What is the cheapest availiable OTC source for mercury?
If there are "brand-name" restrictions on this board please PM me the more specific details along with your post.
I want to play around with some mercury but i'm thinking to myself that thermostats are expensive (20+ USD) just for the small amount of mercury in
the bulb.
I've always wanted to fill a bowl with mercury and see if a billiard ball will really float in it.
The name of the game is economics here, because my budget is limited. I'm not really worried about becoming as mad as a hatter from all the exposure,
I assure you i've been crazy for quite a while already.Broken Gears - 5-3-2006 at 01:51
I know a guy that make motorbikes for a living and he told me that when he adjust the pressure in the engine cylinders, he uses a manometer with
mercury. You can get a electronic one, but the murcury works best. There was about 100g murcury with each kit.
So try looking at a auto repair shop for such a kit or just the mercury.
I've attached a picture of a single cylinder manometer
garage chemist - 5-3-2006 at 03:46
You could ask around at dentist offices if they have some amalgam residues.
Distilling the mercury from them is easy, just look at my thread about this subject and the pictures I posted.
The residue consists mainly of silver and should definately be kept until you have some HNO3 for dissolving them and separating the silver.
Alternatively you could ask at dumpsters where people bring their old fridges, TVs and so on. They often collect the mercury themselves and it has to
be brought to a recycler later.leu - 5-3-2006 at 05:01
Mercury is available in the form of switches from many salvage sources such as vehicles, computers, HVAC equipment, batteries et cetera The vapor is quite toxic, proper protective and processing equipment is mandatory
when distilling it Mephisto - 5-3-2006 at 07:03
I think mercury switches are the best OTC source for mercury. In Germany this switches can be bought for example at Conrad electronics. Here's a link
to the product details (size, price, weight, picture, ...).
Frankly, I would make good friends with your local air conditioning/furnace repairmen. You'd be suprised how many of those mercury switches they save.
You might find 3-4lbs at a single shot! Also, check with hospitals, when they upgrade their equipment, they usually have dozens of pounds of
quicksilver. If you look responsible enough and can present a legitimate use, I don't see why they wouldn't give you it free rather than pay thousands
of dollars to dispose of it!Twospoons - 6-3-2006 at 16:38
A workmate has just given me 4 high current mercury tilt switches. These have about 1-2 ml of mercury each. They're from old float switches used to
control mains powered pumps - the sort of thing found in wells, water tanks, sewage wells. You may well find them in a scrapyard or surplus store.Rosco Bodine - 7-3-2006 at 12:08
Scrap mercury is bought and sold just like scrap copper and scrap aluminum , scrap magnesium , scrap lead ,
scrap stainless steel , ect . .......and you can buy
and sell such materials at the metal salvage and
recycling " scrap yards " at the scrap value which
varies according to the " metals market quotes "
published on the commodities page in the newspaper .
Just go to a junkyard with cash in hand .....
Have Money , Will Buy
Pay the man for what you want and its yours .mick - 7-3-2006 at 13:52
I am just going to scrap one these mercury barometer. Nice wood work. Nice brass work. The mercury in a leather bag which is over 50 years old.
mickFlip - 7-3-2006 at 14:05
Quote:
Just go to a junkyard with cash in hand .....
With all of the environmental hazards of Hg I certainly hope that it doesn't wind up in a junkyard. Mercury disposal is an expensive proposition, are
you sure that it can be obtained in this manner?Rosco Bodine - 7-3-2006 at 18:58
Mercury disposal is an expensive proposition
only for ignorant people or contamination scenarios .
Dittos for lead and many other materials of
commercial value as recyclable materials .
Now when it comes to environmental cleanup
of contamination ......there's where the expensive
proposition arises .
But so long as the genie is still in the bottle ........
there's a price on his head and he's sold by the pound ,
just like sugar or flour .
And yes I do know what I'm talking about .
Why do you think mercury is listed in the spot prices
section on the commodities page if it isn't a commodity ?
The vapor is quite toxic, proper protective and processing equipment is mandatory
when distilling it 
