Hi folks,
Thanks to everyone who made suggestions about where I might buy mercury. In the end I bought some from a local scrap metal dealer. I got slightly over 30 kg for £30. Here it is:
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It's going to make a fantastic barometer. Now I just need the Bridgeport to machine the parts, and that will require some saving!I think I'll also make a video of mercury corroding aluminium. Should be an interesting thing to do with a webcam.
And as an aside, this is a seriously cool artistic use for mercury:
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Thanks also to Robert Murray for recommending the book Procedures in Experimental Physics by John Strong. I bought a copy of this book and it's fascinating. I'm sure other metalworkers and science buffs would enjoy it too.Best wishes,
Chris