not even enough to go through a heavy, corrugated cardboard box. I said USUALLY! I have seen some of the larger pieces of schrapnel actually stick into the box.

I recommend that IF you are going to perform these kinds of experiments, you situate yourself far enough away that you won't be in the "zone of destruction". (On open ground that's at LEAST 5 - 10 yards. -- Double that just to be extra safe.)

I guess what I'm trying to say is that many people treat xenons like they're little bombs. (It probably serves people well.) Granted, if you get near an exploding xenon you should expect to be a little bloodied up. Also, the shreds of glass are like little razor blades and needles... VERY sharp! I would always wear gloves and face shields when handling a xenon in any state, hot, cold, busted or not busted. If you don't have an apron, at least wear a good, heavy jacket.

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I have been told by one technician that the tungston should be recycled properly as it is a hazardous material, but wasn't sure of the validity of this statement especially after reading someone's post on here about giving it to one of the kids. Of course, the theater trained me to throw them away with the glass, but that doesn't necessarily make it correct in my opinion.

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"The greatest thing you will ever learn, is just love and be loved in return."

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Today, I'm showing a client our lighting desk. I try to move the curtain that covers the desk, and I feel something metal and warm. I think that the tech has left his soldering iron there to cool off. But upon closer inspection I find that the warm metal is part of a xenon bulb. I hightailed it out of there.

Without proper eye protection, an exploding xenon lamp may be the last thing you ever see!

As to the rest of your body, even if you are lucky enough not to sever a major blood vessel, quartz shrapnel cannot be seen on an x-ray, so the doctors will have a hard time picking the shards out of your body. Just something to think about before you handle a xenon lamp without protective gear.

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John P. Pytlak, Senior Technical Specialist
Worldwide Technical Services, Entertainment Imaging
Research Labs, Building 69, Room 7525A
Rochester, New York, 14650-1922 USA
Tel: +1 585 477 5325 Cell: +1 585 781 4036 Fax: +1 585 722 7243
e-mail: john.pytlak@kodak.com
Web site: http://www.kodak.com/go/motion

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"The greatest thing you will ever learn, is just love and be loved in return."

I am guilty of not wearing gloves or a jacket sometimes, but only a few times have I not had on goggles and a face sheild.