Comments on: Molten metal LED display

By: Bit Jester

Bit Jester — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 06:58:23 +0000

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

By: wewwwww

wewwwww — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 08:24:16 +0000

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By: wewwwww

wewwwww — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 08:23:47 +0000

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By: GK

GK — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 21:22:41 +0000

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

By: stevediraddo

stevediraddo — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 17:42:34 +0000

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

By: strider_mt2k

strider_mt2k — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 14:44:35 +0000

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._

By: John R

John R — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 13:36:53 +0000

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.

By: WestfW

WestfW — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 05:21:26 +0000

By: Christopher Reitmann

Christopher Reitmann — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 23:12:56 +0000

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

By: EdZ

EdZ — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 22:38:49 +0000

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.

By: cynic

cynic — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 22:36:50 +0000

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

By: bhartley

bhartley — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 22:18:25 +0000

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

By: sean

sean — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 21:40:46 +0000

this definitely is an interesting project

By: Tim

Tim — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 21:25:08 +0000

what if you just tossed some rosin flux in?

By: Matt

Matt — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 21:22:42 +0000

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