Where can I buy mercury?
Discussion
As well as restoring clocks, I get the occasional mercury barometer in for repair. These are relatively simple things, and all the parts are available - except for mercury. Many owners don't know how to safely transport them when they take them off the wall to move house or sell them, so quite often some of the mercury gets lost. Obviously I need to refill the tubes after emptying and cleaning.
I used to be able to buy small bottles of mercury from my regular parts suppliers. I know it's now a restricted product, so they don't sell it any more.
There must be a lot of this stuff kicking around, from old electrical equipment - I know it was used in large quantities in the DC drives of printing presses for example. Also in tilt switches, as well as medical equipment.
Anyone know of a source?
I used to be able to buy small bottles of mercury from my regular parts suppliers. I know it's now a restricted product, so they don't sell it any more.
There must be a lot of this stuff kicking around, from old electrical equipment - I know it was used in large quantities in the DC drives of printing presses for example. Also in tilt switches, as well as medical equipment.
Anyone know of a source?
clockworks said:
As well as restoring clocks, I get the occasional mercury barometer in for repair. These are relatively simple things, and all the parts are available - except for mercury. Many owners don't know how to safely transport them when they take them off the wall to move house or sell them, so quite often some of the mercury gets lost. Obviously I need to refill the tubes after emptying and cleaning.
I used to be able to buy small bottles of mercury from my regular parts suppliers. I know it's now a restricted product, so they don't sell it any more.
There must be a lot of this stuff kicking around, from old electrical equipment - I know it was used in large quantities in the DC drives of printing presses for example. Also in tilt switches, as well as medical equipment.
Anyone know of a source?
From a quick google.I used to be able to buy small bottles of mercury from my regular parts suppliers. I know it's now a restricted product, so they don't sell it any more.
There must be a lot of this stuff kicking around, from old electrical equipment - I know it was used in large quantities in the DC drives of printing presses for example. Also in tilt switches, as well as medical equipment.
Anyone know of a source?
http://www.absco-limited.com/det/10520/Mercury-Met...
We use it at my work for certain machines, but they're in a different dept so I don't know who supplies us.
I bought some a couple of years ago from http://www.beecroft-science.co.uk/ .
We needed a fairly large amount for renovating some old equipment, which they were happy to supply after checking us.
We needed a fairly large amount for renovating some old equipment, which they were happy to supply after checking us.
Fisher Scientific
https://www.fishersci.co.uk/shop/products/mercury-...
not sure about any purchasing restrictions for private individuals due to toxicity.
https://www.fishersci.co.uk/shop/products/mercury-...
not sure about any purchasing restrictions for private individuals due to toxicity.
Thanks - I'll try Fisher. Looks like they ship from Europe, so shipping will be the killer I think - see below.
ABSCO got back to me. Minimum order is 5kg, at £180/kilo delivered. Direct from the supplier in Europe, as they don't hold stock.
500gm is realistically the most I need. That's enough to completely refill 4 or 5 wheel or Fitzroy barometers. I used to buy it in 175gm bottles, and that would last a couple of years doing top-ups. I only do one or two barometers a year.
If anybody has got some mercury kicking about in their shed, I'm interested in buying it.
ABSCO got back to me. Minimum order is 5kg, at £180/kilo delivered. Direct from the supplier in Europe, as they don't hold stock.
500gm is realistically the most I need. That's enough to completely refill 4 or 5 wheel or Fitzroy barometers. I used to buy it in 175gm bottles, and that would last a couple of years doing top-ups. I only do one or two barometers a year.
If anybody has got some mercury kicking about in their shed, I'm interested in buying it.
I'd suggest having a read of this before discussing buying/selling it on a public forum.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/licensi...
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/licensi...
Wow, buying and selling mercury is criminal offence? I thought they had just clamped down on it for health and safety reasons - poisonous vapour, not good for you if ingested, etc.
I went to the local auction house earlier today to have a look at what's being sold tomorrow. They had 5 mercury barometers, three of which were filled, 2 were empty. I was thinking about buying one of the empty ones and restoring it. I've also got a Fitzroy mercury barometer that I'm sorting out for a customer, which has lost some of the mercury.
I know that it's perfectly legal to own a scientific instrument that contains mercury. It must also be legal to buy and sell such instruments. Shame that one of the component parts is now illegal if it's not actually inside the instrument.
I went to the local auction house earlier today to have a look at what's being sold tomorrow. They had 5 mercury barometers, three of which were filled, 2 were empty. I was thinking about buying one of the empty ones and restoring it. I've also got a Fitzroy mercury barometer that I'm sorting out for a customer, which has lost some of the mercury.
I know that it's perfectly legal to own a scientific instrument that contains mercury. It must also be legal to buy and sell such instruments. Shame that one of the component parts is now illegal if it's not actually inside the instrument.
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