careysub
International Hazard
Posts: 1339
Registered: 4-8-2014
Location: Coastal Sage Scrub Biome
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Mood: Lowest quantum state
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Some Element Collecting Freebies
In developing my element collection and display one thing I like to include is an example of something made out of the element, an artifact, if such a
thing exists and can be had.
It occurred to me to pick a piece of hardware that can be obtained made from different elements, so that they same "thing" could be compared in
different forms.
Cap screws are a very common bit of hardware which you can get in different metals. If I were to pick a screw type of maximum availability (in the
U.S.) I would pick a 1/4"-20 screw of 1 or 2 inches in length. But those are kind of small, without the heft I would like.
So instead I picked the 3/8"-16 of 1" length which is available in iron (low carbon steel which is ~99.5% iron), copper (silicon bronze, 97% Cu, 3%
Si), aluminum (96-98% Al alloy), nickel (Alloy 500, 70% Ni, 30% Cu) and titanium (nearly pure I think) from McMaster-Carr.
I have not found a retail source for a molybdenum screw in this exact size, but I have found a metric equivalent of similar size on eBay (I did find
reasonably priced molybdenum 1/4"-20 screws though).
Anyway, I ordered the 3/8"-16 by 1" in iron (I stripped off the bright plated zinc), aluminum, copper, nickel and titanium. The latter two are sold by
the screw, and I just got one each, but the copper came in lots of 5, iron and aluminum in even larger boxes.
Where am I going with all of this?
I have four copper cap screws left over, and lots of iron and aluminum screws. If anyone wants a set of copper, iron and aluminum screws for their
element collections U2U me, and I will send you a set of all three (until I run out of copper). You can order nickel and titanium from McMaster-Carr
if you like.
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Arg0nAddict
Hazard to Self
Posts: 54
Registered: 8-6-2016
Location: PNW
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Mood: Mercuric
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With my surplus of Sodium I could make some interesting things and store it under oil or inert gas of course.
I also collect metal elements, so far:
Iron
Aluminum
Copper
Mercury
Zinc
Gallium
Magnesium
Cadmium
Titanium
Platinum
Plus a few more.... And many other elements too.
Hey try making a screw out of mercury at room temperature.
[Edited on 23-6-2016 by Arg0nAddict]
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Fleaker
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Registered: 19-6-2005
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Mood: nucleophilic
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I have some tantalum screws that go to holding in Ta sheet patches on our Pfaudlers.
Neither flask nor beaker.
"Kid, you don't even know just what you don't know. "
--The Dark Lord Sauron
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careysub
International Hazard
Posts: 1339
Registered: 4-8-2014
Location: Coastal Sage Scrub Biome
Member Is Offline
Mood: Lowest quantum state
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I do have a small tantalum screw as well (I continue looking for a large one).
It would be kind of crude, but casting of screws shapes in various materials is possible. The screw threads would not really be sharp or continuous
though, unlike actual cut-metal ones. Making a silicone mold and casting one out of gallium would be easy.
I could make a mercury "screw" by casting a screw in some meltable non-staining material (gallium tends to leave gray gallium oxide stains on stuff),
embed it in clear plastic, melt it and drain it out, then fill the cavity with mercury.
For the time being i am contenting my self with casting little cylinders, 0.5" x 1" or 0.5" x 2".
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