Daguerreotype Mercury Pots

[CasedImage]

After most of this year in development I have finally tied down the design for my Daguerreotype mercury pots for sale.

This pot has a max format of 8 x 10 inches, it has two heat elements controlled by a P.I.D. digital temperature controller.
other features:
-Stainless steel construction of main body
-Telescoping stand allowing the pot to be raised for heating with an alcohol lamp, compact storage when closed down.
-Electrical heat system with two cartridge heat elements
-detachable enclosure for the P.I.D. digital temperature controller
-Platinum resistance industrial temperature sensor
-240 or 120 volt models
-UHMWPE plastic cnc machined for the housing of the dark slides for a effective seal and performance
-clear acrylic walls for for control efficiency
-hammer finish paint coat

Two cost options:
1. 8×10 double darkslide mercury pot with clear acrylic walls on its telescoping stand, also with:
-temperature sensor
-AC electric heating system
-battery powered digital display
= US$2950 (incl international shipping)

2. 8×10 double darkslide mercury pot with clear acrylic walls on its telescoping stand, also with:
-temperature sensor
-battery powered digital display
(heating via alcohol lamp – not included)
= US$2465 (incl international shipping)

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[bailun]

pls more photo. What inside?
How the bottom block with M is separated?
How to change a frame 8×10?
Other sizes of a frame?

[CasedImage]

Hi Bailun

Here is a image of the inside of the pot before painted black inside (easier to show/photograph). Inside there is just the temperature probe cylinder which is sealed — its not open at the end inside the pot, so no mercury can come out of it. To remove the mercury from the pot a syringe is used, easy, no spill. I have followed the 19th century example of a mercury pot, I think the removable mercury cup is not safe, having a threaded opening next to the mercury.
The largest opening is 8×10, format reduction frames (sold separately) can be inserted to give whatever smaller format you use.
Will go take some more photos and post them here.
best
Alan

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[photolytic]

Removing the screw-on mercury cup is a sound idea.
Removing the mercury with a syringe has its drawbacks too.
Mercury has a low surface tension plus a high specific gravity so it tends to splash rather easily when transferred from one container to another. (See Ken Nelson’s comments on this).
Removing all residual mercury from the syringe, especially the type with a needle attached, can also be difficult.
Perhaps you could design a screw in cap for the mercury chamber inside the developing box.
Attach it to the wall of the box with a small chain, like the gas cap on you cars fuel tank inlet, so you would not have to take it out of the box during developing
Keep up the good work Alan

[CasedImage]

Hi John, I have always just poured my mercury out of the inverted pyramid and with this pot I have done it. With the pyramid lifting away from the heavier stand, it pours out in a straight line. But for safest handling I am endorsing using a syringe as the extraction and storage medium. An idea suggested by Andy Stockton is to have a square cap magnetic flanges that can be placed in the pot to secure the mercury in in situ and I shall look into this, as both your takes on this make sense. Inside the pot I don’t want any ridges of thread that might disrupt the condensation flow back down into the reservoir. Glad you like the work.

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[CasedImage]

Some more images

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[photolytic]

Best to stick with the syringe transfer method for now.
I have no doubt that the mercury pours out in a straight stream.
The problem occurs when that stream hits the receiving container.
The resulting splash pattern is best depicted by Herald Edgerton’s electronic flash pictures.
Only mercury behaves like Edgerton’s splashed milk on steroids.
I presume you have wisely poured the Hg out of doors where any splashed mercury droplets can evaporate with minimum health hazard.

[CasedImage]

Yes but I pour it into a HDPE container that is 6cm tall but only 17mm wide, it contains the splashing, I’ve never lost a speck. I’ve always filtered the mercury through a paper funnel fairly regular, so am use to doing it.

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[jgmotamedi]

We used a prototype of Alan’s mercury pot last weekend at CAP, and it was great. It was easy to use, and quite stable. There were a few hiccups here and there, most having more to do with the user than the pot. The biggest issue we had was removing the mercury from the pot at the end of the day, but next time we will leave it in until the end of the weekend, keeping the pot wrapped between sessions.

[CasedImage]

Glad it went well. The quick disconnects on the final design make it much easier to unhook the pyramid from the stand and the heating system for pouring the mercury out. As your email mentioned you found, a 30ml syringe though for removing the mercury works just as well.
All mercury pots should be kept in a larger sealed container as they have mercury contaminated surfaces. I keep my pot in a food chiller bin for its seal. Stored this way its as good container for keeping the mercury so no need to remove it except for filtering.

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[pruts]

Hello,
What is the maximum temperature (°C) you can reach with your mercurypot ( with the ellectric heatsystem ?

thx Marc / Belgium

[CasedImage]

Hi Marc

The two heat elements are very powerful to mimic the sudden burst of heat you get from using the flame of a alcohol lamp. When in use the digital controller turns the elements on and off with pauses in-between, slowly and stably bringing the temperature to set point (about 15 mins). I have used the set point of 90 degrees celsius no problem but I don’t know how high you could go, certainly over 100 degrees or even 110 degrees celsius, but I have not tried this. Such super heating of the mercury, I imagine, would be detrimental to making good daguerreotype plates but I can’t see it would pose any more undue safety risk – its a very robust pot with a good seal around the double dark slides. The area between the plate surface and the face of the adjacent dark slide is about 1/8th of an inch, so that amount of air is released from the pot with the operation of the dark slides to remove the plate. Even with such a fine pot it should always be used within a fume hood or outdoors with adequate ventilation.

best

Alan.

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[pruts]

Hello,
I saw your picture of the M-pot on this forum.
In this topic I rzad that changements were made or planned on the design.
How does the pot look now at them oment ?
thx

Marc

[CasedImage]

I am working on one for Takashi Arai at the moment, will post pictures on cdags when done. I’ve only made some slight cosmetic changes since the photo’s previously posted here – have replaced the brass trim with stainless steel. The one I use for myself is like the final design, but it is slightly smaller pot than 8×10, being the first prototype I later updated. The controller box for it and its fittings are a bit different, I used up parts from the testing and design phase. For the final design of the controller box see the photo’s already posted here above.

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[pruts]

I am looking forward for the result for your Japanese client.
I am still, more and more, interested in the design of your M-pot. Certainly, because my max-temperature at the momment is not constant enough during developpent and not high enoughin my opinion.

Marc

[Bingtan]

Hi,

can someone help me reach Alan? been wanting to purchase a mercury pot from him. my email is sombreroisland@gmail.com

Thank you,

Bing

[CasedImage]

Bing’s email program and assigned me as spam! All good now.

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