john.r.davies Posted October 7, 2015 Report Share Posted October 7, 2015 A friend has given me a small ingot of Wood's metal. I know it's used in bending tubes, especially small ones, and the ingot is only about 2x1x1", but has anyone used it, for that or any other purpose? John Quote Link to post Share on other sites
RogerH Posted October 7, 2015 Report Share Posted October 7, 2015 Hi John, here is Wiki take on it. Be careful with it. It's got some nasty metals in the alloy. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wood%27s_metal Roger Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Peter Cobbold Posted October 7, 2015 Report Share Posted October 7, 2015 John, Looks useful stuff, but as Roger has noted, cadmium.... Peter Quote Link to post Share on other sites
stillp Posted October 7, 2015 Report Share Posted October 7, 2015 We had a joker in the college where I worked who made a couple of teaspoons out of Wood's... Pete Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Peter Cobbold Posted October 7, 2015 Report Share Posted October 7, 2015 We had a joker in the college where I worked who made a couple of teaspoons out of Wood's... Pete When I was lad melting teaspoons were sold in joke shops, along with floating sugar lumps and stink bombs. H&S is such a killjoy. Peter Quote Link to post Share on other sites
john.r.davies Posted October 7, 2015 Author Report Share Posted October 7, 2015 Hmmmm! Perhaps I should have asked for non-toxic Field's metal? Which the Wiki article led me to. That article includes this extraordinary statement: " When prepared, Field's metal can be found in the southwest of Australia in the wheat fields" Is this a Wikijoke? Yes, cadmium. Never come across it or its poisoning, except I know it was banned from being used to plate brake calipers for its toxicity. Is it likely to be toxic when used as intended, and removed from a shaped tube with boiling water? Meanwhile, I better not saw off any small pieces! John Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Peter Cobbold Posted October 7, 2015 Report Share Posted October 7, 2015 (edited) Well..its related to zinc, but toxic. But not scarily toxic, although it affects most organs. I would not expose Woods metal to a naked flame, nor use it as a solder. Melting it under boiling water should be fine, as long as its allowed to cool/solidify before handling. The water may well be contaminated so I'd dispose of that thoughtfully. Impermeable gloves. Possibly the trickiest bit is pouring it when molten at >70C into the tube to be bent. Pls do let us know if you discover I'm wrong Peter Edited October 7, 2015 by Peter Cobbold Quote Link to post Share on other sites
stillp Posted October 7, 2015 Report Share Posted October 7, 2015 I've used solder for supporting thin-wall tubes. That way you just have the lead content to worry about. I suppose you could use lead-free plumbers' solder. What are you trying to bend? Pete Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Don H. Posted October 7, 2015 Report Share Posted October 7, 2015 Yes, Wood's metal contains cadmium. Also lead. Neither one is highly toxic, but neither one is to be handled cavalierly either. Don't vaporize it or make powder from it. Avoid handling it. Used sparingly and with moderate care, it's not the worst thing we come in contact with... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
AlanT Posted October 7, 2015 Report Share Posted October 7, 2015 We had many Cad-plated items in avionics. The biggest problem occured when they saw vibration, which gradually produced a black film in the nooks and crannies. We were pretty scrupulous is decontaminating them and in about ten years we had one case medical case resulting from this dust. A kind of drematitis rash on the operators hands. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
john.r.davies Posted October 7, 2015 Author Report Share Posted October 7, 2015 Thanks to all for advice! As far as what to do with it, it's a bit like the laser, a solution looking for a problem, until people got up to speed with the capabilities of coherent light. I've bent brake tubes successfully, but failed when trying to bend wider (10mm) pipe for fuel systems, resorted to angled compression fittings. Very, completely successful, but inelegant! Would be compatible with copper tube? John Quote Link to post Share on other sites
RogerH Posted October 8, 2015 Report Share Posted October 8, 2015 Hi John, if you are wanting to bend copper pipe then why not buy a pipe bender. Plumbers do it all the time to save on expensive fittings. 10mm should be a doddle. However if you start playing with stainless steel pipes then things get interesting. Roger Quote Link to post Share on other sites
stillp Posted October 8, 2015 Report Share Posted October 8, 2015 The DIY sheds (or plumbers' merchants) will sell you an external pipe bending spring for 10mm pipe, as used in microbore central heating. Pete Quote Link to post Share on other sites
john.r.davies Posted October 9, 2015 Author Report Share Posted October 9, 2015 Yes, but just to be able to say, Wood's Metal pipe bending? Oh, yes, I was doing that the other day! John Quote Link to post Share on other sites
RogerH Posted October 9, 2015 Report Share Posted October 9, 2015 tick in box and a brownie point Roger Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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