- #1
jaxart
- 1
- 0
Hi,
I am an an artist hoping that you scientists can kindly help me with some advice.
I am making a simple liquid mirror as part of a project about reflected image. It will spin and stop and spin and stop etc.
I have made a polyester resin parabola as a receptical (so that I can use less alloy) and am spinning it on a record player (for testing). I am using a gallium, indium, tin alloy as, in uk, it is by far cheaper than gallium indium or simply gallium.
It kind of works but not perfectly. Firstly, almost a thin scum seems to gather on the surface whereas I am looking for a real mirror finish. Is that the tin element or would it work like that even with pure gallium? Secondly, when I stop the spin, most of the alloy rolls back into the centre of the resin container. I had (perhaps niavely) expected it all to roll back rather than have a layer cling to the sides. I would be very grateful for any advice you can offer?
I am an an artist hoping that you scientists can kindly help me with some advice.
I am making a simple liquid mirror as part of a project about reflected image. It will spin and stop and spin and stop etc.
I have made a polyester resin parabola as a receptical (so that I can use less alloy) and am spinning it on a record player (for testing). I am using a gallium, indium, tin alloy as, in uk, it is by far cheaper than gallium indium or simply gallium.
It kind of works but not perfectly. Firstly, almost a thin scum seems to gather on the surface whereas I am looking for a real mirror finish. Is that the tin element or would it work like that even with pure gallium? Secondly, when I stop the spin, most of the alloy rolls back into the centre of the resin container. I had (perhaps niavely) expected it all to roll back rather than have a layer cling to the sides. I would be very grateful for any advice you can offer?