According to the linked Wikipedia article, Wood’s metal is quite toxic, especially when molten. Including the fumes…

Posted at 12:38 pm on Feb 16th, 2009 by meowsqueak

Yes, we knew it was very toxic. No, we didn’t eat it.

Posted at 12:38 pm on Feb 16th, 2009 by Phil R

Ha! Replacing mercury with Wood’s metal is the stupidest thing i’ve heard today. He goes on about how mercury is ‘far too toxic for my tastes’ – did he not consider the toxicity of the cadmium vapours? What about the lead too? What a numpty.

Posted at 12:49 pm on Feb 16th, 2009 by noobalert

Yeah…….conceivably couldn’t any conductive liquid (ie just about anything not oil based) work? I mean I don’t know what the power source is, but using just the woods metal and a lubricant seems unnecessary.

Posted at 1:03 pm on Feb 16th, 2009 by blizzarddemon

According to wikipedia, field’s metal is a non-toxic alternative to wood’s metal.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Field%27s_metal

Posted at 1:22 pm on Feb 16th, 2009 by Matt

what if you just tossed some rosin flux in?

Posted at 1:25 pm on Feb 16th, 2009 by Tim

this definitely is an interesting project

Posted at 1:40 pm on Feb 16th, 2009 by sean

I’m not sure the rosin flux would work at that temperature.

Posted at 2:18 pm on Feb 16th, 2009 by bhartley

Good lord, cadmium and lead considered less toxic than mercury. For something as simple as this, saline would suffice.

Posted at 2:36 pm on Feb 16th, 2009 by cynic

Yep, you’d be better off with Field’s metal rather than Wood’s. Slightly lower melting point (only 3deg C though), less toxic, and a bit less wetting. If you can afford Cerrolow, that would work even better.

Posted at 2:38 pm on Feb 16th, 2009 by EdZ

Awesome. Works in the same way that a mercury switch in an old thermostat does.

Posted at 3:12 pm on Feb 16th, 2009 by Christopher Reitmann

There are some Indium/Gallium/etc alloys that are significantly liquid down to about 10 C. Expensive, though, with Indium being about the price of silver, and Gallium being more than that. The alloys are considered non-toxic; they’ve replaced mercury in medical thermometers, for instance. Also, they tend to wet (stick to) everything, exactly UNLIKE mercury.
http://www.indium.com/products/fusiblealloys.php

Posted at 9:21 pm on Feb 16th, 2009 by WestfW

I would have wired the leds using darlinton transistors or small fets and use the fluid to bias the base/gate. the devices are so sensitive that I’m sure you could get saline to set them off, you should even be able to get fade effects as their connection’s conductivity changes.

Posted at 5:36 am on Feb 17th, 2009 by John R

my project blinded me with science…
poisoned me with science
neutered me with science

Good luck with that.

john r for the win!

salt water? _genius!_

poisonous liquid metals? _less so._

Posted at 6:44 am on Feb 17th, 2009 by strider_mt2k

gallium would work better, no? melts at 37c and is non toxic. expensive tho..

Posted at 9:42 am on Feb 17th, 2009 by stevediraddo

Hey, at least it’s not mercury. No gloves necessary, right?!

Posted at 1:22 pm on Feb 18th, 2009 by GK

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Posted at 12:23 am on Mar 3rd, 2009 by wewwwww

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Posted at 12:24 am on Mar 3rd, 2009 by wewwwww

Here is an idea dude is using a paper plate in the video so it can’t be a metal that has to have that much heat applied to it or it will melt straight through the bottom. With that I would still bet on it being mercury or like these guys said the new replacements for it out of some old salvaged medical blood pressure equipment.

Awesome. Works in the same way that a mercury switch in an old thermostat does.
Posted at 3:12 pm on Feb 16th, 2009 by Christopher Reitmann

There are some Indium/Gallium/etc alloys that are significantly liquid down to about 10 C. Expensive, though, with Indium being about the price of silver, and Gallium being more than that. The alloys are considered non-toxic; they’ve replaced mercury in medical thermometers, for instance. Also, they tend to wet (stick to) everything, exactly UNLIKE mercury.
http://www.indium.com/products/fusiblealloys.php
Posted at 9:21 pm on Feb 16th, 2009 by WestfW

Posted at 11:58 pm on Apr 22nd, 2009 by Bit Jester